The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-12

government. A similar provision has been
declared unconstitutional in California,
and our courts would probably reach the
same decision if case came before them.
our ballot law, therefore, needs to be
amended to require that every voter shall
mark his ballot absolutely alone. unless
clearly prevented by physical disability or
inability to read, ana that in all such cases
the man who helps a voter to mark his
ballot shall himself be sworn to secrecy
We demand one uniform system of mark
ing ballots, namely, by putting a mark OPP
posite the name of each candidate voted
for, except in the case of presidential elec-
tors, when a mark for a whole group shall
be allowed"
-:Il:-
School Superintendent Coughlin, cf
Wilkes Barre, writes to the Record an en-
phatiC protest against the proposed cut
in the state school appropriation. Says
he: while 1t may be wise and altogether
advisable to cut down expenses at every
point without injury to the various inter-
ests of the state, 1t does seem to me I'M
wise to begin at a place so Vitally affect
ing the interest of the whole people as the
appropriation to public schools. Such
step would bring no relief to the people in
particular. In order to maintain the pres
ent efficiency of the schools 1t would be
necessary to increase the local levy OF
taxes equal to the reduction of state aid
as suggested, or to lower teachers sal
aries, shorten the school term and retrench
at every point in the management of the
schools. We really should take no back
ward step in educational matters in this
great, rich commonwealth. 1t is evidently
better for the state to levy a direct tax
to meet its immediate needs and issue
bonds to meet the requirements of the
state beyond what would be regarded fair
to raise by immediate taxation than to
| ,k,it
of the state to increase their local taxa
| tion for school purposes or compel them
! to reduce wages and shorten the terms of
| schools and thus lessen their efficiency. 1t
must be remembered also that with the
| increase of state appropriations additional
| obligations have been placed upon the sew
| eral school communities. The minimum
| school term has increased one month;
| night schools We're established; text books
| We're required to be purchased by the dis
| tricts. The increase of the appropriations
| by the state were intended in part to meet
| these additional requirements. These
| things have all been regarded by thought
| full people as great strides in the direction
| of better education. Nothing has contrib"
uted to the increase of attendance in the
| higher departments of the schools in this
| city more than free text books. The re-
| duction of the state appropriation will not
remove these requirements that have now
| become the law, but will make it prac-
| tically impossible for some sections in the
state, and, in fact. some parts of Lu2erne
county, to go on with their schools, and
| maintain their present standard, since
| many districts now levy the full amount
| allowed by law to maintain them. II
should be remembered, too. that the pur-
pose of state aid is to equali2e educational
| advantages. The community is made II
| of several units of which the state is great
est and most comprehensive. The town
ship or the borough forms unit, taxes
| are collected, each individual paying
| more or less, based upon property or pos
| sessions; but these taxes are used agar
in such manner as to return to each indl
vidual equal advantages in the way OF
roads, streets lights, schools and protec
tion. The county forms a greater unit
| than the township. and the parts that
make up this unit are districts, some rich
er, some poorer, and again taxes are raised
and used for the common good in sucf
a way as to secure to poor, or remotely
situated distrists. advantages approx
mating equality with those richer anC
more favorably situated. Again the state
is unit and in the management of its al
fairs should be no respecter of specia
communities, hut should strive to secure
to all it's people equal advantages, espe
cially I'm the lines of education, culture anr
competent citizenship. So the state col
situated communities, or from corpora
tions deriving their wealth and means
} from such communities and from th'
whole people, and redistributes the funds
so collected on a basis of equality to al
the districts. The anthracite coal regions
have contributed largely TO the wealth o
our great cities and largely to the wealtf
of our railroads and other corporations q
the commonwealth. A great number o
the towns and villages of this same an
thracite region find II extremely difticul
for them to furnish proper facilities TO
the education Of their children, while the!
? are paying a S6-mill tax. We should there
fore urge our legislators not TO give TIT
= whole people of the state less, but Civ
them more state aid until the most re
mote and the most densely populated por
tions of this commonwealth have ampl
provisions to educate its children, and t
educate them thoroughly"
ill
The act of assembly under which, 1t 1
r said, Richard Quay is to be arrested b.