Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-11-03
SPEECH OF w. SMITH.
Deticerd be(ore tie House Of Representa-
tees, December 1869, ayainst tie
County SIStem.
PUBLISHED BY %REQUEsT,l

CONRty S5StcW.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST,
Mr.. SPEAKER: The School Bill, for
the reorganization and support of free
schools, known as the State System, and
now pending before this House, and
whether adopted or not. being its author,
| must say | am proud of the bill, and
am certain that | will have Il conscience
void of offence and will feel that as ii
legislator, that | have discharged my du-
ty to my State to my constituents. AUD to
the little urchins that may be found in
every valley and upon every hill. This
bill proposes to adopta system Of common
schools in our State, which cannot be con
fined within the walls of nut she'll. Such
Il principle as selfShness cannot be found
within its provisions. It's Ihilantlroby
extends to all classes and conditions OF
society, and lis principal feature is chart
ty-the chief attribute of Deity-'Beav-
ems brightest gem"
1t is a system of order and not of con-
fusion. one that is linkeI together, and
every section or provision acts i'll harmony
with the other, and duties of every depart
ment are easily understood and guarded
with restrictions, such as cannot he found
in the old or present school law.
The present system OF common schools Is
imperfect and encountered with too many
~alaried officers and judging from com
plants that have been made i'll almost all
parts of the State, some of them h-ve not
| discharged their duties, and some of the
money has rot been disposed of as it should
/ I.,a Ionp Rnf ~ - r.,,n pn Enn-y moi
where.
There is another feature in this bill that
il worthy of the consideration ofthis House,
and that is the money. The schOol-fund IS
guarded and not encountered with salaried
officers. Our object is to eXpend the
school money for the education of the
youths of our State. 1t is not locked up
within a district county but it is sent cur
upon its broad mission of charity. Itgoes
into the highways and hedges, the hills and
valleys, to the mansions Of the rich, and
The cabins of the poor. 1t takes the little
bright eyed children that are clad to tat
tered garments, and gently leads them to
the fountain Of knowledge, and bids them
drink of his pure crystal water as it comes
gushing out from the alter of benev0ieuce.
The bill that is offered by the Hon. gen
tleman from Fayette, and known as the
County System, is equivalent to no sys-
TEN. 1t has no foundation. 1t begins II"
where and ends at the same point. 1t is
Il little isolated batch of s~elfshness, wrap
ped up in IA mantle of the same. 1t turns
u deaf car to the poor. unfortunate orphan
who is crying for the Of neutrality-suspicious.
father lies Wondering yonder under the
sods OF the battlefield
Now Mr.. Speaker with the acknowl-
edged impcrfecticns of Tic present school
law. we cannot. we viii not, vote for it,
repeal, to adopt seeh II bill as this county
system. The present law is by far its su-
ner iar. The adoption of this County Bill
will be a death-stroke to the cause of edu-
cat,on : and me thinks that the Genius OF
Lilerty WI be perched high npon some
summit. and :here weep, yea, sadly weep
over its dow afall.
The time has been when Tennesseans
were proud of the nam. = of Ten'e sec. They
loved TO boast of their bcneyoience and
liberality. and not only did they boast of
s.lch noble principles. but they loved to
demonstrate their philanthropy by extend
ING "A helping hand 20 the poor 9nd needy.
and to visit the distressed and to cheer the
disconsolate.
Have VIC become 10 be degenera!ed peo-
ple? Have we departed from oGr first
love? Have we lost that spirit of p'liian-
thropyr which was tie Characteristic princ'-
pie of our fathers? Have we renncsSeans
become to be selfish and narrow minded?
Is charity a word without ameaning? The
passage of the County System will be a
demonstration of these facts.
The great object for adopting a system
of common free schools, is to educate the
moor. in connection with those who are in
more favorable circumstances, and thereby
1r ,gress with the age. But this county
system says to the poor. educate yourselves
lie in poverty and die in ignorance.
assert. Mr.. Speaker. that the adoption
of such a law by the present or any flu
ture Legislature, would mar the pages of
the history of our State. We hope that
such will not be the case. and that Heaven
will interpose and forbid the passage of
such a bill that will strike a death blow to
the cause of education in our State to move
onward and upward, upon the great high
wav to greatness and prosperity We must
educate the masses and to do this common
schools must be fostered By enacting such
a law as will mcet the demands of the re