The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-09
WHEELING. VEST VA SATURDAY 1861

| gard it as providential interpositiou,
since am fully convinced that had the
/ Board attempted to inaugurate the three
grammar school plan, 1t would have
rendered our schools inefficient, and
have been source of unceasing COM
plant on the part OF the inhabitants of
| those townships having only primary
schools. As was well stated by "A. B.
@" 1t would be the sheerest nonsense to
limit by statutory provision or legisla-
tive enactment the number of primary
or grammar schools in city like ours.
IL would be proceeding upon the sup
position that the population is to re-
mann fixed. And who viii pretend to
say that we may not at some future
time have need of as many schools as
New York city now hRs-ninety-five
| grammar schools and eighty-five pri-
mary schools. In no other city has the
! number OF schools been limited by a
legislative act. And why should such
! be the case here? The bill before the
| Legislature does not propose anything
OF the kind. It simply provides in this
| particular that there shall be, as is now
the case, at least one grammar school
and one graded primary school nleach
| township. -
d The first section of the present law,
as well as the first and second sections
| OF the proposed law, provides that the
school interests OF each township shall
| be represented in the Board of Educa-
/ ton by three commissioners elected by
the voters of the township; thus virtI :
ally recognizing each township of the
District as sub-district. And this IS
| as it should be- #EE GA %
Before leaving this branch of the SUBJ
ject, desire to speak of the means by
| which our present school code was
l forced through the Legislature. The
4 bill was first presented in the Senate in
| Eah 70 q nF
ing, the trainers of the bill excepted,
had heard nothing of it, and knew
nothing of its provisions. Before any
| definite action had been taken, how
| ever, it became known to a few friends
of education that such bill had been
handed in, and inquiry was made
through the INTELLIGENCER whether
the citizens of Wheeling were to be
kept in Ignorance of the leading fea-
lures of the bill until it should become
law In this way action
was stayed until the friends
of free schools not the
| friends of fconsolidation-hada an oppor-
tunity to examine the bill, when it was
found that in addition to other objec>
tionable features, that of "consolida-
ton" appeared conspicuous. Mr.. Peck,
Senator from this district, learning
th1t many citizens, known to be ardent
friends OF Zee schools, were opposed to
some of the Eeading features of the bill,
when it came up on its third reading,
moved to amend by inserting a pro-
vision that it should not become law
until ratified by vote of the people of
the district. The amendment was
adopted, and the bill passed. The lead
ing advocates of "consolidation," well
knowing what would be its fate when
submitted to a vote of the people, made
their way in hot haste TO the Senate
chamber, and, by laboring with nearly
every member, and representing that,
If submitted to the people, the Catholic
vote would defeat the bill, succeeded in
getting a reconsideration, and the bill
was passed without Mr.. Peck's amend
ment. Now, the parties who made use
of the argument that the bill would be
defeated by the Catholic vote,
kletg jul WeU that they We're
knew that if, as they pretended, Cath
olics are opposed to free schools, their
vote would be as likely to,be polled for,
as against the measure, since by voting
against 1t they would virtually be vo-
ting for the continuance of the old
law. But the plea had its intended eff
feet upon the credulity of Senators,
and thus by the veriest ruse did it pass
that branch. The House of Delegates
passed the bill with the amendment
which had Leen first adopted and then
rejected by the Senate. The Senate re-
IuSeN lOCOuCuEs anu tue uldlIeT WAS re-
ferred to Joint committee. The Cath
Ollie vote bugbear was brought to bear
upon the committee, and they reported
in favor of allowing the people no voice
in the matter. But majority of the
members of the House viewed the SUBJ
ject i'll its true light, and the bill was
rejected. On the last day of the ses-
of adjourn ment, MIR. t. N. Gorrell--l
who was free to acknowledge that he
had no individual opinion upon the
merits of the bill, not having examined
it with any degree of care-seeing that
a number of members who had voted
against its passage had left, moved |
reconsideration of the vote by which
the bill had been rejected, and it was |
passed by the handsome majority of |
one Uote. And here let it be distinctly |
known that the motion of Mr.. G. for re- i
consideration was In violation of an |
established parliamentary rule, and |
the usage of all deliberative bodies, |
that motion to reconsider must be Of |
fered by one who voted with the ma
jority. Mr.. Gorrell having previously |
voted with the minority, his motion |
should not have been entertained. 1t |
is evident that it was through inadver- |
tence on the part of the Speaker that |
Speaker, having voted, all the way |
through, against its passage. Thus |
have 1 shown that the thing which we |
call the Wheeling School Law, passed |
the Senate through means of T1tse |
brought to bear by the consolidation 1
party; and that it passed the House by |
an unparliamentary procedure. The |
wishes OF the, people were wholly ig- |
nored. / inquire, in view of the man /
net of its passage by the House, |
whether the bill should have been re-
ceived and acted upon as the school |
law of the District. Let our Legisla- |
tors answer. TEl- r.i-r. .a8 a.lttF.ui |
And now what are the advantages |
which would accrue to the district by the |
adoption of the three grammar school |
plan. The leading, 1 may say only |
argument made use of in its favor is, |
that the services OF three male'teachers !
or principals would be dispensed with. |
This is proceeding upon the supposi-
ton that the primary schools would be |
placed entirely under the supervision |
of women, and that the services |
of male principals would only be re |
Quired in the grammar schools. This is |
alallacy. In The matter of government 1
the services of q male principal could |
better be dispensed with in the gram
mar than in the higher departments of |
the primary schools. Pupils in the !
grammar schools, having passed |
through judicious course of training |
in the primary schools, and having ar |
rived at years OF some discretion, may
reasonably be supposed to have some |
degree of self-respeot, and due regard |
for the authority of the teacher. And i
the observation of the writer, and the |
testimony. of teachers so far as he has |
had opportunity to sonsalt them, proves /