The news & observer., 1901-03-12
INVEST IT IN MIND.


! money for educational purposes. 1t has
been. derived from the sale of swamp
| lands and other sources, and now
amounts to something like $1S0000,
about $4,000 of which is in cash and the
balance in bonds. The bonds were pur-
chased mainly during the administra-
ton Of State superintendent Scarbor-
ough and Finger. and the interest has
been used for the school fund.
The passage of the constitutional
amendment commits the State to exert
itself and employ its every resource at
least during the next eight years to edu-
cate the youth of the State. To this
end every dollar the State can command
should be utilized and at once for the
education of the children.
Nobody can predict with any certainty
how much money the revenue bill will
raise. If the property in hiding is taxed
at anything like its value, the revenue
will be ample to pay the appropriations
are those, however. who doubt whether
the increased revenue will meet the in
creased appropriations. 1t would be
calamity if, by reason Of the non pro-
ductiveness of the revenue bill, the rev.
enue should not be sufficient to pay
in full the two hundred thousand dol
lo, onnrapriafion ~ tho ,,,Iblic cohnoIS
and meet the other expenses of the
State government. III order TO make
sure that the public school appropria
ton shall not fail, it has been suggested
that theeLegislature authorize the State
Board OF Education to use the $1S0,000
surplus in the school fund to pay the
{ chool warrants if there should be fail
ure of the revenue bill to raise suf-
ficient revenue. If the receipts are suf-
ficient to pay the necessary expenses,
the fund can be held until 1903 when it
can then be used in whole or in part.
To this suggestion, it has been OBJ
iected that the educational fund is
the interest on it can be used for the
public schools. This is a mistake. In
stead of being true, the opposite is true
1t is the duty of the Legislature to use
this money for establishing and main
tanning in this State system of free
public schools. AND FOR NO OTHER
USES OR PURPOSES WHATEVER. :"
Section four, article nine, of the Con-
stitution says:
THE proceeds of all lands that have
been or hereafter may be granted by the
United States to this State, and not
otherwise appropriated by this State or
the United States; also all moneys,
stocks, bonds, and other property, now
belonging to any State fund for pur-
poses of education; also the net pro-
ceeds of all sales of the swamp lands
belonging to the State, and all other
grants, gifts or deviSeS that have been
or hereafter may be made to the State,
and not otherwise appropriated by the
State, or by the term OF the grant, gift
OF devise, shall be paid into the State
Treasury: and together with so much
of the ordinary revenue of the State as
may be by law set apart for that pur-
pose, shall be faithfully APPROPRIA-
TED for establishing and maintaining
in this State a system CT free public
schools, and for no other uses or pur-
poses Whatsoever
The impression that the surplus in the
State school fund was 'sacredly pre-
served as an irreducible fund" grew out
of provision in the old Constitution,
/ adopted in 1868. 1t was in these words:
Section 4. The proceeds of all lands
that have been, or hereafter may be
granted by the United States to this
State and not otherwise specially APP
plopriated by the United States or
heretofore by this State; also, all
moneys, stocks, bonds, and other prop
erty now belonging to any fund for pur-
poses of education; also. the net pro-
ceedS that may accrue to this State from
sales of eStrayS, or from fines, penalties
I and forfeitures; also, the proceeds of all
sales of the swamp lands belonging to
the State; also, all money that shall be
paid as an equivalent for exemption
from military duty; also, all grants
gifts or devises that may hereafter be
made to this State and not otherwise
appropriated by the grant, gift or devise
shall be securely invested and SACRED
LY PRESERVED AS AN IRREDU-
CIBLE EDUCATIONAL FUND. the
annual income Of which, together with
so much Of the ordinary revenue of the
State as may be necessary. shall be
faithfully appropriated for establishing
and perfccting in this State system
of free public schools, and for no other
purposes or uses whatsoever
Instead of "sacredly' preserving
the fund, the Radicals invested the fund
in worthless special tax bonds and the
money was lost In 1876 when the
Democrats amended the Constitution
there was a debate about this very mat
ter. and 1t was decided that, in view of
the need of better schools, the fund
arising from all sources for public
schools should be "APPROPRIATED"
and net "PRESERvED.' The passage
OF the amendment makes the duty OF
educating the people more imperative