The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-02-07

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In former communication some observa
tions were presented upon the duty an,
Importance of State action in reference Il
this vital interest 1t is the purpose of til
i present article to offer two or three sugges
tions bearing more directly upon the ques
ton. /" What is to be done now g.
i |. Let the Legislature take prompt mcas
ures to ascertain and get nell In hand, TIL
entire school fund of the State This vii
be work of some difficulty, but indispensa
Bile. The grants, donations and Legislative
provisions for the school fund in Mississippi
in former times have been liberal, and has
| they been happily managed would have fur
nished this department. of the public interes
with ample resources. The common school
ought to have been hundred fold better
than they are; but unfortunately our consti
tuition and laws have failed to provide oil
officer of State whose duty it is to attend tt
this business. No wonder public education
languishes when there is no one to superin
tend work of such magnitude and diff
Guilty. -
2. If the fund has been so diminished al
to be altogether inadequate to the demands
of the State, let measures be taken, if posi-
BILE, to increase it, These, 1t is true, are
times of burdensome taxation and Empower.
ishment; but public education is vital in
terest that cannot safely be deferred. We
can not afford to fall so far behind other en-
lightened communities. The value of every
mans property is at stake; and, more i'm
portant still, the security of our domestic,
religious and social welfare is involved.
Some of our sister States resort to direct
tax; in Louisiana this is, or was one mill on
the dollar; in Kentucky few years ago, by
q popular vote of four to one, it was raised
from two to three mills on the dollar. will
not presume to recommend q measure of this
kind to the Legislature: they will know
best. But the school fund should be made
ample by some means. In the large view
and the long period, it is q grand economi-
cal agency to the State. We are at this mo-
ment endeavoring to induce immigration
We want an increase of our honest, indus
trious, laboring population. A poor man
with family of children, viii hesitate to
remove>to community where there are no
common schools. Even Canada offers to ev-
cry child in her dominions an elementary ed
ucation free of cost lie capital in Missis-
sippi would compete with capital elsewhere,
it must remember its relations to civiliza-
ton, and must offer to labor similar inciden-
tai advantages.
3. Let the system be rendered uniform
throughout the State. Where every county
has different plan, it is impossible for the
State to place the whole under any thorough
supervision, in the absence of which no
good results need be anticipated. Expert
enee IN various States has proven the abso-
lutte necessity of uniformity Without it,
indeed, we cannot consider ourselves as hay-
ing any system at all $50.
1t is not the purpose OF this article to pre-
sent the details of o system. The members
of the Legislature will have lights before
them which others have not; and doubtless
the Committee ON Education will be COM
posed of able and well informed gentlemen
But long familiarity with such systems will,
perhaps, JustlIy me In suggesting lew
points: ssss.% =. f
fTst: Inc ofgdMzdtaon should be as SIM
pie as possible: Three or four grades of
ofnclai rank VIII be snn1clent: General
Coanaassaone' 81 Pu6tc Sehoots
appointed Dy the Legislature or the Cover
nor, should De the mead OF the whole system.
Better do nothing than attempt to do with ]
out 1lls otate Iunctlonary. IN Iac1 super I
!nte EN- "lsnout Scnooi system, would
De Iar preIeraoie 10 9 ocnool system without
. superintendent; for the former, with the
school fund at his command and the Goyer- /
nor ana otner state omcers as an advisory
boara' coniu accomplish m1cn put the
aster "oui1 De an lneVlsaDie ana utter
azure. q C0aaty boafd % Schoot COMMITS
q snouid De Ine next rank OF omclais.
= aiat;nn ~ I Iaad ooaas,os pet
/. zzsz - -.
oWnsnlPs 40 IN M: nn11e dsnseiy .popuia Yea
~ a1l .u nas noa!u can u,stlics Ine
IT,. III 0ou rra i ant p, e sne aJci oo
nil..es INC iase IanA VI oic,ais - tne
1ssH. ct Co"."t.sce, aIonauio W INC County
ooaru. E ss mas proven tnat one man
NOR enIlene Al 'nls pos'1ion ehan o
aIgeI nu LII 49,.
!, III sne y, lull uese,opIl'nI vi tne system
.oU@,y oNpcfttteHae''' might Decolhe very oe-
ir ss''l'' .,,,...t@c ,..yea5e
oeco.0 E4pellehce lavors we pan OF
.i asd, aasnel I s.lah .He system Oh per
secels yIoe scnoolS. - ene oe.Ce c.ail PiaGe
ne means e VI an eie :,s euucaelon VIII
TEACH VI osoiy onu, az tno COST VI n 1.,s
Iine, ~ neeu noO Misn 70 10 more. 1nls
.s.n nag e oooog. upon .o
mo- greatly Inulsl plies the educational re-
o4 l.es "a S Sne os I, GIL, -.
Ios', a oDs,eo Noila, ocilooI !oi 1ne tuu-
atlon VI teacnefs, snoulu pe put IN operation
the earilest possiple noMen =, 10 tnis
ar VI ene suplect' however, VIII deVote
'Ralaee aIelcle.
= before clos al t ne pTesens oolnunIcatlon
y mo .naS sn5 y, .s =. may ia nn
SCI s;aHas s ~ 80 may ulilc-
state, ana White ana biack population
PROVIDE LOT sepafaIeiy, pnat tney can not
sJis1y themselves Win any system InaC can
maturea during Ine present session. In
1at case Iney ), mignt Iol,oW tne example SET
seVeIai VI 1ne ne oeler states unuer similar
rcuIns.ancss: Y: auopslng skeleton OF
Tstem, estaDiisnlng STATE normal ocnooi,
ppoinIlng ueneTaI Superlnn.endent ana
laIglng MN WIen me a.Iy q elaDora1lng
= iI uesa.,s aeu nd. sileln 70 me
e ~ a1lc -. a9 gul soosso 80
II Ia Joy sne a;sa,,as - C ss Mns en-