The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-04


Against County High Schools.
Editor Leader: A petition is being
ciioulated and signed extensively
asking The county commissioners to
build county high school The act
Of the general legislature Authorizes
such high schools in the several coun
ties having 5000 and more inhabi-
tants where property petitioned to do
so.
Is Logan county IN a financial con.
dition to incur this extra liability
DO the existing educational conditions
serve as an emergency requiring this
extra expense? Do the tax payers of
Logan county know that ip signing
this petition that they are virtually
signing a double liability clause? Let
them think moment and they will
understand the erection at the public
expense of one such high school
means two high schools or else they
vote upon themselves and children
the necessity Of mixed schools, for, Il
a county high school for white child
rem is built at the county's expense,
the colored people will demand. and
they will have the law and the right
TO demand it. a high school for colored
children. or else the conditions al
ready suggested must of necessity
prevail.
Those who have signed this petit
tion. or any petition for this county
high school under the apprehension
that Il means the building of only one
county high school had better get
their names off such petition before
1t is to late, or they may find out that
they have bought an elephant who
will eat up their substance without
so much as saying thank you, sir
| do not believe that there exists
any necessity for this proposed
county institution. nor do I believe
its advocates can show that any such
necessity exists at present. The act
of the legislature requires that before
the commissioners can take any ac-
tion or order an election a petition
containing the names Of one-third Of
the qualified electors of the county
must be presented to them asking for
the establishment of such school, and
II requires simply majority of the
votes cast to carry the proposition,
not a majority of all the electors.
Under the clause of the act Of the
legislature If only 500 votes were cast
in the whole county and 351 happen
to favor the proposition, the commits
sioners must declare the proposition
carried.
have always been and am now in
favor of the broadest and most liberal
provisions for the education Of our
children. and that too by bringing all
the facilities which the best thought
and ripest minds can suggest to ad-
vance the universal cause Of educa-
tion, but we ought not venture to ad-
vance in these matters with such
recklessness as ignores other neoes-
sary and important considerations
which must necessarily form the
basis and foundation OF our education
al success. They are today far in ad-
vance in school education and insti-
tntions of the highest order OF learn
ing of maiy of the older and wealth
ier states, and one of the psoudest
boasts of our people is that they are
not only willing but are glad to be
taxed for the support OF our educa-
tional institutions OF every grade and
sort. There Is danger Of putting this
healthy public sentiment over on the
other side Of the fence, and therefore
the tax payers should examine the
landing for pixies on the other side
before they leap. or if leap they must
not forget the fact that IL means ex
actly two county high schools instead
of one. J. c. Jamison.