The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-11-04
A SLIGHT CORRECTION, ETC.

My dear Editor: If you had follow
ed the exact wording of my feeble eff
fort of yesterday you would have
stated that my friend Col. Rogers
recently told me" (referring to re-
cent article in the Starr instead OF
recently told me-" as you have it.
(Sorry for the mistake, but "me" is
an integral part of us.-Editor.)
Now, just parting word and | an
through. As | presume you are per.
fectly well aware, "local option" has
long since been recognized as merely
practice trench" in the fight with
John Barleycorn by most of us vet
Grams, including yourself; and that
county wide" is not enough to pro-
tect the cause therein, but we must
strive for statewide" nationwide, ,
and, please God, before the millennium
let us trust, that John B. shall have
no place to rest his weary spirit on
the face of the earth or in the deeps
thereof.
However, if there is anything in the
saying that consistency is a jewel,
am at utter loss to see why tn.
"dyed- local optionist
should oppose local option in school
matters, thus giving other communi-
ties and sections of the state the
right to take such action as they
please in their school affairs and not
be tied down by our ideas or ideals.
In Germany, so have read, the school
system is based upon the idea of
class versus mass; the latter to be
hedged about by grammar school,
latitude of something like the three
r. taught to the tune of hickory
stick) which, it looks to some, would
be satisfactory to many of our tax
payers-some of whom have Iona
the expense of the state, and others,
unfortunately, have never had any to
educate. Now, as | presume even you
are willing to admit, it is not every
one who can afford to send children.
away from the county for the educa-
tion to which even our humblest are
justly entitled; and as taxpayer who
has, through thick and thin," always
been able somehow to pay his taxes
up to the present time, am unwilling
to take stand which will, self-evi-
IDENTIFY, tend to lesson our childrens'
opportunities to secure the education
to which they are justly entitled.
But, getting back to the "meat in
the cocoanut." In order to be entire
ly agreeable, and 'for the purpose OF
argument only" as the lawyers say,
let it be admitted that the "nigger''
brakeman, in view of his comparative
importance in these times of stress
and high prices, is grossly underpaid
at from one hundred to two-twenty-
five per month, while our teachers,
earning on an average of probably
not to exceed seventy dollars per
month for eight months of the year,
are being grossly overpaid for the
benefits they confer on our children
and the commonwealth, and that our
school houses and equipment are en-
tirely too fine for our children in
Marion county and utterly beyond
our ability as Taxpayers to support
and maitnain and should be utterly
abolished; may l ask you, Mr.. Editor
as you are good citizen and honest
man:
1st. Are we, of Marion county,
ruled by a set of local autocrats over
whom we have no control, or are they
our servants" to be "fred" when we
think they no longer act for the best
interests of the community, or to be
brought to their senses as we may
deem fit and proper?
(In regard to the millage, the peo-
pie have no control over the school
board 1t can levy the entire amount
il it sees fit and spend it as it sees
fit. The present honest and competent
board may be succeeded by men not
so good. Beside, it our duty to vote
on this measure with regard to how
il effects the entire state and not our
local affairs only.-Edtor.)
Ind Do you think the millage per-
mitted by the amendment we are
shortly to consider on election day
excessive, even in this county, in view
of the fiftv-per-cent valuation on the