The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-13

ed which imposes grave responsibilities ant
must needs excite esrnest soliciiude. TIL,
whole number Of youth Hf the school age, a
| his been already stated, is S43 $40, Will,
| The Bumber enrolled is 6O9 343, muking th
| number not enrolled 234 497. The disparit,
betwPen'the Whole number and the number
255,663. in daily attendance. is more strik
lug. The difference is 435,977. Making
every allowance Tor the n.mber taught 10
private or denominational schools, there
must still remsin considerable number who
attend no school at all, while Of those VIII
do not absent themselves aItogether, q very
large proportion attend so irregularly or for
such briet periods that they derive little be-
uefit from it. aa-r7
Next to this nbsenteesm, the most seri
GUS hindrance to the pros per:ty of the Com
mon Schools is the want of sufficient mum
Der Of well qualified teachers. Not a few
indeed Of our teachers possess eminent quail
6catioDs for their responsible Office. To
such we owe not only many excellent dis
triCt schools, bnt also the High Schools
which adorn many of Iur c,ties and towns,
and afford opportunities for education which
would hive been sought in vain few years
ego in most Of our Academies and Colleges.
A very large number, however, are extreme.
~ deficient both in knowledge and in that
ability TO teach which mere knowledge can
never give. sr n.
The correction OF these evils so far as may
be practicable. is your duty, and will be, !
trust, your pleasure and your honorable dis.
tinction.
The best means, in my judgment, ofsecur-
ing nm adequate number of good teachers,
are the establishment of Normal Schools,
and The encouragement Of Teachers IHsti.
iutes. veDtured to suggest last year the
organisation Of Normal Department in onp
or both our State Universities. More imme
diate and perhaps more valuable results
would probably be obtnIned from the est4b.
lishment OF three or tour Normal Sch, OILS il,
different districts of the State, giving the
preference within each district tu the city or
town which would provide the best uildings
for the purpose without cost tn the Slnte.--
Provision has already been IN ade by law tor
the encouragement of Teachers Institutes,
but It is uncertain hnt inadequate. rrcbnl-
mend the direct appropriation o. IN adequate
sum 10 be paid, On c"mpIance with proper
condiions. upou the certificate Of the State
C,mulss untr.
The 'indispen. necessity Of securing
I general, regular aud cpGtinued attendance in
: school is universally acknuH edp"d. Wuh.
oul this the great object vi coutfIp,n srbuols,
namely, guod eIuca,lur 'Or every Child IN
the State, fails o. accomplishment. The
Federal CehNuS ut 1880 xhibted the tnc,
that over th,riy.Eve thousand persuns in
/ ia onI u, a 1
ube to read or write. This humber was
hbuut One IN seveulren ul all the people OF
The sau,e sge. ~e f. fleet that b. SIDES
these tutnily iilitrrate peIeous, there Is a
large Eumoe whose education h,rdiy rnisps
'hem 10 il higher level, We sh Il ulthlH ne
1nst conception ut the iinpurtn ce at ade
Qnnte prvveiuu Tor universal uttri.duuce -
We must hot be shli. ii, d " hie ole person
cap Bile vi instruction remains urtuught or
i'll taught. No meals seem batter adupted
~ secure Attendance, awaken interest aud
qnc&en effort in the attainment Of know.
ledge than requent visits, addresses and con-
vrfsalIons by properly qna'ti'd officers OF
the Stale. The law recumhiZ"s the value Ut
this agency III requiring the Stnte Cummi..
slener lo devote portion Of his time 10 such
lubOrs. But II ID obvious that the thorough
discharge Of the other duties imposed ON him
is quite incompatible with efficient aburs OF
this kind. ] suggest, therefore, that he be
authorized to employ one or more competent
agents 10 visit every township apd urge up.
on pa.ents, teachers snd children, the duties
essential to The highest efficiency Of our
schools. This plan hus been adopted else
where with the happlcst effects. Ii adopted
here, we need not fear the disclosures of any
. future census, or doubt that our system o
J Common Schools, already regarded as mod
ell tor imitation by vther States, will vindi-
cute, by perfect success, its claims to admi-
; ration aud honor. ... 49,.
} While we may reasonably hope that the
} illiterate as d class will SOON disappear from
} society, no such pleasing expectation can bt
, INDUCED in respect 10 that large portion o.
the community whom defect and disease i,
, mental or physical organic alton render pro
| per objects Oi public care, and whose num-
Der aud relation 10 society constitute anolh
; er element OF our social condition, which
must engage your notice.
BENEVOLENT AsYLuMs.
The benevolence of the State has already
provided three Asylums for the Insane, anu
which have cost for grounds and construc
lion about $474. 900, and are sustained ct an
annual expense OF 800 200, excluding charg
ca properly belonglug to the account OF con
struction and interest. The cost Of the North
ern and Central Asyiums has been abou,
$l53. 900, that Of the Southern ablut $685.
900. The actual value OF the Central Asy-
lum is now probably more than double that
OF either OF the others.
In these Asylums there we're at the begin
ming OF the last year, 565 inmates, and there
were received during the year, Ala. making
the whole number OF participants in their be-
ne6ts 9S2; there were discharged 4l2; there
died 43; aud there remained at the COM
mencement of the current year $40. u
those discharged, $40 had been restored tu
sanity, and IS decidedly improved. The
average expense Of each inmate was about
Sl5S.
The Central Asylum will accommodate
+ $50 inmates, the Northern 100, aud tn he
Southern 100. Each has been filled to the
extent OF its capacty. Another Asylum il
, in progress OF construction in Hamilton
County, for the reception OF The lnsuns o
that County only. Alter its completion anu
opening, the County will constitute the
South Western District.
The Dpmber Of insane in Ohio, according
) to the ceas0s Of 1850 was 1903. The mum
Der was doubtless underslated. am salts
tied that the present number 10 not less tnan
two thousand. The Superintendent OF the
Central ASVlum thinks IL does mi fAll short