Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-01-05
From the Rutland caun iiessj.
The Unseen World in Vermont

Vermont Is the most democratic mot loco
foco,) state in the world. Its Original form
OF government seems to have been formed
by the people themselves 10 suit the exlnen-
cies of the times and the circumstances OF
the people. Its constitution and laws seem
not to have been copied from any known
forms. but 20 have originated with practical,
honest, independent minded men. Only
such Offices were created : the good OF the
people plainly dsmlnled. The pay OF Of
fee holders was adapted TO the amount Of
work acluilly done, aud presented, and now
presents, little lnducement to one seeking
wealth. There has always been Little ten
d..acp To- eflllr1li- fiinn AZ nninfr The now
or ot the chIei Executive Is very limiled,
and his salary about two dollars each day.
Elch member of the Legislative branch rep
resents but few men, and represents no town
where there Is any controlling interest supe-
rior to agriculture. Alen AMI labor are rep
reese ntod IN the General Assembly, rather
than money.
This state Of Ten thousand square miles is
DIV ded INTO fourteen counties, each having
rs independent courts ami peculiar execn.
tive offices. Each county i again divided
into towns Of nearly cqiAl sizc, IN which,
annually, the people meet in town meeting"
or "locai legislature" to vote upon very many
Of the interests that concern them as neigh
bors and members OF a community.
Within tins third division there is a fourth,
forming school Districts, wherein the illegal
voters" vote in reieencc to their schools,
IN which nine tenthi of the youth receive
their education The "School district Is rs
Old as Vermont. for aught VIC know, and the
three thousand Districts form three thousand
Republics, IN which powers are exercised
wiki Independence and care Each District
built ITS SchOol-hOuse, good, bad, or naltfcs
ent-repalred 1t, pulled It down or sold 1t as
they SAW fit. Many School house served,
and serves, for Il place of worship. Here
the children OF " our strict" are educated
together, under one master, selected ana
hired by "Our Cnmnitiee" Each district
or rather, eaci. e legal voter" chooses his own
sch1oi- books anI ,he master is 4" boarded
round, "and becomes an important circulating
medium.
The attention of the people was well cen
tered IN tine school district; aud each one
beng nlcpen lent, and self-relnni, had en-
ergy aud efficiency developed IN 1t. A
large part Of the scholars lived far from the
school house, and had deep snow drifts Ia
] HN'f" AAiNh-'A- ANAiE ~ SNbDhl WIS
something that required labor, and i, natural.
/ ly developed energy IN each scho ar.-fhe
teachers were young men who worked upon
,hn farm IN the summer, and carried then
actSI'y, pride of success, aud perseverance,
INTO tie school room. They, SO 10 speak
went to higher grade Of school, while
1 teaching.
Tins condition Of things, it appears to us
| was what made our Common Schools II
| Vermont 80 emnenlly efficient Parents
teachers, and scholars had their attention
more concentrated within the district
But a change came over Vermont The
factories of Massachusetts, and other states
| began TO operate, and many Young men anC
women went there. Other states paid high
er wages for teachers, and many went away
t. teach. Emigration to the west grew
more rapid, and multiludes went there Tho
attention OF the parents aud the taxpayer,
was turned away, more and more, from oca
matters to better wages, and better farms
abroad. Of Course, the schools suffered and
many saw 4.
The schools must be attended io,-and /
the parents will not, sOmebodT else must. Ia
loi5, law was passed creating a system %
town, county, and state supervision. Z" Su
perlntendency" was a new thing IN Vermont
The two hundred and forty town Superinlen
dents, the fourteen County Supts. and ia,
single State Supt, went 10 work, and woIke,
hard, Tor small pay.-Schools aud teacher.
we're examined. p Facts were geihered. Bu,
the rejected teachers were clanorous. The
Snpernteudenis could not afford TO do the
work required for the small pay, aud the
work began 10 be neglected. The Repor
OF the State Superintendent was published
bnt the Public Press took little or no notice
Of II, and, consequently, three-fourths of The
people knew nothing OF what they intended
To do, aud the Press, for some unworthy
reason, neglected to tell what had been done
Some unlucky appointments of Count,
Superintendents had been made, and somt
portions OF the State became FESTIVE and de
sired change. "What has been done p
said some. We don't know" said nearly
all. la 1915, the County Superintendent
was abolished, the middle part of the system
was wrenched out, high salary (for Yer
mont was given to the State Supt, and his
powers were increased. lie went TO work
but no matter how bad or well, he did his
work, he toas aions,-he did not come in con.
tact with schools, teachers, iowa Suprein-
tendents, or the people. Il ; was orsr Yer.
mont, bnt not "a IT, lie could not succeed,
and the Legislature, rejecting the whins,