The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-21

1884, as appears in the 13Sth Indiana Report.
This law makes it mandatory upon county
ohlcers to make requisition for goods needed
for the year at the December session of the
board of commissioners. The board must
advertise for bids and let the contract to
the lowest bidder. 1t is a splendid bust
ness-like law and should be honestly en-
FORCED everywhere.
The law of 1895, fixing a tax levy of ~
cents on the 500 for the support of the state
schools for higher and special training,
should be repealed. This would save to the
taxpayers $4,000 annually. at this time and
more as the assessed valuation increases.
This fixed charge was put upon the tax
payers of the State by a lobby and COM
bination Of different state institutions that
was disgrace to the State. When so noble
q cause as education must be promoted"
by such questionable methods as trades
ana combinations as was the case when
this unjust burden was placed upon the
people of Indiana it is time for the lovers
OF fair play and justice to awake. If these
institutions are so meritorious and deserv-
ing of public aid why not let the people
support them willingly and not be COM
PEELED to do so on account of the schemes and
slick work of an INSCRIPTIONS lobby? This
t1Xed charge Is unconstitutional and con-
trary to the spirit and genius of our insti-
children Of the State, who by general taxa
ton only get 500 each for their education
while the 900 favored ones in these higher
This unjust tax, if distributed for the benefit
of all the children of the State, would give
another month to all the schools of the
State. And yet we claim to live in age
and in country of equality before the law
and special privileges to none, The duty of
the State is to make good, intelligent law
abiding citizens and not TO train men to be
lawyers, doctors, machinistS, farmers, dray-
men or preachers. The tendency of the age
is too much towards State "paternalism'
the State must do everything and furnish
everything.
To support State schools in Indiana is like
putting fifth wheel on a wagon. When
the State has colleges and universities and
schools of law, medicine and art that are
free and open to all'' and where boy can
good training as in the so-called State in
Stitution, what sense is there in the State
stepping in and taking the peoples money
to duplicate what is being done without the
may be considered the proper thing in the
higher spheres of modern culture and
high-salaried life, but to the ordinary bust
ness man it Jocks like nonsense. have
State institutions. They ought to stand
high with the army of high-salaried profess
sors and officers And further. l would give
to these institutions the same encourage
ment and advantages that l would to all
other educational institutions and no more
Let them take the buildings and grounds
and the endownents from which they are
drawing support and then let them stand on
their own ground and compete with the
other institutions of the State that fight
their own battles and win fame by their
own meritoriouS work The State UniVer-
sity and Purdue University l understand
each have endowments of nearly half
million each. This, we'll managed. should
support them until some Rockefeller comes
along and builds another Chicago JJniVer-
sity within our State.
In conclusion, / say the need of the law
is a lopping-off process by the Legislature
and a revision and simplification of our
local laws. WILL H, CRAIG
NoblesyilIe Ind No 49,