The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-07-30
BILBo AND THE STATE COMMON SCHOOL FUND.

Section FOG of the Constitution of
1890 provides for a State Common
School Fund, and further provides
"The State Common School Fund
shall be distributed among the several
counties and separate school districts
in proportion to the number of edu-
cable children in each, ETC." When
the Constitution was adopted the Del
ia counties knew that they would pay
more money into the State Treasury
for schools than they would get re-
turned to them for the support of
their schools, but the Delta counties
figured that they could afford the in
vestment, because, by the education
of the children in the hill counties
white supremacy would be secured.
When the Constitution vas adopted
the poll taxes were a part of the Com
mon School Fund, and the hill coun-
ties soon conceived the idea that it
would be to their interest to retain
the taxes in the counties where col
lected, because they relatively paid
more poll taxes than the Delta coun-
ties, and they got an amendment to
the Constitution to retain the poll
taxes in the county where collected,
thereby again increasing their school
fund at the expense of the Delta
counties.
Mr.. Bilbo and some other politi-
clans of the state are advocating an
other change in the method of dis
tributing the State Common School
Fund, because they think the change
would be popular in the hill counties,
and they are looking after votes ir-
respective of our welfare. MI. Bilbo
is advocating distributing the State
Common School Fund between the
several counties in proportion to the
educable white children Of the sever
al counties. This is another and very
great injustice to the Delta, and is
the most serious and damaging pro-
posal vet made. There is absolute
" no justice or right in his proposed
change. We are forced to maintain
schools for the negroes; otherwise
our Constitution, with its educable
qualifications, would be overturned
by the United States Supreme Court,
and we would again be subject to ne
gro domination.
There are hill counties in the state
of Mississippi which now draw from
the State Treasury for schools and
pensions more money than they pay
into the State Treasury for all taxes,
and still Mr.. Bilbo wants to give them
more at the expense of the Delta.
AS it now is they get the State Gov
eminent and all of its institutions
run free of taxes to them and they
get a pension for being in the state.
Let us see how Mr.. Bilbo's policy
would affect Sunf1ower county. Our
present ad valorem assessment is $6,-
326,6O6.O 90. The state tax rate is six
mills, and Sunf1ower county yields
$37,959.64 for taxes which goes into
the State Treasury. During the last
year we paid $5,762.99 privilege tax
es, making a total state tax of $43,-
722.63, and that without Mr.. Bilbo's
AK commission and the raise Of our
ad valorem taxes. Under the present
system of distributing the State Com
mon School Fund we draw from the
State Treasury for our common
schools, exclusive of our separate
school districts, $22,272.0O, and for
pensions $~2,O53.75, making a total
for schools and pensions of $24,S25.-
rs which we draw from the State
Treasury. $24,325.75 taken from
S43,722.63 leaves a balance of $751;
1868, which we pay into the State
Treasury more than we get back for
schools and pensions, or a diff
of $l9,396.sS which we contribute to
the State Government and the sup
port of the state institutions and Of
the common schools of the hill coun-
ties. A fairly snug sum, don't you
think?
There are 311,3s9 white and 1885,
967 colored children, or q total OF
1886 educable children in Missis-
sippi. The State Common School
Fund is $1,65e, O51.o0, or $2.25 for
each educable child. Sunfiower coun-
ty has 1876 white and $500 color
ed, or a total of 10,166 educable chill
dren. This sum enables rs to run
our schools for q decent length Of
time with fair salaries, and insures
us fairly good teachers, and the cost
is paid with our own money which We
had previously paid into the State
Treasury by our taxes. Now, sup
pose Mr.. Bilbo's idea prevails and the
State Common School Fund 10 dis
tributed over the state in proportion
to the educable children. The state
has 311,3S9 white children and with
! fund of 1,659. 051.O0 the pro rata
would be . little less than $3.50 for
each child. We have 1876 white chill
dren on whom We would draw from
the state $9,0e9.08. With this
amount we could run q schools only