6
How much of this $100,000 per annum is paid by negroes can¬
not he accurately told, there being no mode prescribed by law, as
there should be, for ascertaining the proportion of all taxes paid by
whites and blacks. The whole amount of capitation tax, of a dollar
a head, which was assessed in 18S8 on 208,541 white men and
114,237 negroes, goes to the public schools, as I have said.* Those
assessed with it are listed according to color; and the delinquents
should be returned in the same way This, however, is only done
in certain counties. But averaging the whole by them, as I have
done, I assume that not more than $50,000 is paid by negroes.
Of the taxes on real and personal property, I assume, after con¬
sultation with various persons, whose judgment I value, that not
more than $40,000 are paid by negroes; of which sum one-fourth
part, or SI0,000, goes to the schools. This makes an aggregate of
$60,000, which deducted from the $400,000, stated by the Superin¬
tendent of Public Instruction to be the annual charge, leaves $340,-
000 as the annual tribute that white men pay in money to wThat is
called negro education.
This is more than $1.50 charged to each 208,547 white tax payer;
and an aggregate of more than half of what would be the annual
charge for interest if our bonds were funded into Riddleberger three
per cents.
As our total revenues from real estate and personal property
amount to §1,420,302.04, the relief by reducing the taxes $340,000
would be just about one-fourth, or 25 per cent. But if that sum be
added to S1,15S,352.70, the fund now expended on white schools,
and applied to their extension, it would lengthen their term by about
two months; that is to say, from 5.95 months as at present to 7.81
months. This remits the negroes to the sum of $60,000 per annum
for their schools ; unless they should choose to raise more money by
paying their taxes better.
Does sound policy require that 208,547 white men, who vote only
172,000 at the polls, shall pay $1.50 per head of their money,
amounting in all to five-sixth of the cost of negro schools, to negroes
who pay only one-sixth of the cost of their schools, and who list
114,237 for capitation tax, but vote 130,000 at the polls? Does
sound policy require that white men shall sacrifice one-fourth of the
schooling of their children to the schooling of negro children ?
This thing has been going on for 19 years—that is, from 1870 up
to and including this year; in which time the State has spent on
negro education, including $409,506.18 assumed for the present
year, $5,092,923.71; of which about $1,754,313.10 are paid by
*This information is obtained in office of Auditor of Public Accounts from
assessments by commissioner of revenue of each county and returns by county
treasurers of lists of delinquents and insolvents.
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