The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-01
The SCHOOL FUND.
To the Editor of the 1ntelilgencer.

| ~ tiit tIle
SIR:-One week ago the Intelligencer
contained an article from the, pen os
| Leroy Shaw, q man whom highly es-
TEEN and while ii Is not exactly an
answe" 10 short article wrote as 4
! comment on some of the suggestions OF
J our governor, there are some things in
1t that make II necessary that | write Il
! few words more on the subject of the
| irreducible school fund heartily con-
cur with NJ. Shaw in all he says o" caa
say concerning our state and do most
heartily concur n his appeal for good
, roads and everything that will 20 to
make West Virginia one OF the leading
states OF the union. and that Is why I
urge SO earnestly that our schools be
made better. l consider that general
/ education and true Christianity are .
/ sure panacea 70" all the ills our body
polite can be heir to; further than this,
| will not attempt to 90 into politics.
| knowing that ! would not be taken as
! authority, but there are some things
concerning the matter of education. that
do pretend to know u little concerning
and one OF these Is that,in every state
! where the public school system IS doing
its best work. there Is fund invested
the interest only OF which is used, the
| principal remaining intact. West Viz
giaia b-San well In this Gatter and has
| thus IA" run well, but now It seems
| there Is an attempt being made to de-
| stroy 4 fund which to The thinking Of
| the writer Is bulwark Of our public
school system. There may come a time
when this fuad becomes so large that 1t
| will not be necessary - allow Il 10 In.
crease, but even that is doubtful: wig
not let 1t increase. pile Up. II You please,
| uItll the intcres, of the same VIII run
our schools without any further taxa
ton. The very first thing done by our
| western states in the way OF education
| Is TO create such fund. and It Will be
well for our state to consider long and
well before our constitution Is so chang.
ed as 10 even permit the doing away
Wit! II In any wag, shape or form.
Mr.. Editor so mary speak OF this as
4 burden. II Is surely an easy burden
! The man who has . bank account Of
say 100000, does hot consider It q great
burden, neither should state consider
| ~ Lb''b VI NN' ". III ~ lIillllDllS Oh DOL
| !a:S Hfueh OF burden to carry. But
there are some people who are always
afraid OF a surplus: for ms part | pre-
fer surplus TO debt all the time The
ONLY difficulty In the matter. Is the in
| HeEt!nE OF such 4 fund 1t should he
1 so invested that no man or party of men
could get at Il. and So Invested that
even the state should be debarred from
| using anything 1Ut the interest. and
| that should be used only FOR the pur-
| pose intended 10 become Il mart, each
year, of the distr;butahle school fund.
! Others talk as though we are taXir.
! ourselves for the good OF future genera
| tons, !. g. we are actually paying mo-
ney out Of our pockets for those who
come after us. and who will be better
able than we are to educate the masses,
Let us look at this for q moment. F'irgt.
what IS this irreducibIe fund? Accord
! Ing to the constitution OF the state, Il
consists of THE proceeds OF forfeited,
| delinquent, waste. and una pp:oprlatcd
| lands; and Of lands heretofore sold for
taxes and purchased by the state OF
| Virginia. II hereafter redeemed or soIi
to others than this state; all grants. de-
! riscs or requests that may be made TO
| this state FOR the purposes of education.
or grants are not specified: thig s,atn's
! share OF the literary fund Of virginia.
whether paid or otherwise liQuldated.
and any sums Of money, stocks, or prom
crty which this state shall hav. tho
| right to cfdtn frdm the state OF Viruin
| IN for educational purposes: the pro-
ceeds or the estates OF all persons who
mag die without leaving will or heir
| and or all cschcated lands; the proceeds
| or any taxes that may be levied on the
revenues of any corporation hereafter
created; all monies that mag be paid as
an equivalent Tor exemption from milf
tary duty. and such sums as NAV from
time TO time be appropriated BIZ the ler
| stature for the purpose Shall he set
| apart ms separate fund.- to be called
the schoo! fund and INFESTED under such
regulations MS may be prescribed BY
law IN the interest bearing securities a
me United States and Of this state: and
the Interest thereof shall be annually
I ahhffed to the support OF free schools
throughout the state and for no other
! purpose whatever. Rut any norton or
said lntorcs. remaining uneyprndrd nj
| The clo5c OF fiscal year. shnl bc added
to and remain u part Of the capital of
the school fund"
These are ihcN words OF the totrstltt-
tIon' ana VIII anyone show that we are
taxing ourselves FOR future generations,
| or pray tell bv whn, right even n log.
stature. or the people. have the power
to use u bcqnGst. FOR instance, fog any
| other purpose or IN any other wav than.
That Intended by The person br4pcalh
ing u. am no lawyer but npprG-
mend IL sUood law 10 carry out the WIN
hOd purpose OF the one making the be,
quest. Further. contend that tho next
! generation has Just as much rgh, to the