Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-13

Gil, you elected In looS, contfoi your SCHOOLS
till July, 1862. In June last they elected q
Board, who according TO their custom. will
in June next, the day before their Office ex-
pires, re-elect the superintendent, to hold Of
ice till July, 1862. Was there ever more
cunningly devised trick than thiss Can a
free people, already roped in for two years,
submit to such an absurd violation of their
rights They elected officers for one year.
not for three. This shows the absurdity of
taking the election of the school officers from
the people and placing it with the City Coun-
ell. The opening of South College Street
Fort will greatly increase expences, and as
the course pursued by the Superintendent
and the Board on the book Question is so
highly commend by the committee, il is to
be expected the demand for books will great
ly increase. To get rid OF such multiple
cies OF absurdities and eXtravagances, the
first step towards having such excellent and
cheap Free Schools as exist in other cities is
to restore the election of school officers to the
people, and to establish a prudential and
judlcions organization somewhat analogous
to what exists in other cities. Let the people
then put the question distinctly in writing to
the candidates for Mayor and for the City
Council. ''Will you if elected to the office
OF - use your vote and influence to have
the school officers elected by the people at
the time of the general city elections"
2. Will you use your vote and influence to
have the School Officers consist of a Board of
Education, Board of Trustees and Board
of School Inspectors, and an equal number
of each to be elected from each ward?
Sd. Will you use your vote and influence
to have all supplies of books, &C.. bought by
contract for the whole school by the Board
of Education, at the lowest wholesale prices
and furnished to the pupils free of charge?
4. Will you make yourself acquainted with
the School laws in other cities, so as to judge
what other laws are necessary for the safe
and economical management of the Schools!
Let these points be secured and more than
$4,000 can be saved every year to the peo-
pie, and the schools be made worth three
times what they are now.
Let the people put these questions to the
candidates, publish their answers, aud vote
for no man who will not pledge himself to
the support of these measures and the change
can be made. The details of the laws on the
subject can De easily attended to at future
time. will take that part of the subject up
again, but the important thing is to restore
the election of School Officers to the people.
In New York by law, There shall be two
Commissioners, two Inspectors and eight
Trustees of Common Schools, in each of the
wards of the city of New York who shall be
known as the School Officers of the ward''
Each of these three Boards have their duties
clearly defined by law. They and the Su-
perintendent and all subordinate officers act
under oath, keep and report and accurate &C
count of all their doings, and if they make a
false report, they are liable for perjury, and
all who are under salary forfeit their salary,
and their situations. All, even the members
OF the Board are turned out of Office if they
neglect their duty, and if they misappropri-
ate any funds, they are tried for a embezzle-
ment Penitentiary offence. All supplies of
books, &c, ''shall be obtained, by contract,
proposals for which shall DC advertised for
the period of at least two years."
IF the Board shall neglect to make such
Annual Report, within the time limited" the
Public School fund is to be withheld until a
suitable report shall have been rendered. "If
a member of the Board shall neglect to at
tend any three successive meeting of the
Board, they may declare his office vacated"
The Inspectors are to examine and report
in writing the condition of the school build-
ings and furniture, whether kept clean and
in good order, the warming and ventilating
of rooms, the studies persued, the progress OF
each class In each study, the punctual attend
ance of scholars and teachers, the order, at
tention and good appearance, the length OF
each days session, the length and number OF
daily recesses, the number and qualification
of teachers, and such other facts as in their
opinion are important TO insure the deci-
pline or extend the usefulness OF the schools
The want of space forbids nay going iuto de-
tails on all parts of the subject but suffice it
to say that in all departments every one
pupil, Teacher, superintendent, Trustee, In
spector or Commissioner, (member of the
Board) is reigned up to attention, ativity
faithfulness, and strict inspection and accoun.
liability i'll the most minute particulars
Economy in expense, and thoroughness in
education, the object in view is the result
Give US such an organization and the cOnSe
quence of such schools. and | will speak Of
the Free Schools of Nashville only to
praise them.
To Judge of your own schools sci
down the name of each member of the Board
and ask your children how many times each
one has visited the schools and what.he did
while there, and then say If your children
have received half as much attention as q
planter gives to his mules, when he has an
overseer, and then say if you can expect
much improvement without new organiza
ton.
1t is vain for the Board to say they have
not time. The fault is theirs for not needing
the plan proposed in lS49 by Mr.. A. B
Robertson and afterwards repeated in 1851
by Mr.. Hume, based on the long experience
of other cities, which was accessible to then
in all details.
The most important part of this subject is
not yet discussed.
Many citizens have requested me to have
| these articles published in pamphlet form fol
circulation. This would be attended with
considerable expense. They propose to dc
it by subscription the coming week, the money
to be deposited with Mr.. Lusk. 1t is only
by reading the whole of 1.-THE article con
| nectedly that correct idea can be formed
| and for want of this some have formed very
wrong opinion on the subject. The pam
phlet should contain the report of the com
mittee, and considerable other matter con
nected with the subject, which the people
ought TO have.
There is no way in which this discussion
can benefit me. L wish not benefit from il
though L know that $4,000 a year can bt
| saved to the people, and should they choose
to subscribe the expense of printing, it will
| not be placed in the hands of