The Republican journal., 1870-03-03

|
mittee of any town, no further change shall be
made by said Committee within five wears, unless
| by vote of the town. This gives the town the
control Of the whole matter for five wears after a
change is made. The School Committee are pro-
hibed from making those g frequent changes,
which has heretofore been matter of some COM
plalnt and it also relieves the committees and 9th
ers from the opportunities of book runners in
the mean time, for the that they have no Ie-
gal authority to act in the matter Under this law
largo changes have been made in Waldo County
and other portions of the State during the past
year, and upon very fair and liberal terms New
books were given in exchange for the old ones in
use, even-and in cases where scholars had no old
books to exchange, they furnished with new
ones at the lowest wholesale prices. 1t was nearly
gratuitous thing on the part of those furnishing
the books. They did not receive over ten per
cent in money on the account Of the books fur
nished, and that must have been absorbed in pay
ing expenses. A large portion of the old books
taken was merely " worthless trash" There were
$4,000 worth of books put into the schools in Wal
do County LAST year upon those conditions, and the
only remuneration that the publishers can ever
have or expect, is the privilege of selling their
looks at low prices to those towns where they have
been introduced.
1t would be not only unjust but dishonorable
under the circumstances, to thrust those books out
Of the schools without rendering full compensH-
ton to the publishers. This = state uniformity
theory means that, no doubt, and it means also,
tnat great Dook monopoly lies at the bottom Of
the movement. 1t means no particular benefit 10
the common schools. 1t will shut out competition,
which tends to cheaper the price of commodities
in the market, and will affect the price of books the
| same as any thing else. Town uniformity is sutl-
cient to answer all practical purposes.
The people of the State are doing themselves and
| the best interests Of our common schools wrong
| by remaining passive, while those revolutionary
measures and propositions are being pressed with
earnestness and persistency 1t is to be hoped that
the good sense of the Legislature will be sufficient
| to hold in check the efforts of a class Of men who
are more utopian than practical in their views.
| Learned men are not exempt from the frailtic,
and vanities incident to humanity more than 9TH
ers, and are quite as apt to be elated with their
own imaginary achievements With all Difference
and respect to those who are said to he the best
educators in the State, it must be said, because
it i apparent, that they not free from those in
| tirmtics. They claim that results have been ac-
! complished highly beneficial to common schools
where Their theory has been put into practice; but
such claim appears to be much at variance with the
facts as reported. Two instances must suffice, for
the present time. to show this
| The State Superintendent's Report for 1863, has
not yet come to hand; but in the Report for lS6S,
Mr. johnson makes special reference to the city Of
| Lewiston as follows: Lewiston is decidedly the
most active town in common school matters in the
state But what does the report show as the re-
suit of this ''activity"? 1t shows first that the
whole number of scholars between and q years
is 4,159. Second it shows that the whole average
attendance, both summer and winter, is only 1902.
leaving 1537 who are irregular in their attendance
or do not attend at all. That is very poor exhibit
for the ''most active town i'll the State" There il
wide margin between Mr.. JOhnSon'S statement
and the figures, and is rather bad show for hi,
unit theory. Again, there is the city of Angus
ta where the State Superintendent resides, and
has good opportunity to ntu>e the new inspira-
ton into both parents and scholars, and teachers al
So What is the condition OF the schools there: The
, report shows the whole number OF scholars TO be
2,440 Whole average attendance, summer and
winter 1910, leaving 400, which is $50 more than
half Of the census number And the number
registered exceeds the average attendance by 3U).
Thus the people can Judge Of the practical work
ngs Of the system as far as it has horn pu in
to practice in those two cities where there have
been the bcs opportunities and facilities for making
it a success. 1t is submitted to the consideration
of the people, as we'll to their representatives,
whether, thus far, the facts and figures do not show
| il decided failure.
some of those educators" acting under the in
tuences and impulses no doubt Of the new in
spiration," are quite airy and eXtravagnt i'll their
, reasonable bounds to their theories or demands.
The law of 1S6S, prescribing the duties and iabour5
to be performed by the State superintendent,
among other things, makes 1t his duty ITO obtain
information It's to the school systems of other States
, ana countries, and the condition and progress of
common school education throughout the world
1 But the State Superintendent, Mr.. johnson, it
seems having higher and perhaps hoer aspirations
than the legislature. proposes to extend his sphere
! of labours into another world.
In commenting upon the organization of our
\ | school
, asks, ''what sort of men and tronsaH products III
all probability will be turned out by so imperfect
machinery and organization as indicated abOve?"
Will they answer the following requirements,
/ which man entering into life ought accurately to
know
l. Who he is, what sort Of world he has
! got into; what kind of creatures live in it; how
large is it; who made it; what is it made for, amt
! what may be made of 1t?
-. Where he is going; what chances or reports
there are Of any world besides this, and what may
be the nature OF that other world
SO. What he had better do under these cirlm-
: stanc es what kind of faculties he possesses; what
: is his place i'll society; what are the present wants
of mankind; what are his means of obtaining hap
a piness and ditfusing it,
''The man who knows these things is educated ;
he who knows them not, is not educated, though
he can talk in all the tongues of Babel (Ruskn) b.
Mr. johnson introduces this quotation into his
official Report for 1S6S, thus giving the sentiment
t therein expressed his Official sanction. Tried hy
this sort of salmagundi criterion there are no c
Y Gated men in Maine. 1t would be interesting to
know who can give 'dcCUrtte" Information OF
1.-THE nature of that other world. 1t is To be hoped
that no efforts will be made for the present at least
to enforce estate uniformity of opinion upon that
: matter.
Professor Rounds Principal of the Pennington
u Normal School, in discussing. recently, matters
4 lating to common Schools, said; 1--WE ought To
u raise four times the amount OF money we now DO.
= 10 meet the demands of the present and coming
u generations" Estimating the population OF thr
e state at $50 600, the amount to be raised annually,
I would be s. 500 900. 1t is easy to perceive that
,trn,-u truttiI lt