The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-09-14
Commissioner of Common Schools

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Some OF the friends Of Mr.. Andrews.
the candidate of the viii Is for State Com
missioner Of common schools, place his
election on the ground that he is the choice
Of a convention of teachers, and that Mr..
Barney will ''meet with a cool reception
from the teachers Of the State, should he
be elected-ot which, by the way, We think
there is no doubt.
Is it any argument in favor. of Mr.An-
drews that he is the fayori,e Of the teach
ers? Decidedly not. -If he is their favor
ite, he will look to their interest, and dis
regard the great and paramount interest
of parents (who are the taxpayers, and
children. who are, for the time being, sub.
lject to the control and governments Of the
teachers. 1t is true that the interest oil
parents and children and the interest oil
teachers ought to be identical, but the
friends of Mr.. Andrews, by the manner in
which they are conducting the campaign,
are making it otherwise, or are at least at
tempting to show that the same interest
does not govern all. If that is true. and
if Mr.. Andrews is the fauorite Of the teach
ers, it stands the people in hand to see
that Mr.. Barney is their favorite, and tina,
they triamphantly elect him.
The STATE Journal and the Literary
roeLot ,h;cL :. hor.;hlo .l>,s Nf. D.....
should have the temerity to suffer himself
to be run for the Office Of School Commits
sioner, and stake the field against An.
drews whom his brother teachers have SO
heartily recommended and for the COM
mission Of such an awful outrage he will
meet with ga cold reception" from An.
drews' friends. Dreadful, isn't it?
The Statesman has the following we'll
timed remarks in reference to this matter:
sin one thing ANDREWS and his teachers
appear to be sincere. They are either
the most arrant %pretenders in the world,
or else they consider that no one shall have
a word to say upon the management OF
the common schools Of Ohio but themselves.
They claim that the law was drafted by
teachers, that it is, therefore, their school
system, and when the people, who paythe
millions of dollars taxes it assesses, ask to
have some share in selecting the chief of
fcer it creates, they tell the people, mot at
ALL" 1t is our law, our Office, and when
the people ask to have a choice of men, the
people are very impairment. Now, none
but a hopeless fool can expect the people
to tolerate such impudence, and if it be
persisted in, they will very soon find a way
TO rio themselves of all domination in the
matter.
"To say that Mr.. BARNEY shall not be
elected, at the peril of meeting with ascold
reception from the teachers, of whom the
law invests him with control, is to say, that
if we, the teachers, do not have these
schools all ,Oay, we will show the
people that we hold them and their officer
in sovereign contempt and defiance.
"Now, Messrs. Teachers, you have OBJ.
tanned a law, such as you have been ask
ing for, for years. The only imperfection
you see in it is that it does not give you
superintendent enough. by four. But
such as il is you have it. You have laud-
ed it to the skies, without testing ii, and
seem to think there is nothing more to be
desired under it,-but more Offices and
salaries. You are not content now to let
the people take hold Of the law, elect such
person under it as they may wish, without
telling them whom you wish elected, and
whom alone, you will respect, in the dis
charge Of his duties. Just ~recollect the
dog, which in his eagerness to secure the
shadow lost the whole substances. Clamor
as much, and IS loudly, as you please,
for ANDREWS. but when you oome to say
that he is the only man in the State, whose
election you will respect. you simply as
sumo to be masters ofthe people; and you
will soon learn that You have not helpless
children 10 play petty tyrant over with inn
punity."