The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-05-25
LETTER FROM W. C. DICGES
He Discusses Education, The Public Schools and
Tax Payers.

Bowling Green, Va, May %. 1905.
Having noticed the reports OF many
meetings recently held ON the subject OF
education, and particularly the one held
here ON May Sth. in which rs an out
come of the meeting resolution was
adopted asking the board of supervisors
To increase the school tax from - cents
10 30 cents ON the hundred dollars. !
have felt impelled TO ray something in
reference 10 the subject, ana in behalf Of
the tax payers Of the county | collect
taxes in Bowling Green Magirterlal Dis
trict aud know that those who are the
cliiei beneticlares Of the schools pay little
or no tax. and in quite "A number OF in
stances parties who have several chill
dren attending the public schools refuse
10 pay even the poll tax. which IL part
Of the school fund About twO-thIrds Of
the tax payers pay leSs than one dollar
school tax. and it IL this class that get
the chief benefit OF the ~rhool system.
Those persons who pay from ten to
sixty dollars school taxes rarely rend
their children 10 the public schools, but
send 20 private schools. The cust OF ed
ucating child in the public schools Is
about eight dollars per session of five
months.
There are persons in this county who
refuse to pay the poll tax, aud who pay
about ten cents year school Tax and
send, or have OF school nge, five children,
costing the State forty dollars, which
mikes the cost two cents per SESSION Tor
al ..,,.. 4 ....,.l hill O., u.lA.i MT
think how many children Of the school
age "a tax payer who pays ns much ~
fifty dollars must have befun hr can
have equal rights with one oi the former
cass: Just twenty five hundred. with the
probability of "A like number "a lew years
hence
Agnin. while am ON this subject OF
eduratiOn, ] venture the assertion that
not twenty-five per cent OF the males at
tending the public schools can. when
they arr twenty-one years Old register
to vote under our laws. Ii, then, the
public schools cannot, or DO not educate
sufficiently To enable "A person 10 register
and vote. OF what value is the system
In this county fully nine-tenths OF thu-e
who have been convicted OF crime have
attended the public schools. am inclined
70 believe in the old cOupet which says:
A LITTLE learning il dangerous thing;
Drink deep or touch not the Pernan
Spring.
Surely the tax payers. who an IN most
cases the land Owners, have enough to
do when they have 10 bear the expense
Of tho State and County Government,
build roads. aud bridges. for labor pays
nOthngD without an excessive school tax
from which they receive no benefit Since
the war ended. the people Of Virginia
have had 10 pay large amounts Tor the
EXPENSES Of the war in which they were
neutrality-suspicious. 10 Federal soldiers
had our property made almost valueess,
and paid large amounts for the education
of the cOlOnd people rs we'll some OF the
white who do not appreciate the schools
enough 10 pay even the poll tax which
goes To the school funds. No person
should be- allowed 10 send his children to
the public schools unless he has paid his
poll tax and matriculation Zee of one
dollar per scholar.
When one gets something for nothing,
one is not inclined to value it. Liberty
is dearer when it has To be fought for,
and il costs the nation or individual
something to obtain it, and one OF the
reasons that our colored people have not
appreciated the rights and privileges
that the war gave them, is that it cost
them nothing to obtain them. There Is
now being expended in this county be,
tween Sl2 900 and $4,000 Tor School
purposes, and it seems to ne the results
are meagre
". G.. Dlgges