The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-14
THE STATE SCHOOL ISSUE
A QUESTION THAT is RECEIVING IN
CREAsING ATTENTION.
A Claim that Large Appropriations
for Higher Education work Injus-
tice to Common schools.


the great cause OF the education Of the
masses that the question of the state sup
port of higher and special education is be-
ing so earnestly and deeply considered. 1t
is a question that should be pressed to the
front. 1t is not a question between the
state and nonstate colleges. Their differ
ences are small compared with the great
issue between the taxpayers and the educa-
tional trust that controls legislation and as
sumes autocratic power in educational af-
fairs. The issue Is between the $50 900
school children of the State and the $500
students that are being given special privi-
leges at the expense of all the people 1t
is a question whether the taxpayers Of the
State will give one boy $500 a year to be
trained in some special calling or profession
and another boy only 1910 a year to be
trained into intelligent citizenship. 1t is
question of whether the people want to
spend nearly half million dollars annually
for work that is equally as we'll done by
other institutions of the State without
dollars expense to the State 1t is a ques-
ton as to whether the spirit and intent of
the Constitution of the State shall be dis
regarded. The Constitution in Section
says:
1T shall be the duty of the General AS
sembly to encourage learning and knowL-
edge generally diffused through commun-
ity and provided by law for general and
uniform system of common schools wherein
tuition shall be without charge and equally
open to ALL"
There Is not word in the Constitution
about state institutions. The State Uni
Verslty at bloomington was engrafted into
the Constitution of 1876, but was left out OF
the Constitution in 1885, This was done for
Two reasons. First, it was not right to tax
all the people for the benefit of a few; sec
ond' the ground was already occupied, as it
Is to-day, by other colleges doing equally
as good work as the state institution and
not costing the taxpayers penny.
:, section : OF the same article provides that
the principal of common school funds shall
be perpetual and the income thereof shall
be lnViolably appropriated to the support of
common schools and to no other purpose
Whatever. Why language so strong if the
state institutions were to be provided for
by state tax? 1t is a question of whether
the genius and spirit of our institutions
and form of government shall be preserved
or whether, at the dictation of a great lob
by, the Legislature Shall appropriate the
money of all the people for the private
peneht OF Few. 1t is question OF equal
burdens, equal privileges and equal oppor-
tunitles to all the people of the common
1t is not the province of the State to
teach special courses in the sciences and
professions, but to lift up and enlighten the
whole mass of the people by a broad and
substantial training in the fundamental
branches of knowledge. President McKin-
ley in his address before the students at
4
of an education when he said: THE truest
aims, Worthiest ambition of education is not
finished scholarship for the favored few
put the development of a high standard of
citizenship among the many.
It is not right to lavish favors upon the
select few It is not just 1t is against
the dull brother, but there must be an
equality OF opportunity to all. ExPresi-
dent Harrison in his admirable address
recently delivered in Chicago, aptly states
the true spirit of our form of government
as follows:
Equality is the golden thread that runs
all through the fabric of our civil institG-
tions--the dominating note in the swelling
symphony of liberty. The favoritisms and
class distinctions which characterized the
governments and administrations of Europe
were destroyed with the establishment of
government under the American Constitu-
tion."
NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION.
This was the spirit that inspired and
guided the trainers of the Constitution of
Indiana when they passed, with hardly
dissenting vote the following resolution
offered by Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks
THAT the committee on education he i'm
structed to report an amendment to the
second section of the ninth article of the
Constitution providing that the Lesisla-
ture in the establishment of general sys-
tenn of education, shall not provide for or
institutions of learning other than district
or township schools"
This convention, which eliminated all
higher education from the Constitution,
was under the leadership of such giants in
intellect as Robert Dale Owen Thomas A.
Hendricks, w. H. English, Abel =. Pepper.
RRavid WALLACE John / Morrison ion John IS >;
Legislatures of recent years have been
turned aside from the plain path % their
constitutional duty is passing strange The
nTalxr pNrrNlo a n fhn ms fnr.i G
members of the Legislatures have been ig-
norant of the Constitution, and the senti-
ments of the people on the question, and for
the further reason that the educational
lobby has been organized for work and
has left no stone upturned in its desperate
efforts to bleed the taxpayers of the State.
A few days ago / was talking to an ex-
speaker of the Indiana House of Represen-
tatives, who, since being enlightened upon
the subject Is against turtner support, OF
He frankly admitted that while he was
speaker he ignorantly fell into the trap of
the educational lobby, and that 1t got COM
mittees of it's choice appointed and every
thing else it wanted. However, it is graf
flying to know that the people are now
thinking about this question.
Since the delivery of my address on this
subject few weeks ago before the State
Board of Commerce, have received many
words of commentator from prominent
ton at that time. | was surprised at the
unanimous Endorsement of my position by
those attending tnaL meeting. Judge f. Is.
Martindale voiced the sentiments of the
taxpayers when he said that ito appropri-
ate the peoples money for special and
higher education is dead wrong" Hon. c.
J. Murphy of Evansville, secretary of the
State Board of Commerce, said that when
the light was thrown upon the subject the
facts and figures were so astonishing and
convincing that no one could defend the
further appropriation of money for this pur-
pose. The discussions are going all over
the State, and must be irritating to those
who are organizing to make further
pressing demands upon the next Legisla-
ture. The chief of the educational trust
sounds the tocsin in the following bitter
language:
This has become fight between secular
citizenship on the one hand and ecclesiasti-
cal domination on the other and have no
doubt of the outcome The church will
have to attend to its own business and let
the state alone. / believe the young people
of the world are going to free themselves
from religious domination in education"
Religious domination" may brighten
timid churchmen, but the phrase has no
terrors for the honest, lberty-loving tax
payers of the State. They will not mix in
this so-called state and church college
fight. The matters in controversy between
them do not reach the issue While the
discrimination against nonstate colleges by
an autocratic Board of Education is wrong
and contrary to all manner of fairness, yet
the taxpayers of the State are going to the
bottom of the business. All over the State
are now closing the district and graded
schools after from four to six months of
school. The farmers and business men in
the less favored localities pay just as much
proportionately, into the general educa-
tonal fund as those in the more favored
places, but the former get back for their
boys and girls in the district schools an
ayera oa Of IN head xubfIa +ba latter oct