The Forrest City times., 1900-01-19

tablished colleges, academies and
training schools, which have been so
conspicuously successful in advanc-
ing the cause of higher education;
how the free school system has
grown in the affection of the people
until all the towns and cities of the
state and many of the rural COM
munities have schools that meet the
public demand for public instruc-
tion. But it is still lamentable fact
that in many of the more sparsely
| settled counties in the state these
schools are utterly inadequate to
meet existing necessities. What is
the cause? Lack of necessary reve-
nue.. What is the remedy? More
money. 1t is regrettable fact that
in our public expenditures for school
we fall far below the average contri-
buted in the United States, which is
about $14, and worse still, below the
average contributed by the southern
states. / quote from the statistics of
1897. In that year the expenditure
per pupil in Arkansas was $6.53. The
average per pupil for the southern
states was STA. So that we are pay
ing smaller sum per pupil-smaller
by 81 cents-than the average of the
southern states. l remember very
well when the local option tax of five
mills was not at all in favor; when a
large majority of the school district
refused to vote the full limit, and
when many of them-and for a long
time a majority-voted no tax. But
see how the law has vindicated itself
in the course of a few years. We
have nearly 5000 school districts in
the state; i'll exact figures, 4,sS1, and
out of that number only 1SS dis
tricts, less than 4 per cent of the
whole number, voted mo tax at the
last election. What would be the re-
suit if we should increase the limit of
taxation to say seven and a half
mills? am fully persuaded that the
people looking to their own interests
would take advantage of the oppor-
tunity to tax themselves a higher
rate in order that they might have
a longer school term. My observa-
tion has been that the people are not
averse to taxation, even high taxa
tion, if they can be convinced that
beneficial results will flow from such
taxation. Show a man with half
dozen children to educate, that by
adding two or three mills to his as
sessment he can have a five-months'
school instead of a three-months'
term and he will, in nine cases out of
ten, take business view of the case
and vote the tax. 1t is the demagog-
uing politicians and not the people
that we are to fear on this PROPOSE
ton. 1t is the demagoguing politi-
clans who want to ride into office by
posing as the champions of retrench-
ment and reform, as the special de-
tenders, saviors of my peepul,"
who oppose higher taxation even for
education. My contention is that the
increased tax rate for better schools
would grow in public favor even
more rapidly than the present rate
has grown within the last two de-
cades. / believe there are hundreds
of districts that would vote seven
and half mills, while many of them
would vote ten mills, did they have
the opportunity. No detriment can
come to us by affording them the op-
portunity. This is peoples govern
ment. The principles of home rule
and local self-government is the very
foundation of our system. If the
people want to vote a larger tax-if
they think they can afford it or that
it will be money returned to them,
why should they not have the privi-
lege? Let me repeat: The schools of
Arkansas need nothing so much as
more revenues and the only way to
secure added revenues is by increased
taxation. l have spoken of the ne
cessity Of an increased term of from
three to five months, but we should
not content ourselves with five-
months school in every district in the
state, and we can get it or approx
mate it, by adding about mills to
the state tax, and two and a half
mills to the local tax. The gods help
the people who help themselves and
If the people of Arkansas want good
schools, the nursery of good citizen
ship and the hope of the state, they
must take this additional burden
| upon themselves. l believe in the
taxation of the wealthy for the ben
eft of the poor in the matter of pub
lie education. / believe there is no
method for the distribution of
wealth so effective, SO just, and SO
laudable as taxation for school pur-
poses. 1t is not confiscation of the
rich mans property to force him to