The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-14

] free SCHOOLS mas Deeu uHeAdHlPltu'
our taxes have been low and our
schools have been source of great
pride 10 tile state. Notwithstanding
the wonderful progress which has been
made by the system, oil those interest
cd in this work are of the opinion that
the law could be revised with wonder
fuI benefit to the school work, Tho
| school law has been amended so often
mat 1t IS Verye hard to understand just
what its meaning IL, and IN many in-
stances It IS so difficult OF interpreta-
ton, and, at the same time, cumber-
some, that again suggested TO the
legislature that board Of revision be
anpointed. lu witch could intelligenuy
| discuss and report to the Legislature
new and complete law. do not mean
change IN the organic system absolute
Iv hut in a vast number Of particulars
the law could be amended to the great
good of the public.
| l again renew my Recommendation as
to the unit OF taxation. Two years OF
further experience has confirmed me
In the view that the district levy as the
] unjt Of taxation IS unfair and unjust
and works great injury to the counties,
By an Investigation OF the able report
of the superintendent of free schools,
| 10 whom lam indebted for much IN
! formation about the school system, u
| will be seen that a large majority or
the school men in the state are in favor
| Of a compulsory educational system
This view OF the subject Is not alone
| confined to- our state but the most ad-
| yanced stateSdn the Union have adopt
| cd a system OF compulsory education.
| Among them are Massachusetts, Con-
| necticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio and n
| large number OF leading states IN inc
| union. / am impressed with the iuea
| that the free school system or west
| Virginia, upon which so much thought
| has been expended, and which II has
| required surh vast sums of money 10
complete alBystem upon which q pop
| ulatlon OF less than million is eN-
| pending every year the sum OF upwards
| OF two millions of dollars, should be
rendered as effective as possible. To do
| otherwise than make the system ELI
| Client IL TO throw away and recklessly
waste the'epeoples' money. Taxation
| under our1theory is for the benefit OF
| all the people II Is not for few. IN
| this period OF our state when We bur
| den ourselves with the expenditure OF
these millions, taken from the pockets
| Of the people by taxation, the citizen
| ship OF this state demands that every
one as much as possible shall be bene-
| fitted thereby. In this formative period
of the state we feel the burden OF tax
alton to Hereafter extent than our chill
| dren aflerDus will be impressed by 1t.
| Therefore,ait is the duty of those who
pay the Taxes, of those who undergo
| this burden, and of the Legislature
| which Imposes upon us this taxation,
| that the people for whose benefit II Is,
| should receive the whole benefit there
| or will not pretend to argue this
question. u has been discussed so Of
ten that It would be ont of place 10
| take yodF time in this communication
| to your hddorable body. Let us, how
ever, gather from the school report the
exact status of affairs in this state so
| far as the schools are concerned.
We expended last year on education
| the great sum OF 1861 1857 %. How is
| the school population affected by this
| expenditure? The state has a school
population'of 2955l7; of that number
only 2l66G1 were enrolled. Thus you
| will see that there were more than
| $4,000 6iHldren not enrolled IN the
Schoolss5f the state-=a number three
| times lorger than the standing army
Of the 15riited States. This statement is
| furtheo emphasized by tho fact that OF
| the 2il000 children enrolled, there was
m ayeraNe daily attendance of only
lil,OG0"tlus showing that there was
daily average absence of more than
ance Wien there should be no Ignorance
aud when the school rooms are open
| that ail'tnay appreciate the wealth Of
our splendid citizenship.
Let us pursue the figures OF the able
| superintendent. For convenience use
round numbers. or The 100000 of school
age IN the state, $4,000 are between the
| ages of slX and sixteen years, and H.
| 600, nre between the ages of sixteen
and tWenty-one, OF those between six
| and sixteen years, $4,000 are enrolled
| In the schools and $4,000 are not enroll
| ed. Therefore, OF the children between
six and sixteen years, S. per cent are
enrolled and Is per cent are not enroll
! cd. OF the whole number between six
| teen and twenty-one there are 10000
| enrolled, and 1900 not enrolled: or 20
! per ceTit enrolled and 81 per cent not
! enrolled Therefore, these figures are
sufficient arguments to show that the
money Of the state Is not being wisely
EXPENDED when there IS an army of
| 10000 children who are not in the
schools Of the state. l earnestly sug-
gest that the law be amended in con-
sonance with enlightened public opin-
ion and compel these children under the
Law 70 become such citizens as this ex-
petiditure OF money cOntemplates they
should be. believe that the passage OF
this law will have its effect in doing
awny with the daily absenteelsm and
VIII compel regular attendance upon
the schools and viii be one OF the wise
measures for the prevention OF crime
| and the enlightenment of our people.
School TOIt-BooIs.
I had hoped that the last session
would have witnessed the end OF the
veSed textbook question, and that the
legislature should not for five years, at
least, be annoyed with this most trou-
blcsome subject But such is not the
chse. and q Is before Us IN very COM
plichted condition.
4 Bonrd was appointed under the law
and advertised for bids for furnishing
text books The Board received no pro-
pOsals TO supply spoilers, readers, arith-
metics. algebras, geometries. ErammRr5
aud dictionaries not contracted for, for
the reason that the publishers were un-
willing to offer to contract with even ex-
change OF the new for the corresponding
old book In use. The Board decided that
itwould not DO wise Tor Il TO reccde from
Ito demand for even exchange in case OF
the adoption OF the new books on these
subjects, In their report they say that
they considered Ii would be n great In
Justice to the patrons n the schools IN
thla state 10 force them to purchase new
textbooks on these subjects with prac-
Ideally a total loss Of the books now IN
the hands of the people, the value OF
which. ut low estimate would reach
Sl50000. The BOaCd being unwilling to
lnfllct upon the people this burden and
not being able 10 secure proposals for