Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-03-08
wnERE rnE SHOE pINemEs.

eussed the question IN our editorial leoiuuhhs'
We have taken radical groundi the disease
is a radical one, and we believe that none
but radical measures can remedy it. To
some Of our positions, the Teachers Id
eocate has seen &c to object It appeals to
the public for yindication of the Superin-
tendents Convention, from our declaration
that We believe that the great majority Of
the Convention and indeed Of superin
tendants and teachers generally are Woeful-
Iy deficient in knowledge Of the school
statistics OF The State, and the working Of
our school laws already in existence, 1t
may demur but the well informed educa-
tors Of the State viii agree with us. We
are satisfied, from our own intercourse both
with the Superinteadents in the Convention
ard the teachers generally, that cur faith is
wei fonnled Many good teachers there
are, and Superintendents too, and we have
no doubt bat that the editor of the Adro-
cate Of tie number but they are in a
fearful minority The gist Of the Adr2oais's
demurrer from our position on the amend
ments viii be found ia the following extract
from its last article The principal obieo-
tions oba urged against the plan Of distri-
button according 10 the ratio Of the schools,
are It's tendency 10 increase unnecessarily
tie number Of chooIs. and the hostility
which Il would encounter f.om the towns
ael cities The latter clause tells che tale
for the 4dr0cote, and for great many
Of our Snperin.endents, and indeed not a
few Of our Legislators, who, while great
majority Of their constituents are anxious
for reform in the school laws. are muzzled
by their fear ct some rotten, old foey boE-
ough OF country village, where the people
are quite willing to acceptall the advantages,
but averse to bearing any Of the burthens
Of the Common School System. We were
aware that short sighted and illibcrai minds
in country villages, as well as in the larger
cities, would oppose US, and we are not sur
prised at their appearance in the arena,
even from the mountain fastnesses ofthe Al
loghanies as well ass, from the larger and richer
knew that we would have shortsightedness
and selfshncss TO contend with, and we also
knew that We would ind opposition in our
midst, from those who were Incapable Of ri-
sing above the selfish interests Of their own
isolated districts We were prepared for
all this. But we counted, and still do, on
the assistance Of those who can rise high
enough above mere self to enable them to
take broad and liberal views of public meas
ures, and consider the interests of the whole
State, without any cramping from village
g3ssips We expect to fight it through and
are BY no means alarmed at little factious
opposition, even from those We intend to
benefit We still adhere to our belief that
the appropriation should be distributed in
proportion to the number of schools Our
space forbids the taking up separately each
case cited by the ddCoc0tc to show the pro
propriety of a distribution according to the
number Of pupils, but we viii examine its
first comparison of Johnstown district with
Carroll, the one a borough. the other coun-
try district; it shows that Johnst0wn recaiv-
ed 80 ets. Of an appropriation, per pupil
while Carol township received but 2l cts.
and alleges that the distribution according
to the ratio ofpupIls, would give them equal
amounts per pupil and thereby do justice
to the country districts. Let us examine
into the character Of ,hejUsticc proposed to
be obtained by this method The fundamcn-
tai principle OF the law Is that the State
owes equal educational facilities 70 all
ITS children. Johnstown. by the Dropos-
ed method would have received an
appropriation oI sSIe.5t sufficient TO
ii@'s Aep1 -,' Il schools. aran each %
months win saiaTy Lof eaeH teacher
yl Sfs per- month no" .As Aat'e''s' ID
it5 desire % 90 exact Justice 20 the country
o'71iieIs' WIN certainty al-o" tha5 Oa5ToA
,o""''''l' is e"'l.-eo g @s Soo' teachers as
p '''i-''s,'"' ana .lstsL5i9 s'ol-l ps ei'.4ed
.,.3.,i, ,.,t ,,,.ts.5 ~ ,5,.,.57,,,,,, C,rrol
would get bat $325. .08, Cor her I3 schools
which would keep them open. alta teachers