But there were good reasons why
changes should be made, and they
will commend themselves to all who
desire the advancement of popular
education, and not prejudiced
against any change just because it
is a change, and because they be
lieve that no good things can come
out of Nazareth Nazareth being
their political opponents.
First and foremost, local taxation
was impossible under the old district
system. The white districts and the
colored districts did not coincide. A
tax could not be levied upon the
whites for their schools, and upon
the negroes fur theirs. This had
been tried in North Carolina and our
Supreme court declared it unconsti
tutional. In order to levy a local tax
the same territory must constitute
one school district for white and col
ored. With one school district there
can be only one school committee for
the schools of both races.
But there were other objections
The district system was really
county system. The school commit
teemen really did nothing btit em
ploy teachers. The establishmen
of schools was regnlated by a coun
ty beard that did not represents al
parts of the county. This was two
large a territory for one small board
to supervise.
As a result, too many school houses
were erected and school funds were
largely wasted by being divided up
too much, and being practically
without- supervision. Among the
army of school committeemen re
quired by the old law were many in
d ff erent and many incompetent
members, and numbers of school of
ficers that could not write their
names.'.
