The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-10

sst;tntiona,itv of the act;" the fear that
that those who are quietly trusted 10
manage the revenues derived from tne
regular state tax may not nave SUN
cient sense or honesty to manage the al
ditional revenue from local tax; anu
tho general omnibus objection that any
additional tax. however small and for
anv mrpose whatever, will be oppressive
IN tho neople-all these objections are as
IA miliar as the words of any old song,
and mist be met again and again, pa
tientlv hut boldly, as they have been met
successfully elsewhere in North caro-
lima and in other States.
All these objections have some weight
with many voters, but 1 rear that QUIZ
most serious trouble is failure on the
part of our people to accept unequvocally
the doctrine that the prosperity ana
greatness of a State are directly depen-
dent upon general intelligence, and that
the education which trains for citizenship
is more a public than private queston.
From a financial standpoint children
are a Door investment for parents unless
the children are treated as so many cat
flo or horses to work in the field. There
;s q man i'm this State who has seven
illiterate boys who have worked IN the
field and this man is honOred as about
the only money lender in his county. HIS
children have been serviceable to HIM,
but the State will derive little beneht
from the citizenship Of these children and
their descendants. If the father or
State had educated them he would not
he a money lender, but the State would
be the gamer. If children are educated
there is no money in them for the parent,
but there is citizenship for the State.
The question of educating children
therefore is more public than private
concern from the material standpoint or
from the standpoint of citizenship.
The educators of this State must lead
in matters educational just as men IN
other callings lead in the agitation OF
matters pertaining to their work.
What would it mean to the state TO
vote the local tax for schools and now
much would the taxpayers be called
mon to contribute to this public neces-
sity?
II the local tax should be voted in the
fifteen townships Of Guilford county IN
which there are no towns, the school
fund would be increased 65 per cent,
while about Is per cent Of the taxpayers
would contribute yearly less than ~
cents. each and only Is taxpayers would
contribute as much as $3.50 each.
,Seyen-eighths Of all the taxpayers
would contribute less than $1.3O each.
The school fund Of these fifteen town
ships is now about $500 and ii they
should vote the local tax their fund
would be increased to SIC, 200.
The reading OF Col. J. s. Carr's letter
80 complete with argument and SO charac
teristic of the great man that he is, was
received with rounds of applause. The
letter will be printed and a copy given
to each one OF the ia teachers. q
law students and distributed in the
| village.
COL. CARR'S LETTER.
To Hon. G. H. Mebane and Others
Executive Committee Of the Campaign
for Local Taxation:
Gentlemen: write to acknowledge re
| ceipt of your letter inviting me to serve
as a member of the large committee OF
citizens to cooperate with your commit
tee in the campaign for local taxation
for public schools.
/ l.
| ing most of the month of July, l shall
be glad to cooperate with the friends OF
public education in whatever way may
seem to them wisest.
At the suggestion Of two members OF
| your committee, I have decided to offel
$500, to be given in such manner az
your committee may decide, to thai
county which shall at the election pol
the largest percentage of it's qualified
voters in favor Of local taxation.
have been advised that in that way
| my contribution would probably accom-
plish the most good for the cause OF
education, and if the committee concur
| in this view, shall be glad to aid then
| to this extent
Living in a community, which, fol
fifteen years, has been levying a specia
local tax to supplement the State schoo
tax, I claim to know something of the
advantage Of local taxation for schools
| pay that tax more cheerfully than any
other, because / am interested in the
general intelligence Of my community
| and because 1 know that from business
standpoint a reasonable tax on property
for public education is a good invest
ment.
While many good citizens at first hon
| estly opposed the levying of this tax
the blessings resulting from good public
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