Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-03-13

u t~~Ah@NAH just NAhL WIS 1tEUIlUI4AnNl
Tor this great State OF ours through
the combined wisdom Of our Governor
and our Legislature. Take II all IN
al, 1t was a mighty good Legislature
I Both bodies were strong and contained
men OF great force. influence and in
I teiligence. The writer NAV he par
doued for somewhat Of a leaning To-
/ ward the hall wherein the grave aaa
reverend seigni0rs~ saf, inasnuch As
she. too. sat there. as "A chiel amanx
en-. t1kin notes. And inst here she
/ desires to say that the long days o1
ardncus labor and the Searisnue men
I ~ strain we're maize not oniy bar.
anfe but very pleasant BY fhe kindly
courtesy aud chivalruus consideration
Of these Mississippi <entlemen sho
sat within the senate To relate here
all that was done would b. impossi-
Bile. Even % recount the matters u
great innnrtanss zngg-=r@-5 - thew
by our wise Governor would b@ too
grea. q esl- tlls Ne % sav-
and As a compliment IL works both
ways-every suggestion made by Gov
L0ugin0 was carried out hv the Legis-
iarure except the purrhase u Benuvofr
Tor soldiers home Tins Ne SO IN
how great esteem the people repre-
senta-ives hold their chief executive
Nor Is this confidence misplaced ever
so slightly. Upright. honorable and
wise beyond has years. this man OF
clean hands and honest heart has not
disappointed the friends who expected
much OF him in the high place 20
which he - called. as in the simple
life he has lived as n private citizen
IL Is our purpose. from week 70 week
TO refer 10 the work OF the Legislature.
and the item for this week : notice
- the Governors : message relative 10
our common schools 30 well did he
DO this work. and so effective has
been the school work Of late. that the
Legislature appropriated for the two
years. 1902 and 1908. one million dol
lars more than was asked for,
The Governor, in addressing them.
said;
The report Of the State
Superintendent Of Education. recently
issued. shows that seventy-fOur OF the
towns IN Mississippi ara organized into
separate school districts. and il is graf
living TO report that they. as a rule.
have commodious. handsome and suit
able buildings. and that during the
scholastic year ending 1900 the enroll
ment was approximately $4,000. and
for the year 1901 they enrolled in the
aggregate 35.I pupils. The average
number Of days taught in said schools
during the last scholastic year was
1855. or more than eight scholastic
months. 1t further appears from the
superintendent report that the total
amount Of money collected for these
schools for the last scholastic year
was siI2.449.S3, and I estimate the
same amount for 1900. The
approximate per capita of all the funds
received was S11.55 on the total en-
! rollment
There follow statistics as TO the
State 5 colleges and the university. but
as the splendid appropriations for
these institutions will receive special
notice IN another issue. We do not
print here.I
The approximate total enrolment in
the rural schools for the scholastic
years 1900 and 1901 was 6gI.742. which
would make per capita allowance out
Of their snare Of the s., 9qa .Oo0 appro-
priated by the Legislature for the said
two years of S2.62 per annum. The
average number OF days taught in
these schools was ninety. and there
were employed in them during the
year 1890 approximately 7,4s0 teach
ers. and during the year 1901. 1906
teachers. 1t will thus be seen thar
the average salary paid to these teach
ers per annum out OF the State COM
mon school appropriation for the two
years was only about S1I9 each. or
s24-25 per month for the school term
OF four and One-half months. Il will
be remembered. however. that some Of
these counties also derived assistance
from the Chickasaw school fund. and
others supplemented the State allow
ance by county levies. and other
sources, thus increasing TO some extent
the general average paid to teachers.
as will appear from the State Super
intendent's report.
heartily approve the liberality
manifested toward the States colleges
and separate school districts. and
glory in the success of these institu-
tions. but I desire to enter special
plea in behalf of the country schools.
History has fully shown that the diff
fusion Of education among the masses
Is one OF the greatest sources Of ma
terial prosperity to any common
wealth. and that where moral and in
tellectual advancement have kept pace
with the progress of the times. happi-
ness has been most generally dis
tributed. and the higher wants OF man
more adequately provided for 1t is
proper TO mention in this connection
that in the rural schools are to be
found s9Is per cent Of our educable
children, who are to become 50 large
portion Of the citizenship of the
State. The vast majority OF these chill
dren will never attend any other
schools than these. and so with an
average term of only ninety days they
must IN the very nature Of the case.
grow up without proper education We
have an army Of faithful. conscientious
public school teachers. many of whom
cannot AFFORD to follow teaching strict
ly as profession, but must supple
menr their meager earnings from that
source, or else go unsupplied with any
OF the comforts and half the necessi-
ties Of life. These teachers. though
Overworked and half paid. render the
State service which none can gain
say. and which trust the LEGISLATURE
VIII see MT to recognize By increas-
ing the appropriation for the public
schools so as TO provide better sal
aries and longer terms | recommend
that this be done. even though the
Legislature finds 1t necessary TO econo-
mize expenditures along other lines Of
public work
IL is my opinion that the Legsla-
ture should be vested with the power
to require the several counties TO levy
tax to be used in addition to the
State appropriation for the mainte
nance OF their respective schools for a
longer term than four months. Sec
ton 2o6, however. of the constitution.
seems to leave IL optional with any
county or separate school district TO
make such levy or not: and I take
the liberty of suggesting to the Legis-
lature the wisdom of submitting an
amendment 70 said section. giving the
Legislature authority to require such
supplemental aid by the counties to be
voted on by the people.
There were many men and many
opinions. OF course. in the session OF