Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-11-19
The Common Schools.
We clip the following from the Sails
bury Old North State

bury Old North State:
! SALISBURY COMMON SCHOOL We learn from
| a gentleman who travelled with MIR. S. S. Ashley
Superintendent of Public Instruction, on the n
G. Railroad a few days since that that othcer VIII
visit Salisbury in few days, aud that he ls pre-
pared to furnish funds to the Common School II
this place at the rate offfty cents 10 every inhab
| liant.
here on his return. In view Of this fact would II
not be we'll enough for the Board of Common
School for the city to have meeting immediate
ly upon his arrival here, II nos Oefofe ana at It
| time.
that MIR. Ashley is prepared to furnish us this as
sistance."
We are glad to learn that Mr.. Superin
tendent Ashley is at last prepared TO take
some practical action looking to the re-es
! tablishment of our Common Schools.
If any act of this man could surprise us,
we would be surprised at his allowing the
people to ascel tain his ability ''to furnish
funds to the Common Schools" through the
courtesy of gentleman who travelled with
him, and not officially and through the
public press.
We are not, however, surprised OF any
thing this man may do. He seems to re-
gard himself as an absolute monarch in
all matters pertaining to education in the
State The people of North Carolina who
pay for the bread that goes into his mouth,
he seems not to consider in any other light
than as source for revenue. So far as
we know he has not deigned to say what is
the plan upon which he intends to proceed
in discharging the duties of his office. If
he were not malignant, bitter partisan
he would have pursued q conciliatory
course, one which, if it had not already
resulted in the genera! re-cstablishnent Of
our schools. would have done much to
the accomplishment of that most desirable
object. The appointment of his brother
in-law and also that of the teacher of negro
schools as Professors at the University
were doubtless due to him. In this, as in
every other act, he has shown "a willful,
wanton disregard Of the wishes of the
people, His speech at the late Convention
of Teachers in New Jersey was grossly in
sulting to the people whose representative
he protested to be. We learn that he en-
tertained his audience for some time with
disparaging remarks and attempts to throw
ridicule upon our people.
If there were no other need for Con-
yentiou we should favor the call of one in
order to abolish the Office OF Superinten-
dent of Public Instruction, relieve Mr
Ashley of the burden Of educating SO igno-
rant a people rs he seems to consider
order of things under which we had eff
fcient schools We have heard it sug-
gested that there may be q conflict be-
tween the views Mr.. Ashley entertains in
regard to the Educational System of North
Carolina and those entertained by the
instructors of private schools and colleges.
Whether it be desirable to destroy private
institutions of learning or to absorb them
into one public system is question to
which we certainly cannot now give al
affirmative answer. Against snch propo-
sition no stronger argument can be used
than the simple fact that Mr.. Ashley is the
Superintendent of Public Instruction in
North Carolina.
We trust Mr.. Ashley will have the good
fortune to travel with gentlemen from
other parts of the State, if, upon their re
turn home, they carry the welcome intel
ligence that he is prepared to furnish
funds to open the schools.