The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-17

'ANhOlohauli IeuuSylNanll, were appOlnJCu bhO
Committee on the Presidents Address.
AT o'clock the association adjourned until |
SPIN.
The Evening Session.
AT the opening of the evening session, rou-
tine committees were constituted as follows
Nominating Committee-Messrs Richards, of
Washington; Cruikshank of New York Mar.
BILE, of Massachusetts; Smith. of Arkansas, and
Hobbs, OF Indiana. Publication Committee, on
the part of the National superintendcnts' Asso-
ciation-Prof. John S. Hart, New Jersey
The hall of the Normal School held good
audience, and the intelligent sympathy of the
listenersI was often testified by hearty APP
plause.
BY appointment, B. Northrop Secretary of
the State Board of Education, Connecticut,
read a suggestive paper upon the subject,
should Public Schools be free or supported in
part by rate bills?"
The plan of supporting schools in part or
wholly by rate bills was adopted early in this
country. 1t was first abandoned by Massachu-
sets, and the schools made free in that pro-
vince in 1892 by Pennsylvania IN 1884; by Ohio
sixteen years since; by Iowa eleven years ago.
West Virginia started with free schools, profit
ing by her sad experience endured in the ''Old
Dominion Missouri gave up her rate bills
when she became free State New York fol-
lowed these examples in 1861 Rhode Island and
Connecticut each did likewise a wear and half
since. In all the other Northern and Western
States the schools have always been free; and
now the only exception i'm this country of the
rate bills yet remaining unrepcaled is the State
of New Jersey.
One dozen forciblc arguments are suggested
in favor of free schools in preference to rate
bills. These arc:-l. No State which has ever
tried the free system has afterwards adopted the
rate bill. ?. In all the States where the rate bill
has been repealed the results of the change
| have met general approval g. The free system
| has greatly increased the whole number of
! pupils in attendance. T. 1t has lCsscncd irregu-
! rarity and truanCy, and thus greatly increased
I the average attendance. D. 1t dgnifes and
eleyates the school in the esteem of the pupils.
! q. 1t insures the interest of parents. e. 1t
! qHickens the educational spirit of the whole
! people. 8. In every State where it has been
tried, it has heightened the school term. 9. 1t
has led to the erection of better school-houses.
| 10. 1t economies expenditures of money! better
results are secured at the same cost. II. 1t tends
! to break down inyidious distinctions. IL. On
the other hand, the rate bill is everywhere a
| prolific source of strife.
An interesting intermisson was made by the
readings of Miss Potter, of New York. The
wcll-known poems of "Abou ben Adhcm." and
/ 'Thc High Tide on the Coast of Lincolnshire"
were ably dclineated by the fair reader, and well
| applauded.
! IL. f. Harrington, Superintendent of Public
| Schools, New Bedford, Mass, most ably dis
| coursed upon the topic:-"Thc true ideal of
! system OF American Public Schools
The speaker briefly reviewed the systems OF
education throughout Continental Europe, and
! adverted to the English systems of education
| which he characterized as dominated by the in
tense spirit of caste throughout all classes which
! had moulded all the institutions of that land
| For centuries the upper classes there have as Il
! whole received a One-sided training worthy only
| of contempt and Scorn, in view of the complete
ness of culture adapted to the use and furnish
! ing of the faculties in symmetrical proportion,
| ri nf oh n1tn
! manhood Meanwhile the middle classes were
| still more wrotchedly educated, and the lower
classes have been left to take care ofthemselyes.
| How they have taken care of themselves and
with what results, let the condition of ten mil
| lions of agricultural aborers. grovclling in the
| lowest depths of poverty, ignorance, and crime,
| without one hope for the future reply.
Let any frank inquirer who has fair means of
observation and Judgment, ask himself, "Do the
! public schools of our own land Justify our
| hopes?' They have Mt least disseminated
knowledge enough to operate with marked ef-
feet in fostering and perpctuatng our institu-
tiOns. knowledge is power, and universal
| knowledge distributes universal power. They
have saved us from positive evils, but they truly
have not wrought out the great benefits which
! might have been expected. Their defect has
| been an inherent one, and has arisen from the
! fact that they were not constituted with direct
| reference to the wants OF American citizenship.
! The school system in Massachusetts was a fair
| sample of the character and results of public
| instruction in this country.
1t is a startling fact that anybody who has a
little spare time and a willing disposition, no
matter how Ignorant and morally unfit for the
position, is thought good enough to be chosen at
| hap-haZard to serve on school committee. and
to cripple the earnest endcavors ofculturcd con-
scientious teachers. Again, anybody who is de-
| Gently moral and tOlerably educated will do for
a teacher. In fact large number of schools
| are conducted, so far us the teachers are con-
! cerned, us mere mercenary institutions in which
young girls who cannot otherwise get a liveli-
hood are supported at the public expense.
Where there are several competitors, very often
the one who is in most need OF the amount OF
the salary is appointed, without regard to the
real test-etiiciency. And many teacher who
has proved herself to be incompetent is retained
year after year, because to supplant her would
be take the food out of her mouth; although 1t
seems to be no matter how much she is starving
the souls of her scholars!
We need to devise and set forth on the eternal
principles of right school system that shall
be in harmony with our free institutions and so
instructive with power and energy as to bloom
in perennial vitality into the best forms of
national life. Thus and thus alone, shall we
be able to boast ourselves possessed of the
standard by which all projects of reform shall
be tested. We need not to tinker up the worm
out systems of the older nations, or to engage
in a patchwork task frutless and unproht-
able. 1t is the crowning pride of our
American institutions that when our
children are trained in the spirit of the truest
wisdom, they are the best trained to occupy the
| position and fulfil the duties of the American
| citizen. In other words, it is thus alone that
| they may be cultured to become men. Thank
| God! we dwell in a country whose political
| aXioms, institutions of government, and govern
| ing powers are of such a character and in such
| harmony, that to discuss the qualities of true
| citizenship is to discuss the qualities of true
manhood This truth was never realized in all
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