The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-05-11


of local patronage, why should they
be supported at the expense OF the
state at large? said local high
schools. BY that statement 1 will re-
fer you TO the enrolment of the stu
dent body of the East Florida Semi
nary, one of he first state schols es-
tablished. From the catalogue Of 1904
and 1905 of this school. l have copied
the following data:
Total enrolment. =. :. .. .. ..21O
Total enrolment from Gainesville
and Alachua county. :. :. .. ..157
Total enrolment, from other states. u
Total enrolment, from from the
rest of A counties OF Florida. 90
OF the go students from the state
Outside of Alachua county. 80 of them
or thereabouts-Were scholarships.
Think of it; 157 students from the
lcounty in which the school was To-
lcated, and 80 from all the other coun-
ties OF the statel think if you will
take the Florida State College. located
lat Tallahassee, and examine its stu
ldent body enrolment. about the same
lcondition OF affairs will be clearly
shown as existing at that time. Sixty
five per cent of the scholarships of
these schools came from the communi-
ties in which they Were located. Now,
let's see the discrimination in the dis
ltribution of the school funds of the
state. The Legislature of 1908 gave a
sum equal to $166 for each boy and
leach girl in the East Florida Semi
nary, and 1856 per student for each
scholar in the Florida State College.
land for each student in the South
FLORIDA Military Academy at Barlow,
the enormous sum of 1892 per student
enough to educate every boy in this
Ischool at Yale or Harvard-was re-
lquired. and the employment of 10
teachers, or one for each class of z
students. Now. my friends, let us
compare these appropriations TO the
state schools. There was, at the time
this matter came up before the legisla-
ture of 1905, 22.636 pupils enrolled in
our common schools. These boys and
girls received from the state 81 per
student. Was that discrimination?
You will perhaps say, why they were
universities and colleges. Yes. but in
name only. Take the enrolment of
these so-called colleges. and what do
we find? Total enrolment of state
institutions. 1,444 pupils. In the pre-
tparatory department Of these schools
There were $50. From this you can
t6of hn Nyar.i-
lated by former legislatures in support
of these schools, was unfair. unjust,
land entirely out of proportion 20 the
Isums appropriated TO the common
schools of our counties. Why is it
THAT the towns in which these -so-called
colleges were located, failed to enroll
the children in the common schools
Iof their counties? The answer is sim
Iple, They had in their midst a state
institution teaching the same grades
Iof study IA was taught in the county
high schools. and you; my friends.
Iwere aiding in raising the enormous
lsumS necessary to maintain them.
The sole purpose Of the Buchanan
bill was to throw this money back
Into the several counties OF the state;
encourage the people TO build up the
rural schools; foster and maintain
lgood high schools, and graduate our
boys and girls in the high schools,
qualifying them to enter the two high
Ter Institutions of learning established
and provided for under the Buchanan
law. should they 50 elect. This will
result in building UP a grander school
lsystem. A system of schools that will
lbe benefit TO the people generally
and not to the favored few who were
fortunate enough TO have one of these
Estate institutions located in their
midst.
Under the new law. one university.
lone female college and one institute
flor deaf, dumb and blind. was estab-
Ilished. Under the old law the state
paid the expenses of Is trustees. Under
the new We pay for the services of 5.
This bill received the greatest CEN
lsure from the people in which the for
mer schools were located, and the
greatest applause from those who had
the interest at heart in the education
of the poor boys and girls residing in
counties in which no such, institutions
We're located.
Now. my friends. find that this
very law is being made an issue all
over the state in the present campaign.
4 believe that the enemies of the law
ARE working quietly today, endeavor-
ling TO elect a legislature favorable to
1.-THE repeal. or modification of this law.
Will you permit il? assure You. my
friends. that l. have the interest at
heart of all the school children OF our
Ecounty and state. for is il not a fact
THAT our industrial. social and political
future is based upon the educational
advantages given to our children? Ii
would be my pleasure 10 represent you
lin rhe next legislature of Florida, and
lif I am so honored. / promise that
shall do all in my power 10 prevent
any attempt on the part Of the enc
lrnies of the measure, TO modify or