Year: 1859

These, Sir, are serious objections
and dangerous ones, if true; and l
propose to discuss them in their order
rs made. And first, it is true that
the distribution of this fund among
ninety-one counties, the number in
this State, would in effect establish
ninety-one brokers' offices scattered
over the State, preying upon the best
interests of the people, used as politi-
cal machines to destroy and subvert
the political rights and liberties Of the
people. i confess | can not see the
forre of this objection. l have more
conlidcacc in


Goods creature man,


than to believe that so noble bequeSt.
made for so noble a purpose, should
be turned into an engine of oppression
to subvert and destroy the best inter-
ests of the people. Could l believe
this. | should then be prepared to rec
oncilc my own Judgment to the doe
trine Of the universal depravity of the
human heart.


Suppose, Sir, that we look into the
provisions of this bill and see what
they are, and how far their natural
tendencies will justify the conclusions
of our opponents.


The : section provides that this
fund shall be loaned under the same
law and be governed in all respects by
the same rules and regulations that
our congressional township funds are
now governed by. Every member
upon the floor ought to know what
that law is and what those rules and
regulations are;-that law requires
your County Auditors and Treasurers
to loan the funds, in sums not exceed
ing $500, to any one borrower; the
loan must be secured by mortgage
upon unincumbered real estate OF value
at least double the amount of the loan,
exclusive of perishable improvements,
giving the citizens of each township
the preference of borrowing the pro-
portion of money belonging to THEN
township; all such loans are made at
a uniform rate of interest, Z per cent,
payable annually in advance. Now,
Sir, you have the whole modus ope-
randi. To me, this looks like any
thing else rather than brokers' Office
they neither buy, sell nor shave
notes; they are entitled to one hal
per cent. for receiving, and the same
for loaning the funds.


Nor, Sir, does it appear to me to be
any more of political power" cal
culated to subyert and destroy the po-
litical right and liberties of the pco
pie, than it does a brokers' office. Il
must not be forgotten that these Off
GERS of your counties, to-day and FOL
the last quarter of century, have
been managing your common schoo
funds, much larger amount than
propose to put in their hands, in thi;
very same manner. | have heard II,
complaints that they have converted
Tic Sllilc iiitO ~ biOscl Ouitt, VI tid
they have made the same a "politica
instrument for the purpose of con
trolling your elections. If any honor
able gentleman knows of any on'
single instance Of the kind, | will b,
under many obligations to him if h
will do me the kindness of rising il
his place and pointing it out. l hav'
no idea that such an instance can b,
found. From the past, may we no
safely predicate the future? If not


would humbly suggest, that far bette
would it be for us to withdraw on
common school funds from our count,
officers and convert the same into tn
Indebtedness of the State. If the,
can safely be intrusted with the man
agement of what they already hav
under their control, why may we no
as safely and with as much conlidenc
intrust them with this?


| now come to the second and las
objection raised, which | deem worth
of any consideration as an objection
1t is unsafe and the funds will be en-
dangcrcd il we intrust their manage
ment to orr county officers. If this b
true, there must be some one or all O
a part of the following reasons: First
the law which | have Just cited an
under which and by virtue of the pro
visions of which Our school funds al
now managed, must be defective an
inadequate for the protection of til
same, or your county officers lack ca
pacity. or else they are dishonest; now
is the law, that requires that the loa
should be made upon mortgage give
upon real estate Of value at leas
double the amount of the loan, and til


interest payable annually in advanc,
inadequate to secure the funds?


trust not Are you in the habit {


electing dishonest or incompetent me
to manage the whole financial intere,
of your counties? / hope not. III
men you elect, or at least the men yo
should elect, because they come up I


the old Jetiersonian standard, are bot
capable and honest This objection
think then has but little force in it.


1t can not be supposed that the pee


pie of the different counties TO whoi
this money belongs and whose chi


dren are to be educated with it, Wi


be less careful of its safe keeping an
less faithful in the management of
! than three or five men elected by ii
Legislature. Now, Mr.. Speaker.
my mind, at least, | have disposed
the objections raised against this bil
| do not know what its fate may b


| am prepared to vote for it, 9th


members of this body must be govern
ed by their own convictions and bett,
judgments, and act accordingly. Ia


unable to act for any one except f


myself, and could l do so l would n


arro.r,ta a. ,nvSolf thot ,,o,.or