The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-12
THE ELECTION TUESDAY
THE DEFEAT OF LOCAL TAXATION WAS
OVERWHELMING.
Supt. Mebane Thinks Enough townships Have
Voted il to Give II Fair
Trial,

The friends Of education all oves the
State are very much discouraged at the
result OF Tuesdays election.
II feel personally aggrieved," said one
man, a prominent Populist, Eat the way
the thing has gone. 1t makes me lose
faith in my old State. | have been apollo
giving for it and defending it all my life.
I'm done now. | give it up. The Ignorance
is too dense and the contentment with 1t
too great"
| He went on to point out the fact that
the more ignorant n man and the more
unable he was to educate his children the
more bitterly he opposed the proposed
tax. The negroes, he said, as rule,
! voted soldly against it, If they voted at
all, but most Of them never went near the
polls
Supt Mebane, however, takes a more
hopeful view of the situation. He thinks
enough townships have voted the tax to
give it fair trial and that we will do
better next time.
What do you think of the result Of the
local taxation electionT' | asked him
yesterday afternoon.
THE result is not what l have looked
for and even expected" he replied.
What do you think are some of the
causes Of such an overwhelming defeatW
First, / will say that the time for pre-
senting the qestion to the people was
too short. The masses of our people are
slow to take hold of a question that
means more taxes.
Second, the cause has been grossly
misrepresented by designing politicians
and selfish men. We heard such logic as
this: Il am agin anything the last Leg
islature did, therefore | am agin the
local taxation measure Some politicians
who supported the measure and even
voted for it in the Legislature, after
finding the measure was not popular
one, became as silent as the tomb.
Third, the country newspapers in some
counties were against the measure. L
know of one little editor who has five or
six children growing up in ignorance. He
is not able to send these children to
school, and yet this very fellow wrote
something against the measure almost
every week.
1.-The newspapers, as a general thing,
am glad to say, have been very liberal
with the space in their papers and in
many instances the editors have given the
measure their hearty support.
Fourth the school officers in some
counties have caused some good people
to oppose the measure. In some counties
we have politicians instead of school
men to manage and control the schools.
Time and again / asked for school men
to fill these important Offices, and in some
counties my requests were simply lg-
nored.
1.-THE last cause that / have to men
ton is the fact that thousands Of dollars
Of public school money are spent every
year in North Ca oina for school sup
plies.
II have a voucher here for $3.50 for
school supplies, which means a chart
Think of it, $3.50 Of the poor colored
children's money in this district spent
for chart that the teacher will know no
more about than he does about Calculus
or Hebrew. This is local voucher, of
course. Here it is duly signed by the
committee and the chairman of the Coun-
ty Board of Commissioners.
IF the school committee have no more
sense than to waste the school fund in
this way, it does look like the chairman
Of a County Board of Commissioners
should have more sense.
This squandering of the public school
fund is no new thing 1t has been going
on for years. can show you the follow
ling figures from reports in this office, of
the immense amount 'of money spent for
other purposes OF course these sums
were not all spent for school supplies.
The years 1885 and 'S6 we find $780,
I924.13; 'S7 and 'SS, $S0,717.96; 80 and
80, $5S,S62.93; '92'93, 1894, $79,60S;
1895, 1896, SIC, 3SS.56.
1--WE must have the school fund spent
more judiciously if we expect the hearty
support Of our people,"
"What do yon think Of the future
prospects for the public schools"
"The result of the election is very dis