The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-04
MONDAY m0nNIHG, JANUARY s.
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MONDAY MOUNlHG, JANUARY &.
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We print this morning An Hrrih and
personal communication touching the
SUPPLEMENTARY OF city schools, the
election for which takes plnc" this
evening. In doing 30 "" I,el cunStrain-
cd to say that we dlsHppIov" OF both
the tone and matter OF the article. 1t
enters infinitely into 4 discussion OF
the private and personally affairs Of
III" Two gentlemen whom it advocates
on the one hand aud Opposes on the
other, i'll IL way that cannot fail TO be
offensive to themselves and their imme-
diate friends, and which @ill not recon-
mend itself to that sense Of p:upriety
which the reading public feel III regard
to such controversies. Only the con
sidarntinu that thN parties presenting
Ih!s article claimed to be aSGrieved by 81
somewhat similar one in last Wednes-
days Register induces us to give ii Il
place at all. We think they damage
their own case more than their oppO
nents' by this style Of reply; but Uf'hnt
our readers will judge.
Within the past Two yeats we have
given great deal OF space TO our
several spondvnIs for the dis
cussi"n Of this City SUPPLEMENTARY.
Now we propose TO h"V" our say about
il, briefly and AS much tn the point hs
In,v be. Aud first, "" feel very littl"
interest i'll the personal merits OF the
controversy. /: ~ IL matter of lndIIler-
enct US who may he the SUperlnteud
uut-wha may he his politics or what
his religious lnith-sO that he perform
his duties well and be not too costly.
But the time has come i'll the financial
history of this city when the most rigid
economy Of public money is All imper-
ative duty. BY economy" we do not
mean ~ penny wise and pound foolish
AtineIuess. W" do not mean that any
work which the general SOOi requires
To be- done ought to be crippled for want
of funds 80 long as tie expenditure Will
not iuIl,ct Gren:er injury than the sus-
pension of the work. We would not,
especially, y" willing to see anything
done to cripple the CilicieIcy of our
public schools, for they are the most
valuable OF all our public institutions.
Bl. it il schlc-iy necessary to remind
the taxpayers Of this city, who have
never been 5iej so deeply as during the
past year, how heavy Trc tho iiuan
cinl burdens they are now carry
ing II there are any supertlu i'll
tho machinery of our local govern.
men: they will agree with us in saying
these ought to be cut oil. Useless OIL
cars" are IL luxury not to be afforded IN
this tax ridden city. a very large pro-
portion of our citizens believe this Su-
perintendency is what enc of our cor
respondents recently called it. fifth
wheel" They think 1T could be dis
penSed with altogether without any
practical injury to the schools. We do
not feel quite clear about this; but tn"
prevalence of this opinion is something
that ought to be respected. Care should
be taken not to allow it to grow into IL
revolt against the school system. In
New York city where the expensive
ness OF tho public schools has increased
enormously within the past few years,
the resistance to their infringement has
grown into such wide spread hostility
to the schools themselves, that we find
sOme of the New York papers raising
warning voice aud demanding Il return
TO greater cheapness and simplicity lest
the entire system break down. Aud
so in saying that we would not willing
ly see the efficiency of our school Grip
Piled, we mean to include the suyges
ton that there is danger from too much
school taxation rs we'll as tOD little.
The danger is that the whole school
system will fall into disiuvor with
those who must support it il it is sup
ported at all.
Our own estimate Of this city Su per
perintendency of Schools is about the
same as the estimate We put upon the
county Superintendsucles. Their duties
are essentially the same. As the school
system is constructed, the office is
necessary. Ii could be dispensed with
by IL modification of the Inv, without
serious ifany detrimeut to the schools :;
but the effects OF continual change are
50 bad that its continuance may be the
least of evils. But why should tins
Office here cost SO much? We doubt if
any county in the State pays its super
intendem, over $500; aud some of them
(like kanHwhu and IIaTTison) "m hrac"
nearly as large schoo! population as
this city. In" duties OF $upcrinteud-
ent here ar" less "neT"u- than there. Tor
here all tn" schools ar" within a few
minutes walk Of each other. and there
they are scattered over IT Vii. territory.
AS matter of fact, We Understand the
duties which the law rcqHir,s of our
superintendent require but II small
part of his time-cerlAinly not half
perhaps not nofourth. 1t is "a ques-
ton, then, how much should be paid
for this labor. We are by no means in
favor of stingy salaries. As general