The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-25
to be constitutional sovereign in the full,
est sense of the word


Have those who are advocating a propo-
sition that taxpayers shall purchase books
TO be given to all school children made any
estimate of the cost? If they have none has
appeared in the newspapers. Perhaps those
who are urging the scheme do not think
the matter Of cost of any Importance
There those who think that it is a
matter Of vital Importance. They are the
people who pay the taxes Those people
have right to expect that the members Of
the Legislature will look out for their in
terests in this matter, and before voting for
free schoolbooks ascertain, at least approx
imately, the probable cost. The superin-
tendent of public instruction and his sub
ordinates ought to be able to give an APP
the free schoolbook proposition will cost.
Ii certainly will be more than parents and
guardians now pay, because they utilize
the same books for two or three years,
but when the public purchases them, and
the taxpayer pays a profit to the dealer, a
book that will last more than a year will
be an exception. Will the expense be one.
two or three million dollars a year? If
books are purchased free for all the high
schools, with writing and drawing books,
would any responsible house give bonds TO
purchase all the books required for less
than million dollars year? In manner
that should not be known to pupils in the
schools the children of those who are I'M
able to purchase books should be furnished
them, but is there any good reason why
A should be taxed to purchase books Tor
BIS children when he is as well able to
purchase them himself? If books are given
to pupils by taxpayers, why should not
lunches he furnished at the noon hour, and
street-car tickets?
While this bill is in committee, bill
is before another abolishing the poll tax
and relieving certain property-owners from
paying taxes on 500 of property if they
have no more. 1t is probable that this last
proposition would be declared unconstitu-
tional; but, taking the two propositions to-
gether, what do they mean? The relieving
of many thousands of abie-bodied men OF
the duty-the word is used advisedly-the
duty of contributing to the support of
schools, streets, police, ETC., and turning
upon the property-owners and taxpayers of
the State and compelling them to purchase
schoolbooks for everybody. Many persons,
when taxpayers are spoken Of, think only
of the rich, but the men and women upon
whom the burden of taxes falls are not rich
people, but, on the contrary, people who
are compelled to hoard little money to
pay their taxes on homes, small farms and
limited occupations.
Instead OF reducing the number who con-
tribute to the revenues the number should
be increased, on the theory that govern
'ment is beneficial alike to all. and that the
individual who pays taxes on a few hun
Gred dollars is more conservative person
than one who can say 1.-The higher the
taxes the better for me, because / pay none
and may get employed If plenty of money
is spent by the CITY," To abolish half
million of poll taxes and add one or two
millions to the burdens of the taxpayers
to furnish free schoolbooks does not ap
pear to be a timely or conservative PROPOSE