The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-04-15
The school Commlsslo oner.

mon sense, and Of the people, and is 10
be the choice Of sell>consiituted body
who have kindly taken the concerns of
education under their management, and
who assume TO be the only persons in-
terestsd and qualified 10 Judge upon thai
subject. We confess 10 some dissatisfac
ton with the proposed interference and
dictation Of this coierie, unless .lei,
action shall be sanctioned and adopted
by one or other Of the political parties Of
the State.
Politics, If not the business, is the
concern and duty Of every American
citizen. The education furnished by the
State is to qualify those born TO freedom
fly 10 discharge the duties ii imposes,
which otherwise they would be unfit to
do; for though We have heard Of a species
Of patriots who claim TO have sucked in
liberty with their mothers milk, we have
always doubted the story of these sucks
liHgs, and have been inclined TO the
opinion, that "readin aud 'lilin" do no,
"come by nature" any more Than Minerva
sprung perfect from the head Of Jove, the
ancient fable 10 the contrary. And as
the justification of The State provision for
education is found in It's bene6cent and
necessary consequences TO the body
polite, we can discover no reasonable
cause why the State Commissioner Of
Common Schools, clothed with the
Do wer 10 select tie school dislric, Libra
ries, and to give direction 10 the educa~
ton, OF the State. should be man Of no
decided OF known political opinions
This question Of popular education is
vastly important. The achoolmaster is
power in the State. And the law just
passed in regard 10 education is the
beginning Of new system, that may
decide the liberal or retrograde tend
encies Of generations in the future. We
have head that the Jesui,s managed the
world for no little while by controlling
education, and we want TO know all thar
we can about the habits OF thought and
tendencies of the man who is TO bo at
the head tf our 81 stem of popular schools.
He may not control Stale and hc can
not, but if he is man of narrow and
conservative views, an intoleran, bigon
or a negative man, in one first term O.!
Office he may do, or permit, incslculable
harm.
But the Commissioner Is TO be chosen
"wilhoni regard TO politics, making fitness
and experience in such matters The test" "
says contemporary. Very we'll. But if
lie has fixed political opinions, is he there.
fore any the less fiji? A party romina>
ton made Horace Mann, State Superin>
tendant Of Common Schools, in Massa>
chusetts, and he is model for such
officers. He is an eminent politician !;
and so is Gov. Slade, Of Vermont; SEN
ator Everett, Of Massachusetts; Benton,
Of Iowa, &C., &c. We have yet to hear
any we'll founded complaint Of these
gentlemen as fiiends and guides in The
management Of public education. This
talk, as il a party makes choice Of a man
for public station he is likely TO be less
fitted for the discharge of his duties,
than if some self constituted guardians
Of the public veal, some cotele of extra
fespec,ables, or some society for the
benefi, of the members, should make the
choice, has no foundation in regard for
the public welfare, and asks clreless-
ness to be exercised in tie matter Of
education which is not thought of in the
choice Of q sub>,lis,tict Judge of The
Court of Common Pleas, State Gov.
ernor, and dozen of otlIer officers, with
far less power TO affec, the present or the
future welfare of the State. Besides,
who are the men in this Republic Of
respectable capacity who have formed no
definite opinion in politics, or who refuse
TO disclose those ihey have formed2 We
doubt not they are men who do moi
sympalhise with our Institutions, Of the
class probably ahom M. de Toquevillc
declared, privately assured him, that
though born in Republic they we're not
Republicans. Ii Mr.. LoRIN ANDREWS,
is Wing, as we suppose from The ready
acquiescenee Of the Ohio State Journal
in his nomination must be tho case, or al
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