The national Republican., 1862-01-24
Mvhas IL yaiA Abs.s Il Elssw asrs.

SLookout" writes to the Baltimore \Qppm:
a. A piece Of legislation which has trdpspired
this week 10 the lover Board Of our CITY Coun.
( the just displeasurs Of our citizens. OA Non.
DAY. au old and oftsn rejected proposition for
superintendent Of the public schools, waA dis
ousssd, and vote taken, resulting IN its fAvor
al adjourned meeting Of the Councils, wben
this subject Of creating an once Of school 81.
psrintendsnt was again taken up, contrary to
custom In suoh cases and against the remon-
stranos Of the minority, who complained n, Of shs
nature through . Board with one third Of its
members absent. But such thin condition Of
the Board seemed TO be thought = golden
hour" By the present majority, and the bin
Board il might have suffered q dsfost, ~ hero.
tofOre, when additional taxation could be bet.
ter borne than now. with indefinite national
taxes, imposts, and excises looming up before
!" II additional burdens are 10 be imposed on
our people Il should be done for some object Of
public bonent, such, for instance, as public
high school,, which is wanted incompArably
more, and win not be more expensive, than u
superintendent, whose proposed duties have
hitherto been quite toIersbly discharged by
the board Of school trustees. The measure
was proposed In the Board by the proprietor
Of the National Repu6licon newspaper, and Os.
organization ~ ofthe public schools, but The event
will probably show that It is to crafty some.
body's private ambition to hgure in long
coveted. position Of authority, with the public
TO foot the BILL"
by one whose fortune II could scarcely have
been to " Lookout" to any profitable extent,
from the window Of school-house. There 10
but an idea or two in the article that 10 worthy
stupidity. just NJ y pun 10 sometimes held to
be witty In proportion AS II Is wret0hed.
superintendent"
The idea of superintendent Is indeed old.
80 old that almost every city, every town and
every village In the land, In which decent
proficiency In public learning 10 attained, has
one at the head Of It's system Of schools. II ia
SO old, that to be unaware of lis necessity, or
incredulous of It's value, is to acknowledge
ignorance and commit Old-fogy ism In the nrst
For a correspondent Of the Fejee Islander to
entertain such an idea would be barely par.
donable; for reporter Of fast journal In this
country Of school houses, In this age OF intell.
gence, II Is II barbara absurdity. II an engine
can do without governor, Il watch without \
regulator, or " Lookout" without head, (and
he might with little loss, II he puts i to no bet
tor use J then system Of public schools needs
In I'D times, " trustees" y" committees, >" and
"boards OF education" were tried, and gen.
orally found to be unmitigated humbugs for
body's business and nObody's business, and nj.
ways blundered, bolched, and bungled.
jIf there 10 any business under the light Of ths
lun that requires intelligent, indofatigable,
personal effort, by one individual responsible
mind, II ID the proper control Of system Of
schools.
soften rejected" The less said on that point the
better. II would be In bad taste to hold up Wash.
ington city in the unenvisble light which these
words would throw upon It.
The "mOre eficient u. .. abolitiOn) Organi'
zstion Of the public schOols!"
10 II possible that ssnseless prejudice can &c
with school superintendency, II this were
sincerity, and not perverse opposition to sal.
utary measure, . commission Of lunscy would
be more appropriate charge Of this CORE
spondent's case; otherwise, We might recon
teudent for Il course Of instruction.