Year: 1872

: 'hoh Va iooOLluS SlaSSSo h'OiS
means for education. Canada has
already established thorough system
and some Of the South American States
have made beginning. But perhaps
here, in our own Republic, because o
our peculiar institutions. it finds a more
congenial home.


Washington favored the idea, and il
was peculiarly the favorite scheme o.
Mr.. Jefferson. That distinguished Fir
ginian, short time before his death
said "a system Of general instruction
which shall teach every description ot
our citizens, from the richest TO the
poorest, as it was the earliest, so shall
it be the latest, of all the public con-
Germs in which | shall permit myself TO
take an interest 1t has been sub,
ject that attracted the attention OF all
orr statesmen, especially those Of Nir'
srnia. 1t was earnestly advocated Uy
Richard Bland, Thomas Jefferson,
Patrick Henry, George Wythe, James
Mcdowell, and men Of that stamp. In
fact, the first provision made for free
school in America, was made in Nir'
ginia, in 1921, twenty years or upwards
before England began her educational
system. | refer to what was known as
tie East India School, established in
Charles City, founded mainly 10y the
East India Company, through the per
suasions OF Rev. Mr.. Copeland, their
chaplain.


Without the precedents above stated
the question is of vital importance to
West Virginia Our future prosperity
depends upon the development OF our
resources. And no man will deny that
the main thing to be considered, in all
plans for developing the resources Of a
country, is the character OF rs laboring
masses. There is no labor so purely
muscular as not 10 require the Co-opera-
ton OF the mind. Where the mind is
debased, or even unawakenei, the labor
is inefficient; on the other hand, when
the mind is enlightened, it is supplied
with motives which stimulate labor and
give itdirection, and the highest results
are produced. If we wish to invite
immigration and capital to our State,
our home population must be ready to
unite fully in carrying forward the
work OF improvement. immigration
will not come unless it can find con-
genial home, or in other words. State
cannot prosper by its own resources, or
by attracting other people to come,
unless the character Of its bad, (and all
States had more or less Of such } is i'm
proved. Even il it were desirable, it is
impossible ro drive out population,
however offensive, that has become
scattered and mingled with the general
mass. The only change then is to i'm
prove them, which can be done alone
by the State establishing an efficient
system of universal educa ton.


But suppose that we waive all consid-
erations OF the expedency of adopting
the common school system as part OF
the permanent policy Of our State, and
recognize the fact that it exists in the
present Constitution, and must be con-
tinued, it behooves US as wise men, leg
islating for the interest of the people OF
the whole State, to adopt not only an
efficient system, but one that all alike
will feel its burthens-all alike may
enjoy its blessings In order to do this,
the system must be closely allied to the
State government, in form as well as in
fact by the Capitalization of lis authori-
tv and in the extent Of its operations,
While this form OF school government
imposes heavy responsibilities and a
large amount Of labor on the Execu-
tive Department, it gives unity, econ
omy and great vigor to the system.


In the report Of the Committee on
Education, which we now have before
us, we find section requiring the Leg
isIature to provide an efficient system of
schools, whereby every child in the
State may receive good common
school education. Yet, in the same
article, the power of the Legislature to
do 50 is taken away, 10y a clause re.
stricting the tax levied for such pur-
poses to fifteen cents on the one hun
dred dollars valuation, and in another
section requiring the additional tax to
be raised by local or township taxa
ton, and in case OF failure to raise the
additional amount, they are denied a
participation in the fund already paid
in. This necessarily cripples the system,
and in many counties and districts will
have the effect OF killing it Under such
an arrangement a township with fifty
thousand dollars, would have to pay a.
much for the support Of system as a
township elsewhere worth a million
dollars would pay. You at once per
ceive the inequality in taxation that is
produced. We at once violate princi'
pie fixed in the existing Constitution
and the same which We propose to in
corporate into our new one. | mean
the first section Of the article on Taxa
ton and Finance, where we say taxa
ton shall be equal and uniform through
out the State" ! apprehend that nc
person will contend that dollar in one
township should pay more tax than a
dollar in different township in the
same State. | know thatit is often the
case that Constitutions and laws
are unmindful OF little things. and o'
necessity tolerate some inequality OF
taxation therein OF this class OF cases
we have examples in the laws relating
to paupers and county roads, who and
which are generally provided for by the
counties wherein they reside and are
situate. But if public schools are to
be classed among the little things, then
I am wholly mistaken in the true policy
of the State, and the result Of recent
taxation, so far from being a little thing
IN many Of the townships Of the State
il constitutes the greatest burthen OF
taxation borne by the people; and so
far from being merely a county or dis
trict matter, l understand it to be car