Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-25

out uircctly all viii be in order, only have a
little patience.
E. GUYER, County Sup't
Highland, Pa, August ID, 1855.
Fl. c. HIcKoK, ESQ.,, our present talented
and indefatigable Deputy Superintendent sent
to the last convention of school directors, held
at Towanda, his lucid exposition of the Du,y
and pay Of county superintendent" which is to
appear in the new edition of the School Law.
Here it is, read it, every friend and enemy of
the Law -
Inc once Of County superintendent il one of limited
legal potrer but when properly filed of vast influence
anu capa9ty ior good and Is regarded by the Depart
neh no experienced friends of education az the right
arm OF the system It's scope and character are not to be
solely by the meagre letter of the law or the in
yet III most cases highly serviceable operation.
OF the nrt year Under the Instructions Of the Depart
Partment and the necessities of the system II ia one Of
e nosa asor9us ofces in the State more So The
saon OF schools the examination of Teachers CORE
spondence with the Department and Districts the
ing OF mass of statistical information not Comprised in
the District reports the formation and instrncton Of
Teachers Institutes and Associations arousinr nnlic IN
ert IN the cause of education by lectures and eddrese
ara preparing reports to the Department the amicabe
etenent Oh loca! disputes when requested the gather
ing and transmission Of documentary and other evdence
on both sdes of dcue that can only be settled by the
0tleT miscellaneous duties reOuIrinp-
IA al Da tne smaller countes-the whole time and ser
wee OF the Superintendent the exclusion of other mr.
SUITS and OF other means of livelihood. The office is in
many respects not inferior in character and real mpor
lance to that OF president judge yet in the medium and
larger counties the labor anxiety exposure and of
cal expenses much greater-whe the highest saIarv
much below that Office To do all this faffbfnr en3
we requires an adequate salary but in many COMMITTEES
not nigh and in others has been put an absurdy
10" nge Under the Sth section Of the Supplement D
fecto nave the power to remedy this evil and il is yerv
lnat II De DONE so that the most may be made
2 q me working forces in the field There need be no
e t the money will not be fairly earned The depart.
el' vi" see to that requires least three wears for
new movement OF this kind to prove its merits and show
what it can do and the two coming wears will be years
OF hard work The outcome it is not doubted will nroye
that there can be no backward shadow on the Common
School dial The people of p nnsylvania always like TO
nave the worth Of their II will be the aim of the
Department aud Of the County Superintendent TO see that
TINS object is fully realized far the Common School
system s concerned But il should forgotten that
the fruits OF educational efforts are of slow growth and
not rs sudden papabe the senses as new
ca raroad ana canal enbanknents And in many nstan
ces cctorS and others, who complain most have taken
the least pains to inform themselves to what is done or
what progress has been made --
The Office OF County Superintendent elthonph nove1
here has been tried elsewhere with the most striking and
beneficial results In New York especially an institution
quite similar design ard the nat1re of it duties and
differing only perhaps in the mode of appointment had
done more 70 advance the Of education by common
schools during the period permitted to exist than
active and accomplished of the Superntendents of that
state as the vitality of their system and the only eff
vi healthy uniform aUmiriS-
alon the ia and OF obtaining with any degree ofac
curacy those statistical details reference to the pract
cal pe,aon Of the eystem, of great value to the De
partment the Legislature, and the public" And when
borne down by public claor resulting from an unelean
alliance with politics. and other interests the Office was
in opposition to the opinons and Wishes of the
Heads of Department the several Committee
OF the Legislature charged with the supervision of the in
terets OF public instruction and of the great body of the
most enlightened friends of education throughout the
State the act regarded most disastrous to the
prosperity Of the common school system Up to that pe-
rod W progress had been uninterruptedly onward and
the abolition OF the Office of County Superintendent
the rst retrograde in in its history During the last
winter steps were taken in New York looking towards
lne restoration OF hs office and in Louisiana and other
States the same tendency strongly manifestng ITSELF
1t was, therefore, evident to the Legislature and the
friends of popular education who had abored so assdu-
ousy for years this noble though Improbable cause
that something be done render our common schools
worthy OF the name and of the people In other States
the union education advancing at prodgious rate
In the older it was the pride and boast Of their people
and in the younger, and perhaps vigorous
cent hberaity for the purposes of education and public
opinion keenly alive to the importance of well arang
ed systems oi common schools In many Of the countries
Europe where the idea of public education would seem
be in conflict with the principles of their
common schools were provided at the public expense and
every child required to attend With this active spirit
then every where abroad just to ourselves view
Of the moral and physical grandeur of Pennsylvania to
disregard this most important provision of her Constitu
tion end to slight the only reliable by which her
true greatness can he developed and maintained.
The attention of the Legislature therefore, invoked
-"
be infused into the anguid veins and arteries Of
the system.
The adoption then Of this new feature of our common
school system the result OF imperative necessity
and 1t was recommended to the attention of the Iegsa
not more by the favorable experience of other States
nan the evident adaptation of the the objects
In view. -
In this State the creation Of the officer was doubtless
impeied by the absolute necessity of doing something
rescue the common schools from the apathy inder
enCe, not opposition and lfeelng which seemed to
brood over then and impair destroy their efficiency
As whole, the system perhaps hourishing especial
ly as compared with former educational movements Still
could not be disguised concealed from those who
looked beneath the surface into the actual working the
law that the results not such contemplated
by the Constitution that did justice either the ber
nty OF the people the abors of the friends Of educa
ton The poor not taught, the arts and
sciences promoted In the true of that admirable
injunction In many parts of the State the schools
hourishng but in too many others they exhibited spe
ces of still lie existence, without the vitality Of a single
healthy pusation. In many districts schools
opened no taxes were levied, if levied, used
mere pretext 10 obtain portion of the State appropra
ton Directors in such districts frequently the
heX OF this apathetc spirit and if not actually hostile
were indifferent to the system, and suffered it to fall into
dlslse Under such directory, if schools opened
ALL they generally under the charge of teachers EN-
ploycd without proper examination and selected
much in reference moral habits and intellectual
training to popular expression in their favor.