The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-12-19

AOSa " ~
| Montana, ia one of these. Last week
Senator Carter, of that State, presented
to the Senate a remarkable memorial
against the validity Of C!ark's election.
This memorial is signed by the Speaker
of the Montana House Of Representa-
tives and 81 Legislators. These men in
whom the people Of Montana have ex.
pressed their conf ience, stete that the
sum of $50, 900, paid to members Of the
legislature by Mr.. Clark or his agents
for votes, was produced in open ses
zion OF the Legislature and deposited IN
the treasury Of Montana, where it still
remains unclaimed oy Mr.. Clark.
They boldly charge that this is but a
small per cent. of the money used by
Clark in bribing Legislators. A petition,
signed BE- the Governor OF Montana
and many of M0ntana's most respected
citizens, accompanies the memorial.
In this Datifisa it Is asserted that Ger
tsin members Of the legislature, whose
names are given, received for their
votes certain specified sums, the total
amount being halt q million dollars.
These charges canno5 be ignored; they
come from men whCse positions and
characters warrant the belief that the
charges are we'll founded. The inv9s
tigatioa will De watched with interest.
The Question OF taxation is to day,
as il was in the days Of cur R3volu-
siouary forefathers, u Of the greatest
problems with which America has to
deal. Something Of it's Importance is
shown By the folio viz 6 figures re
Gently qloted By Senator McLaurin' in
an adj rasg on the floor OF tEe Senate,
h said: Prior to 1860 the expendi-
lures OF the Federal Government per
capita ranged from 81 IS to 81 20.
They now range from S. 20 Sc In ad
diticn to this the State expenditures
average SO 10 per capita; a total OF be
tween $14 and SIS per capita. Ascom
pared with these expenditures the
Statesman's Year Book gives the per
capita Of expense Of Austria at 81 81;
Russia, 81 Is; the German empire, in
Guiding State expense, S. 80; the Brit
ieh empire, including colonial expenses,
So 81; Japan, 81 60; Portugal, 81 OS,
and Mexico, So IS. Prior to 1860 the
people OF the United States we're treer
from the burdens Of taxation than the
people of almost any other civilized
country. To day they pay heavier
taxes than the people Of any civilized
ration"
1t is very evident that the people
are getting tired of partisan politics in
our publ C scho3l system, This is
shown by the almost unanimous pOpu-
lar endorsement OF the cOurse of Prof.
Mebane, Superintendent of Pablo In.
struction, who never loses an oppor
5uuity to say, Take the schools out Of
politics " In a circular lstter last week,
Prof. Mebane says: The time must
come when the work Of public educa
ton will be regarded so sacred AMI OF
such grave Importance that a success
tul political parry will not dare TO
tamper with lis progress; if this time
never comes, then tae public schools
will never accomplish the purpose for
which they were established. "Tne
press also endorses this sentiment The
Stanly E Iterprise of last week g i'd
''It il to be sincerely hoped that our
school laws may soon beCom9 satisfac
torily fixed and that all this 'buug
ling will cease. We " ant to ba NOV
ing on with the great work OF eduea
ton without 30 much hashing and re
hashing of school Ia "" Aud the Nor h
Carolina Baptist justly bewaiis the
"meanness of partisan politics which
the helpless child with ignorance
to m IKE Office for a few politi
cal heel9rs." The people are evidently
preparing to remedy these evils.