The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-03-13
Our Public Sch 0Ols.
PART THIRD.

PART THIRD. Et
The remaining charges ON which I shall ar
raign the last two Boards Of Education arc less
serious, perhaps than that presented in last
weeks issue, yet sufficiently grave to cali down
upon those irresponsible bodies the stern censure
of " the general public"
First, the Board before the last created the
Office Of Superintendent of the Public Schools
and the last Board have continued the ofRce.
Second. the Beard before the last elected Ia
this Office practical teacher. and the last Board
reelected him.
Now, in the FIRST place, there was no need of
Superintendent We're not our schools managed,
for years, without sn0h officer, and were they
not the cheapest schools within a circuit of =
hundred miles? We were not only noted but
notorious ir opt cheap scheols all over the state,
and even out Of the state. The fact tina; mos.
villages and cities OF from fifteen hundred inhab.
'taats upward have Saperinteidents Of their
schools, and the schools are believed to BE- more
prosperous under such nagement, proves moth
ing ss to what is best for u.s. We can learn moth.
ing from those uneniightened cities that do not
subscribe to the doctrine of cheap free schools
Search them through, and not single citizen
will be found in any one of them capable Of pro
senting school policy so original and eminently
practical as that with which we were favored,
few weeks ago, in the FREE TRADER We have
several such citizens. With them IN onr midst.
how idle to suppose that we can learn anything
about schools by noting their management
abroad. We should have policy of our own,
CHEAP policy, and q superintendent shsula have
no place in it.
Thsr- institutions that require SuperiN.
terdants These should have them, of courae.
A starch factory needs a Superintendent 10 see
that what goes in corn snail come our something
richer and better a glass factory needs Super.
iutendent to watch tho various processes through
which the crude materials must pass ill they
crys.alilc into the useful articln that keess this
cold from o'r dwellings, yet admits so generous.
ly the eherishing light. But system of schools
needs no Superintendent. Schools do not work
on corn or sand; their products are no, articles
Of trade without which We cannot get along .
the dividends they silently declare find their
way, not into oar rockets, bat into the heads
and bears os cs'l,,ren-childTen, too, OF low and
high poor and riah. alike. We must have our
collars and osHs stiff and white aud glossy (; it
adds 10 our adornini J, and, If we are in the dry
goods buainoss, draws trade. We must have our
wholesome dessert after TIC bountiful repast, for
We have becoEas aeoa to,nta TO il and like it.
We must have ;ht aIsg IA our dwellings,, for
darl, rooms unaeathy aud depressing. We
employ superintendents of factories. that
these things so desirable may be provided in
greater abundance and perfection. But institu.
lions whose work It is to adorn the minds Of
children, to give norrishment to their intellccts
to shed light into their Understandings, are of
minor Importance; :hey require NO superin.end-
emit to direct their mysterious and hidden pro.
cesses, especially if he can orly be secured q. an
annual compensation OF one-half that paid to the
Superintendent OF starch factory, or three
fourths that received by the Superintendent Of
glass works.
There is, however, one additional school officer
imperativoly demanded by the progressive sprit
Of the times. This is a schoc, actisneer. The
expense need be but trainl 20 would BIZ re-
quired but three times year, al, for but few
days, each time We must have God one, how.
ever; one that will dwell long between "twicsr
and "three times and seld.p so that the lowest
possible bid may be received. Thanks to cheap
schools elsewhere We need not ~ abroad for our
suotioneer; we nave home talent suited to the
work. The reader requires no aid in conjectur-
ing who he shall be. Then, bring out the auc.
ton block; mount the auctoneer upon,t; send
the little boys through tho streets, with their
bells to cry "Free.sohools for sale;yI gather the
school masters and school mattresses and Yet the
new Ottawa policy DO began. Down with the
Superintendent up with Che aucsinneer - "
Bat some are inclined ia approve the ooarse Of
the last two Boards in appoiatiny SupsriHtend.
ent. on the etosnd Of their xpsfisasA n schoo
matters. They bad had little experience, il is
true. In this respect, = we'll = IN natural apt.
aess to manage schools, they wsre far behind
their immsaists predecessors IA ofdse.a FER ssv.
srsl years We bad bseh y fyosed people, pec~-
Aar'y favored people iadssA : Wy peculiarly
favored people, asnisA IN kisdly soossAAsd 70
leave the .geqse and the .spAgotr ler bsiat later.