Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-07-19
State school Commissioner.

friends OF popular education in hi
State, was created by act Of tho Genera
Assembly. The duties which the ne,
Office imposes, are Of the most impor
tant and extensive nature, Affecting i,
their results very materially the interest
olIhc present, and of coming generation
Of people in this State. It is abou
three months until the people will b,
rallel upon to select that officer, o
tho bn]lot.box. One candidate for tn,
place, Mr.. Lorin Andrews, is already il
tho fell, having been nominated by III,
convention 81 teachers held at Dayton
on the 9th inst.
The Democrats have called a con
venlion for the snme purpose which is ,t
meet at Columbus on the 9Th of Au
gust. From the tone of the whig press
both before AMI since Mr.. Andrews
nomination, we are lei TO infer thai
they have olop,el Lm as their candi
date. Although the lcuding whig pa
pcrs, such as tho Ohio State Journal
and the Cincinnati Gazette say that
they are isnoran, Of Mr.. Andrews poll
tics, and the lesser lights Of the sare
press join with them in favor OF the elcc
ton of Mr. Andrews, and against par
ty man." Sill we suspect they are
playing the same game they were in
'4s, in cIccling "no pnry President.
We do not question the motives o
the teachers who rcccommcnicl Mr., An.
drcws, but their man is ust as el pnali.
caiiy the whs canli late as he coul bo
if he hal Dcen nominated in q regular
whig convention. The conservatives
now say lha, the question Of politics
shoul | be kept ut of view in the selec
.ion Of this officer, that the Teachers
convention was the best forum to secr,
a candidate for $, hool commissioner,
and that therefore no other candidate
should be brought forward.
This kinI Of logic utterly destroys u
popular election, the teachers that met
al Dayton were no, the chosen delegates
of the people; they hal no delegated
power, excep, from Teachers Institutes.
The cons rvativcs, commonly callc.i
wings, urged the same objections agains,
the election Of judges by the psople,
yet the ileas of the democracy prevaile /
dhd Ohio was never blessed with an
ADLER and purer bench than at present.
We believe MIR. Andrews to be n true
friend to the cause of popular education,
AMI that his own education is COOL. We
have heard him speak in public on the
subject Of common schools, AMI have
read several of his papers on that sub.
iect, yet we believe lha, he lacks men
Ia! poaosr, AMI the faculty of rortibly
impressing his IDEAS upon the minds OF
others. The superintendent of the com.
mon schools for this grea, state, should
possess sufficient power Of thou. ht, aud
force of expression, to arouse the peo.
pie TO increased zeal in the promotion
Of The educational interest. In tha, of.
fec business talents of the first order
will be in requisilion. Libraries are to
be established in every school district in
the state. The commissioner will make
their selection--our libraries should
contain an abundant supply Of books
for every grade of intelligence.
As there ure but two general Glasses of
ileas in moIern society ami civilization
the one conservative, and the other bold
and active; SO there are but two general
classes ot literature, a!apteJ TO, and the
offspring Of, each sentiment; on which
mankind are more or less divided
the world.
Should our school commissioner be.
long to the former class, wh!ch is we'll
pcrsoniflcd in molern whissery. The
Libraries and common schools; the "Peo.
plies Colleges" would be Gilel with the
same class OF literature which is like rus.
~ and wornoul ar,nor Of ages that arc
gone By.
TO the Democrats and Freesolers ate
The people Of this State Indebted for their
new constitution, which places all po.
|Iilcal power III the hanls Of the people.
The Democracy DEVISED ami founded The |
present law providing means for TIE cd.
lcatiOn Of tie children Of the State,
which law al lso creates the Office of State
school Commissioner, and yet tkey are
old that they are inc ompclent to select
! man from among themselves 10 execute
law OF their own makins-that poll.
les must be left cut of the quo.,ion.-
Nas not Horace Mann of fMassach chusetts
! party man when he was nominated by
convention and elected to the Office of|
school Commissioner in the old Bay