Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-03-24
superintendent OfPubIie Instruc-
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superintendent OfPublie Instruc.
i ton.
i We presume tits not necessary that We
should add anything with reference to the
paramount importance Of this Office. The
peculiar fitness Of Judge Mason to fill
the same, in such manner as will secure
to the people Of the Stste the greatest
amount Of benefit which the resources of
our school fund can possibly be made to
yield, is too well known to render reca-
lpitulation Of his qualifications necessary
at this time.
If there is in Iowa a man who, by edu,
cation, mental organization and business
habits, is better fitted than all others for
the important trust Of supervising our
Common School System, and laying broad
and deep the foundation for the moral and
intellectual culture Of the rising genera
ton, that man is Charles Mason. He is
not merely scientific, but emphatically a
practical man. His talents are Of high
order; his moral character without blem-
ish; his integrity unimpeachsble-being
scruPulously exact in all his pecuniary
dealings; and last, though not least, he is
thoroughly indoctrinated in those great
and ilnmu,able principles Of democratic
equality upon which a system Of popular
education should be based and conducted.
We woul not be understood as in,ima-
ting that political principles of any kind
ought to be inculculated in our schools. -.
Far from it. This is not the province,
even, Of teacher-muc less Of the gene.
raj Superintendent. But we mean to say,
tina, in order to secure the greatest good to
the greatest number, that sy stem should be
conducted on those principles by which
the high and the low, the rich and the
poor, are alike and equally regarded as
the rishtful recipients of the blessings to
be dispensed by the civil governments
upon principles which are Numerically
opposed to all favorism, to all distinction
among classes, and to tyranny and pros
=, crip,ian of all kind. and in any shape
Hence,the importance OF electing demo.
crat, instead Of federaliSt, to that station
judge Mason is, moreover, perfectly re.
sponsible in his individual capacity. This
is consideration which should by nc
means be overlooked. What indemnity
have the people in bend, for the squan-
dering or misapplication Of the large fund
placed at the control of this Officer? No
adequate indemnity. The temporary loss
of the money, which, in The cause Of
time, and by the tedious process Of "the
laws delay" might be recovered on the
bond, is but tithing Of the evils which
may result from confering the office upon
person who has not established among
US Z character for personal responsibility
We are well aware that our opponents
| will resort to every expedient, and make
use of the most plausible arguments that
ingenuity can invent, for the purpose Of
seducing democrats from the support of
their own candidate, and inducing them to
vote for wing, running under the spe-
cious guise VI iadependency., They will
appeal to every prejudice which can be
aroused in the breasts of those whose vote.
they covet, and will attemptto take undue
advantage of every relation in life, real or
imaginary, whether Of social, religious,
or political nature.
For this they have prepared themselves
by bringing out an independent candidate,
ESQ called;) who, if elected, will indeed
be found independent of the democracy;
for we need hardly say that the Iederalists
expect to acquire most important advan;
tase by the election of one Of their num-
Der TO this office. But we fear not the
effect Of their crafty Vaccinations upon SO
enlightened people as those of Iowa.
Alltrue democrats, whatever may be their
other relations in life. know too well the
nature and extent Of their social obliga-
tons how far they extend, and the point
at which they terminate where they con-
flict with each, and which is paramount
to be duped by the species Of sophistry
wherewi,h their willy opponents lay siege
to them. 49,. 1'-.-,'. ''@5's,sE 70
Still, it will be we'll for our friends ev-
ry where to be on their guard, lest some
unsuspecting democrats be made to be-.
lieve that Judge Mason's opponent is as
good democrat as he. This trick has
already been attempted in several coun.
ties. Let our friends therefore be on the
alert to thwart the scheme. II gag rzas