The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-11-05

c Schools. (RcprOduced From The
cen Years AgO.)
| acts were passed looking to the relief of
| various communities that wanted to tax
! themselves for the education of their
children. The failure of these efforts in
duced the friends of education to abandon
legislative subterfuges, and to try amend
ments to the constitution. Some of these
were successfully submitted, and al
though no apparent opposition was en-
countered by them, they failed to receive
the majority Of the whole number of
votes cast for the legislative ticket. Other
expedients were, tried from time to time,
but all proved abortive, all succumbed to
the blighting power of a state consti-
tuition which inhibited educational prog
ress and development by denying to the
people of every community in their or
ganized capacity; the right, by their own
taxes, to maintain a public school. the
one essential of modern government, the
one condition of enlightened citizenship
Local self-government is admittedly a
right, inhering in the people; it is fun
damental to our entire fabric of govern
ment, and antedates all constitutions
The recognized units of government are
the state, the county and the district, or
the city. The distribution of the func
tons of government should be such as to
leave the smaller units untrammeled, ex-
cept as to matters affecting the larger
units. The theory that the state has a
right to interfere In the local affairs of
the county, the city and the district, be-
cause these minor divisions are the crea-
lures of the state is calculated to sup
press spontaneous development, to check
local initiative and to reduce all the
communities of-the state to one dead level
of uniformity
1t is natural that the people of Ala
bama should have wholesome dread OF
taxation. We have here a practical IL
lustration of the adage, the burnt child
always breads the fire." In despotic gov
ernments, taxation has been used almost
invariably as an instrument of oppression
and injustice Those who We're taxed were
not consulted as to the purpose or the
amount of the taxes levied, and the rev.
enues thus raised were to crafty the am
billions of the strong and to Cypress and
enslave the weak Under such conditions,
taxation will always be feared. However
reasonable the purpose, and however
small the amount taxes levied by any
but the people themselves will be re
garded with suspicion. This malady
(which we may call ''taxiphobia," is a
survival of medieval despotism. For the
last % years, our constitutional inhibi-
lions and legislative prerogatives in Ala
bama have kept the people in an acute
stage of this disease. The representa-
tive system has assumed despotic func-
tons The chief reason for these con-
dtions. it is true, is found in the need
of suffrage reform. With this vital
question settled, the next step should be
the restoration of sovereignty to the peo-
pie in the right to levy their own school
taxes, for their own benefit and de-
veopment Thus only will the people
of our state be relieved of this perpetual
dread of taxation and distrust of their
representatives.
The only objection that has ever been
urged against the local taxation for
schools is based upon the fear and dis
trust of the people The masses of the
people. it is said, are not only ignorant
and unpatriotic, but are also nontaxpay
ers. They will prove too ready to vote
an excessive rate of taxation, and thus
jeopardize the rights of property by the
heavy burdens imposed upon 1t. The OBJ
lection is pessimistic in the extreme 1t
is founded upon want of faith in the
masses. and strikes at the very root of
democracy. 1t is remarkably strange
dilemma we have in Alabama. The peo-
pie are afraid of the taxing power and
the taxing power is afraid Of the peo-
pie. The most prosperous states are those
that have no constitutional limit to their
local school tax. Are the people of Ala
bama less intelligent less patriotic. or
tless worthy of the exercise OF this right
than those Of other stat1s7 believe