The leader., 1900-01-17
DIR. ROMANS PROPOSED AMEND.
HENT.

In the State Senate last week. Sena-
tor f. A. Rowan introduced his pro-
posed amendment TO the school law.
1t is in the shape of a concurrent
resolution to amend section 206, article
6 of the constitution, to be submitted
to the voters the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November, 1900, to
read as follows:
Sec. 206. There shall be collected a
general public school fund consisting
of one mill State advalorem tax on all
the property of the State, which
treasury to be used in the support of
the public school system of the State,
and as further provided for in this
section. There shall be in addition to
this, a county public school fund raised
in each county for the support of the
separate schools for the two races, for
four months in each scholastic year by
collecting a two-dollar poll tax from
each poll and one-mill county ad-
valorem tax, all to be paid into the
county treasury. Said fund to be kept
separate and the amount paid by the
white race to be paid for the support
of the white schools in the county. and
the amount paid by the black race to
go to pay for the black schools in the
county, to be distributed according to
the number of children that actually
attend the free schools. Where the
poll taxes and the ne-mill advalorem
fail to support the separate schools of
either race for four months, the deficit
shall be made up from the said one
mill general State fund, provided above
in this section. Provided further, that
each race, in every school district of
that race, may levy an additional tax
on their property and themselves as a
separate fund to run their schools
longer than four months in each year
as they may select.
Laws shall be passed by the legisla-
ture directing the proper State and
county authorities for carrying out
the provisions of this section.
This is a proposition which has
become regular 'hobby'' with our
esteemed friend Senator Rowan, but to
our mind there are several important
reasons why such an amendment
should never be adopted.
l. 1t is the rankest kind of class
legislation and clearly repugnant to
the Constitution of the United States.
.. 1t is at war with one of the funda
mental principles upon which the
whole public school system rests. If
the negro is to be compelled to educate
his own children because he does not
pay taxes on as much property as his
equally and logic is there to hinder
the rich white man from rising up and
demanding that the same rule be APP
piled to his poor white neighbOr :?
Furthermore, the assumption that the
ordinary labOring man, because he has
no broad acres or valuable corner lots
enrolled on the tax lists, contributes
nothing to the common fund in the
way of taxes, is false. 1t is his labor
and muscle, be he white or black.
which helps to sustain and make valua-
able the lands and other holdings of
the capitalist.
Lastly, we see nothing to be gained
by simply shifting the tax levied for
school purposes from the State to the
counties, as has been proposed by DR..
Rowan and few others. If the public
schools are to be maintained four
months in the year in every county, it
makes no real difference to the people
who bear the expense, whether the
school tax is paid into the State treas
ury or the county treasury. If there is
any advantage either way, it is in favor
of the former. Something might be
gained in the way of an amendment or
law to equalize the State distribution
to better advantage than at present,
but the Rowan amendment above
quoted does not meet the demands of
the case