The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-12-23

of this act, and that are likely to ac-
crue as the natural result of its oper-
alton, it Is necessary to be intelligently
informed as to the situation prior to the
passage of the act, as this will give a
clear idea OF the radical changes wrought
by the bill, the saving to the taxpayer
and the change readily seen in the con.
centratiOn of the States funds and ef-
forts upon u system of higher education
Prior to the admission of Florida into
the Union, 1t existed under the Terri
torial Governments of the Territories of
East and West Florida, and under the
act of Congress admitting it as q State
there was granted to it certain area of
land upon the condition that the pro-
ceeds should remain as fund for the
maintenance and support of two institu-
tions of learning, one to be located in the
old Territory of West Florida, west of
the Suwannee river, and the other to be
located in the old Territory of East Flor
ida, east of the Suwannee river.
BY the Constitution of 1885 there is
provided system of public free schools,
which are commonly known as the county
schools, including both the grammar and
tho high schools. BY a section of the
Constitution it was provided that the
Legislature should create at least one
normal school, and not to exceed two;
and by further provision the State
Board of Education was given jurisdic-
ton over such schools of higher grades
as the Legislature should establish or
create. Aside, therefore, from the pub
lie free school system, and commencing
with the act which admitted the State
into the Union, it will be seen that it
was in contemplation, both of the act
of Congress and of the Constitutional
provisions, that an additional system of
education, to be something higher than
the public free school system, should be
maintained, and in pursuance of these
provisions the State of Florida, com
mencing with 1850, established the two
institutions of learning-one east and
one west of the Suwannee river--One in
Tallahassee md the other at Gainesville,
and from time to time after that date
established and created institutions Of
a like character, until mt the meeting of
the Legislature of 1905, including the
two semina Mes east and west, the State
had in operation nine such institutions,
the last having been established in the
year 1905. The number of these insti
buttons of like character greatly exceeded
that established by any other State.
While purporting to be colleges or in
stitutions Of higher learning, as a mat
ter of fact none of them could come
within the meaning of that term, with
possibly one or two exceptions, none of
whom were of as high grade as a first
class high school in the State of New
York. None of them were completely
or properly equipped either with build.
ings or paraphernalia. Each was under
q separate management, which was n law
unto itself, and these institutions, es-
tablished under the supposed idea of
providing higher system of education,
were part of no complete system or plan
by which they could be equipped, and
so far from accomplishing the purposes
OF their creation, are actually detri-
ment to the educational interests of the
State in that, aside from few local fea.
lures, they were drawing upon the
treasury in increasing amounts large
sums OF money that could have been ap.
propriated more benehcially to the COM
mon school education of our children.
Notwithstanding the fact that some of
these schools have been in existance for
comparatively few years, and the fur
Their fact that they had been helped along
by funds from the United States, the
State of Florida had expended consider.
ably over million of money, and their
demands for maintenance and support
were increasing with each session of the
Legislature. until at the session of 1908
thew were apparently so exorbitant
that the Governor vetoed the appropri.
alton, cutting it in half. AT the session