Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-14
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE SCHOOLS.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has
been greatly troubled by what the Re-
publican platform and our candidates
and speakers have said about Demo
cratic hostility to the public free schools;
and it is making labored efforts to dis
prove the charges. On the 9Th inst.
it published some figures about the
schools that when properly explained
will prove directly the opposite to what
was intended by the Times-Dispatch.
Its object was to show how the schools
had increased and prOspered under
Democratic management during the
past twenty years. According to the
figures, in 1885 there were 6,575 public
schools in Virginia after four years
management by the Readjuster Re-
publican party, and in 1904 there were
S,878 schools in the State after they had
been in the hands of the Democrats for
twenty years. This increase of the
number to the extent of about two
thousand in twenty years is offered as
strong proof of the friendly disposition
of the Virginia Democracy to the
schools. But our Richmond contem-
porary fails to note the fact that there
were only about 2, 200 free schools in the
State when the Readjusters began to
legislate in their interest and that in the
brief period of four years the number of
schools increased two hundred per cent,
while under Democratic management
they have increased about thirty-four
per cent, in twenty years. The annual
increase during the twenty years OF
Democratic administration has been
about one and dne-half per cent. Dur
ing the four years of Readjuster ad-
ministration the annual increase was
nearly fifty per cent. The increase IN
the enrolment of pupils and expendi~
lures for public schools under Readjust-
er control was in the same proportion
as the increase, in the number OF
schools. And during the last twenty
years there has been an increase in the
expenditures of only about fifty per
cent. and practically no increase in the
enrolment of pupils.
Let the Democrats struggle as hard
as they may to show that they have
been friendly to the schools-their
record speaks to the contrary. If the
editor of the Times-Dispatch is old
enough, he ought to recall the fact that
the most violent objection raised by the
Democrats to the Underwood Constitu-
ton was that it provided for establish
ing a public free school system in Vir-
einia. 1t was common saying then
that il was wrong to tax one man to
educate another mans children. That
sentiment is still prevalent in Virginia.
"a we will show below by quoting from
a recent editorial of the Times-Dis-
patch criticising the Republican plat
form just after its adoption at Roanoke.
The Times-Dispatch said:
1.-THE promise of free books in the
public schools is a demogogic appeal
for votes and cannot be too severely
denounced. The public school system
was built up under Democratic rule and
was never so fourishing as now. 10
saddle upon the State the cost of sup
plying books would be to cripple instead
of improve the system. Moreover 1t
would be a measure of socialism which
would be Indignantly resented by many
tax payers who are now paying literally
toward the support of the schools with
out receiving any direct benefit. That
plank alone in the platform were enough
to defeat the Republicans in their eff