Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-11-01

and business like way, laying aside
personal desires and prejudices and
looking to the good of the county as
a whole. / do not wish to be un-
derstood as "butting in" on any OF
the controversies, between the can
didates for our county school board,
for I surely regard them all as my
personal friends, but in this matter
it is not the man, but what he
stands for, that interests us. And
while l frankly admit that / am
not pleased with our present school
law as it affects our rural districts,
I feel that in small poor little
county like ours to stand up against
counties like Hamilton, Franklin,
Cuyahoga and other large and rich
counties, would be the height of
foolishness and really would defeat
the very thing some are most inter-
ested in, viz, taxes. A while back
we had a county superintendent and
three district superintendent. We
cut off two, leaving our county and
one district superintendent. Did it
lessen our taxes? No, and If we dis
charge all of them, it would not. In
order to get the $65,00O state aid
for our schools paid to us from the
taxes on the large counties, we
have to tax ourselves to the limit of
our tax duplicate. Then shall we be
penny wise and pound foolish? Sure
ly not. Especially not until the law
is changed. We are not foolish
| enough to throw away $4,000 to
save the salaries of two or three Of
ficials.
Now, in regard to the three-mill
levy to be voted on by my township,
| / surely am ashamed to say we are
the black sheep and the only town
ship in the county not having the
three-mill levy, the lack of which
has run the school budget behind
i $4,000. Now should it fail to pass
this fall we will get no state aid and
will have to issue bonds to run the
schools or go without, and instead
of paying three-mills it will be near
er twelve. So men and women OF
Deerfield, let us not be foolish this
time, but walk up and vote the three
mill levy and save money. We be-
| lieve in progress, in good schools,
good roads and a better Morgan
county. If so. let's vote that way.
Now, word in regard 20 the cab.
didates for our county school board
AS / said before they are all men
worthy of my highest esteem, with
the experience and intelligence tC
fill the office, but do / understand g
man like Bro. Strong, man whom
/ have always looked up to, having
! int and indppo mi
especially in matters of education
and public matters, that he utterly
opposes our present school system
and desires to throw our county on
it's own resources? PreponderouO
There surely would be an exodus
from this county as never before
He surely realizes that although he
and l fondly remember the old dis
! trict school with its three directors
and how We rhymed over the three
rs until we had it all by heart, that
it simply would be impossible to 60
back to that again. He like myself
is out in the country, sees things as
they exist at the present time, and
the old order will never return. Our
farms are run by renters who have
! matters. 1t is hard to get any man
! to serve as township officer and
those best able not at all. So why
| not look matters squarely in the
| face, take up the new order and
boost it, as it will surely do no good
TO try to go back and will utterly
ruin our schools.
| 1t looks to me serious matter,
and l would say to each man and
woman, don't go to the polls with in
/ difference as TO whom or what you
are voting for, and with the idea
that by not voting for the three-mill
levy and against the present system
of schools you will save taxes, for
you will not.
Respectfully,
E. A. FOUTS.