The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-03-26
TIE SCHOOL GRAB RlLL,

Shelby county school grab bill where
by it is sought to take $4,000 0
, school funds that belong to all of tn,
children of Tennessee and give then
to one county. There is very stronl
presumption that Shelby county re
ceiVed this enormous sum by ways
that are truly "Shelbyistic." The
very fact that the Shelby delegation
has slipped bill through the legisla
ture to dismiss suits instituted by
the state is of itself the very strong
est sort of evidence that the county
is not entitled to the sum in question
1t is charged that Shelby county,
through false and fraudulent padding
of its scholastic census rolls has i'm
properly received $4,000 from the
school funds of the state. Suit has
been regularly instituted to recover
/ this sum. If it has been obtained
through fraud and misrepresentation
every dollar of the fund belongs to
the children of the other counties of
Tennessee. If the suit has been i'm
properly filed, if the proof does not
sustain the allegations made, then
Shelby county will not owe Tennes.
see one single dollar. The case is
purely and solely a question for the
courts. Evidently the Shelby polit-
ical bosses realize that in court of
equity the county would be forced to
make restitution hence their anxiety
through legislative legerdermain to
dismiss the suit.
Several years ago under the admin.
istration of the late state superin-
tendent of public instruction, 5. A.
Mynders, the discovery was made !
that the census rolls of Knox coun.
ty had been grossly padded. A sim
liar suit was then instituted against |
that county and some $4,000 recov.
cred into the state treasury for dis.
tribution among the counties of the
state entitled to receive the same
Now in all good conscience and that
equal justice may be done, should
the Shelby county bill become valid
law, restitution should be made by
the state to Knox county. Surely
Knox county has just as much right
to steal from the state as Shelby
county could possibly have. There
should be no invidious distinctions in
his matter.
PROFESSIONALLY there has been
some fraud in Shelby county census
'eturns. The proportion Of children
n that county should not be so much
greater than in other counties. But
ust how much fraud there has been
10 one can say. This is matter for
he courts, not for ex parte hearing
" the legislature. We are sure for
xample, that Maury county has not,
t least for the last eight T ten
ears, padded any scholastic census \
eturns. We are inclined to believe &
nat in our zeal for fair and correct N
ensus we have leaned too far the \
Their way. Our proportion of chill
RENTS less than that of too mauy
Their counties. 1t inevitably creates N
lie impression that we have not 4
)unted them ALL IA
1t is no small matter to give away II
10000 of state school funds, the
'operty of the children of Tennes
e. No matter what obligation the n
,wers that be in the legislature of IN
annessee, may conceive themselves N
be under to the Shelby machine, it Y
les not justify payment out of the n
mmon school fund Of Tennessee.
lis would be an average of nearly
500 to the other ninety-fiva coun- Y
IS of the state. There are in round A
mbers about three-Quarters of a "
llion of school age in the state. d
lis is approximately twenty cents
: each person of school age. 1t
uld mean over $4,000 to Maury A
unity alone. The members of the N
,islature of this county assuredly
uld not consent to give away this
n to Shelby county or any other 4
lnty This bill passed through
alth and under the guise CT local 1
islation, another and convincing Y
,ument against the food of absurd y
al laws that hamper the admins Y
ton Of justice.
{ constitutional guarantees amount
anything in Tennessee an act of "A
; character cannot stand in the
rts. 1t is the grossest sort of
cial legislation. 1t is nothing less
n public scandal and apoiogists y
it are going to hear from an out 4
ed and justly indignant people.
A VICIOUS SYSTEM. 2