The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-01-16

VaHaoIe oy long continuance IN the |
Treasury. A law for this purpose could |
be spassed, specifying the method by
which the unnee1ed money Of the Treasu-
ry may be loaned, authorizing and |
empowering the State Treasurer, and
such others As you may designate, to carry |
out It's provisions.
Your attention is also invited to the
fact that the salary of the S'ate Treasurer,
now only seventeen hundred dollars, is
entirely disproportioned to tue duties
aud responsibilities of that officer, aud
that the amount of the bond, eighty
| thousand dollars, given by him to the
State, is equivalent to no security at all,
under the present system OF placing,
Internationally, the cutire funds OF the
SsA1e in his hands. The only security is
the incurruptible honesty aud integrity of
the Treasurer. Suppose that when there
is in his keeping millions of dollars the
! incum bent of that office should he tempt
! ed to become deiaulter How easily
coald he secure to his bondsmen the
amount for which they would legally be
liable to the State aud appropriate the
balance to himself! For years, it seems
to me, the Treasury OF the State has stood,
as it were, upon a volcano. Examples all
arouGd US show tie iallibility OF mao, and
how frequently aud easily he is swerved
from the path of rectitude aud honor.
Even many of those III the most elevated
positions and enjoying the highest eOuf
dence of the public, are often found TO
yield to the temptations that surround
them. The desire for the rapid accumuia-
iion of wealth the thousands of schemes
! III u OF m
nature, and the .uoseness of public
morals, eugendered by the escape of the
guilty from punishment, have SO demoral-
ICED pubic sentiment that it may be con-
,idered wonder-almost d miracle tina:
Pennsylvania has so long escaped from
the calamity that ght at any time have
happened, or that may hereafter happen,
5y the robbery uf her Treasury, aud
render the suspension of the payment of
the interest upon the State debt, tor j
time, Inevitable.
In the performance of my duty, have
forewarned the Legislature of danger As
respects her finances, OF no common mag
uitude. 1t Remains for it to determl"e
whether this danger shall be averted oy
prompt aud eticleut legislation and the
Treasury guarded againss the occurrence
of 50 great Calamity.
The report OF the Superintendent of
, the Common Schools exhibits Il fuli view
ot our excellent system of pubIc lnstruc
ton, which Is widely ditfusing Its bless
i0gs by securing sound aud substantial
education 10 ali the children of ;hc State.
\ brlet summary will give an idea of the
, immense proportions II has attaIucd aud
the vast amount of usefulness Ut which 1t
is capable.
All the close of the year the number OF
school districts 10 the S ate Was 1859
the number oi schons, l3 430 !; graded
schools, Z. I47 scn2ol directors, ii ,o54 /;
county, clty aud bor"ugis >uperinteude"ts,
68; teachers , 10 ,523 pupils, Io9 ,3o9 /;
the COST OF tuition, S3, US ,U6o 10; 6lI'd-
ing, 81 262, ,19S 6o !; contingencies, $780,
675, SO ,urlon, bulidlng aud contInseG-
cles, So UoI $50 IL aud the am luni ex-
peuded tor all purposes relating - schools,
5,l60,750 IL.
Your attention is particularly invited
to the want Of uniformity aud constant
change of books In the public schoois.
| These are matters of serious Inconvenience
aud needless expense 10 the pour, aud
might easily be remedIed by Judiclous
legislation
The chief ann of the system OF common
>chouls Is to place the advantages OF an
education within the reach ot all the
children of the Commonwealth; and when
it is considered that Intelligence aud virtue
are the principal safeguards OF our Tree
institutions, this system earnestly claims
the fostering Gaze anu wise guidance OF
the Legislature.
The graded schools have largely increas-
ed during the past year. The system
established by the State was de,lgned,
not only to furnish instruction 20 uur
youth in the elements of knowledge, 5ul
! wherever practicable, to ilnpart to them
an education it :he higher branches oi
learning. The multiplication OF grammar
and high schools shuuid, therefore, re-
ceive evory encouragement, for they are
necessary to perfect the system aud enable
the State to avail itself Of that talent
which is born in the cottages of the poor
quite as frequently as in the palaces OF the
rich.
Good schools cannot exist without good
teachers, and good teachers can only be
obtained by Using the proper means to
prepare them. Recognizing these facts,
the Legislature of 1887 passed a general
! Normal school law, dividing the State
into twelve districts, and looking forward
| to the esta ablishneut in each of them Of
| Normal school. According to the provls-
ions of this law, tour of these schools are
now organized, the prosperous condition
of which is exemplitied by the fact that
2,lS5 students attended them during the
past year, of whom 46 graduated.
Fourteen colleges end thirty-two acad-
.nnina hnua IL ada rAno~fa 20 The NNhnoI