The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-03-25
r<tcr from the state school COR-
missioner.
JrFIcE OF COMMISSIONER OF Schools, I
c. Nf...L q 1850

JDITOH VI 1hb EkRhNShOkt JOOhNNL DsVi
sir My attention has been called to an arti
lie in the Journal of the 4,h inst, under the
,ading, Education in Wood County,
read your article with regret aud SURPRISE
egret that you should consider that your
ounty had received injury by my publication
!: the letter of Mr.. Dodge urptise, that you
hould view the matter in so serious light
{ in this matter have committed a mistake,
Iesire TO make all due Acknowledgements. | GER
iainly had not a thought OF iuhicting the least
wrong upon the people of your county.
Z have not the pleasure of personal acquaint-
nee with either yourself or Mr. Dodge; but it
5 my opinion that you attribute TO him degree
{ wrong with which he is not justly chargeable.
the absence of Mr.. Woodbury. Mr. Dodge
indy consented to furnish to this office,
.atement of the transactions Of the Board of
4xaminers, during the last school year. From
he circular which called for these returns, the
Dllowing is an extract;
Please add such remarks, statements, or
uggestiohs, as you deem proper. Anecdotes
Illustrative of the knowledge or the ignorance OF
eachers, are requested. That they may be
nusing, or Iudicrous, even, will BE- no objection
their reception"
1t was in compliance with this request, that
inany Of the Examiners furnished statements
which were scarcely more eulogistic of the
Teachers in their counties, than that furnished
w Mr. Dodge. The fact that there are some
oorly qualified candidates for the Teat hers
profession, and some men who wish to hire
eaChers at low salaries, is no certain evidence
hat such is the general character Of the Teach.
RS and people of any county. 1t is probably
rue that there is nota county III Ohio, in which
he Examiners have not been blamed for having
AIKEN course which has resulted in an increase
# wages paid to Teachers. And although
'llly believe that the people Of Wood county
re as intelligent and liberal III regard to school
matters as those OF any other county in the
State, cannot believe that there is little or no
ruth in the letter writ Ell by Mr.. Dodge.
You say. 1--WE have no doubt but that letter
will de- more to injure Wood county than the
oss oil half dozen corn crops" Now. sir |
should severely reproach myself, if thought it
possible that the publication OF this letter could
trsult in injury to your county to the value of
4 single busheI of good merchantable corn, |
2an not believe that it will iniuie your county
At all. The character and reputation of the
people of Wood county, ure too we'll establish
I'd to be seriously injured by all that School Ex-
aminers and School Commissioners can do, let
their intentions be ever so mischieyous.
Nearly ten years ago the first decided impulse
which the cause of education ever received in
,he northwestern part of our State, was given
in your own beautiful town, by the erection of
a large and well arranged building for the ac
commodation of Union School. West of
Clevel eland, and north of Cincinnati, there was
not then another so good school building in
our State. At the dedication of that house,
had the honor of making an address, the closing
I paragraph of which was in he following words:
| /" We have assembled this evening to dedicate
this beautiful Temple of Learning, which, with
commendable enterprise and liberality you have
erected. You have, | learn, already engaged
Teachers of high qualifications, and laid your
plans with wisdom for affordng The means of
thorough education TO al the children and youth
| OF your pleasant town. May your efforts be
crowned with entire success, and your most SAN
| guine hopes more than realized. And as in this
respect, as well as literally, you are city set
| upon hill" may your burning and shining
light attract the admiring gaze Of every district
throughout this beautiit! vale, and lead them all
to initiate your worthy example. And when
| northwestern Ohio shall become another Greece,
Wood county shall be its Attica, aud Perrys,
| burg its Athens. Here shall stand the Lyceum
with its walks, and the Academy with its
groves. And here will we learn wisdom sitting
at the feet OF Socra es and Plato"
was then a stranger to most OF the people
of your county; but since then have become
acquainted with many of your people and
though my endorsement may be as worthless as
it is needless, take pleasure in bearing tes,i-
mony to all you say in respect to the educa ion
al progress and condition of the people of Wood
county. ' "'
Respectfully request that you give this letter
| a place III your columns, and send me copy OF
the number in which it shall be published.
Truly yours, A. SMYTH,
.'.' State School Commissioner.
REMARKs.-We insert the above letter from
the State School Commissioner most willingly.
In the editorial to which it refers, we endeavored
| m ha ,al and icit rarkaiol, Il
nothing which we would not repeat under like
circumstances, nothing but what the facts war
fanted us in saying nothing but what we felt it
our duty to say, and therefore we cannot See
why Mr. Smyth should be surprised" howsver
much he may ''rcgret' its publication. How
ever triflng he may regard wholesale misrepre,
sentations and false assertions, calculated to in.
lure the good name of our comfy, whether cir,
culated maliciously or thoughtlessly, we can.
not avoid looking upon such caumniations in
ga serious light" And especially do we regard
it in Z" a serious light" when the State School
Commissioners Report is made the vehicle
through which q direct. stab is made at our
Teachers and their employers.
The fifth and sixth paragraphs of the above
letter, are not as candid in their statements "a
we could wish them to be- la truth we regard
them as of pettyfogging character--first sane.
tioning the statements made BY Mr. Dodge, then
applying a little fattery to make that sanction
paatable, and then very modestly winding up
with an assertion, in negative form, that Mr.
Dodge's statements are true, and those made by
US are consequently false. We shall deal with
this matter candidly, and the Galsehood must
rest where the facts place it, assertions and in
timations to the contrary Notwithstanding.
| First, the assertion that the Statements 4"
made by other Examiners are scarcely more
eulogstc of the Teachers than those made by
MLDolgs," is incorect.as any one will see who
will take the trouble to examine the letters OF
| said Examiners" We have failad 10 SEE one