The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-01-19

for that reason will claim your anxious corsit-
Grafton. Perhaps no other moral question With
in the range of your authority, SO deeply inter-
ests the people Of every class, race and condi-
ton. Indeed, the immoderate use Of intoxiea-
ting drinks is an evil that has LEFT its fatal mark
IN every vicinage. Its progress, fortunately,
has been steadily resisted by individuals and so
cietles, who have done much, and nav do more
hereafter to mitigate the evil. Avoiding all
sye1atlous encroachments upon the rights and
privileges OF every citizen, there Is clearly no
reason why the influence Of well designed
law, regulating and restraining the sale Of m
toxicating liquors, should not be brought TO the
aid OF these individual efforts. Although the
vote-of the people would seem TO indicate their
aversion to the particular measure ofretorm pro-
peSedt is not to be inferred for that reason they
are ayerse TO all attempts at reformation. 50 Tar
from this, they acknowledge the existence Of
the evil and the necessity OF proper remedies
Cur present license laws, to this end, night,
IN nv opinlan, he useiully revispd-the object
of such revision being 10 lessen the vice Oi IN
temperance That those laws need such revl-
sion, is conceded. So far as relates TO the city
of Philadpphla, they are peculiarly pselndlcla
to public morals, and seem to have been con-
structed to promote the convenience of drink
ing, far more than to restrain lis evil conSe-
qurncps. The subject is worthy OF your early
and deliberate consideration
The report of the Superintendent will exhibit
to YOU in detail, the operations Of the Common
School systrm for the year just CLOSED: and /
respectfully recommend the Suggestions OF that
officer 10 your careful consideration.
The gen law of 1919, with amendments and
notifications, was re-modelled by the last Leg
islature. The most material parts Of the old
law, which were omitted in The new, Were the
sub-district, the endowment, and sectarian lea-
lures. The former was rejected because Of the
unnecessary multiplication Of Offices which it
authorized, and the conflict which perprtuallv
arose between the committees and directors
and the latter, because in manifest hostility TO
the true intent OF the common. SCanp SYSTEM
These provisions which sremd 10 contemplate
separate school establishment, under seciarian
patronage, although controlled BY the common
school directors. were originally tngraited up
on the aets OF 1885 and 1888, and were again
re-enacted in lS49. They were very proper
~ stricken from the systea by the law Of last
session. Should efforts be made IN the future,
at similar innovations, come whence they may,
1t is hoped they may be promptly rejected
The system to be efisctuai, must be simple and
inform in It's operations. Special legislation
inconsistent with the general law, applicable to
particular localities or dIstlctS, to answer tenn
poraFy or partial ends, always has, and always
will3enbarrass the administration Of the general
system. and should for this reason, be careiully
avoided. The integrity O! its forms, not less
than The means 10 sustain lis cpsratioas,
should be constantly maintained, and sacgedy
cherished by the government.
A new feature in the system, adopted in the
law of last session, creating the ofc4 OF Coun-
,y Superintendent, has not, as yet bern fully
tested and there evidently exists some diyer-
sity of opinion as to the wisdom oEthe provision
Ii is already very obvious, at least, that IFS ben
efcial workings must depend mainly upon the
character of the agents selected 70 carry It iato
operation. Competent and faithful SuPrrinten-
dents may produce the happiest results whilst
the agency OF TIE ignorant or Inefficient wall be
attended by the reverse consequences. In or
der to give this new feature Of the Iaw fair
trial, It will be necessary, therefore, for the d-
rectorS, IN the respective couateS, 10 select SUI
p<rintendeuts, with sole reference 10 their ad-
apiation 10 the Gulrs pf the station.
OF the many obstacles in The way Of the com
plete success of our Cominon SchaaI system.
the enc most prominent, and most difficult to
remove, is the want OF competent teachers
In some communities, regret to say, the sys-
TEN has fallen into comparative inethciency, 5p-
cause good teachers cannot be- found and in
others, the most yeXations consequences have
arisen from the employment of the iliitprate
and incompetent. Nothing could exercise a
more preudicial influence indeed, between a
very bad teacher and none at all, the latter al
tentative might, in many instances, be prefer
red. This deficiency is clearly manifest, and
hard TO o6yiate. Some OF the best minds of the
State have been occupied and perpleyed with
it, and until recently no general and practicable
plan for its removal had been devised.
The plan of granting permanent Professional
certificates, by officers skilled in the art ofteacf-
ing , and eminent in literary and scientific ac-
quirements, to teachers who satisfactorily pass
thorough examination, in the several branches
Of study, which the act oil MAY, 1881, requires
to be taught in every district, aad also in the
ant of teachings already ei!rcting decided
Improvement in this regard, and it is believed
will do much towiads placing the profession
upon high and firm basis. Normal schools, it
is urged, conld in addition, to some extent sup
ply the deficiency, but the expenses of such an
institution would be heavy.
The source ofthis difficulty, it is clear, can
be traced, in great measure, TO the want of a
proper appreciation in the public mind, OF the
position and business of teacher. The profess
sion for this reason, in addition to the absence Of
fair compensation, has not been attractive. In
deed, it has scarcely been regarded as profess
sion at all, but rather as preliminary step to
some other pursuit. Well directed efforts have
recently been made to change the general sen
timpnt on this point, and Irsjoice in the belief