The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-03-25
LCOmmilnicGted.I
National Education.

There is a bill now before Congress, If in
deed it has not already passed that body
and become a law, providing system OF
national schools for the United States. 1t
is intended that this law shall take effect On
the first day of July, 1871. This bill pro
vides, amoug other things, that the Presi-
dent shall appoint in each State State Su
perntendent Of national schools that the
Secretary of the Interior shall appoint as
many Division Inspectors Of national schools
as there are Congressional districts in the
State that the districts Of the Division ln-
spectors shall be divided by the State Super
intendeuts into school districts of convenient
size, in each of which the Secretary of the
Interior shall appoint some suitable person
to be Local Superintendent Of national
schools Ethat such number Of schools shall
be kept in each district the State Super
intendents shall direct THAT every Local
Superintendent shall select the place for the
school-houses in his district, and purchase or
hire them in the name of the United States;
and in case the owners are unwilling tn part
with them. they are to be seized and taken
in somewhat the same way as are locations
for forts. lighthouses, etc !" that the State
Superintendent under the direction of the
National Commissioner of Education shall
that the Local Supernteudents shall employ
all The teachers and fr their salaries, subject
to the approval of the State Superintend
ents. &c. &c. Fifty millions Of dollars are
TO be levied annually for school purposes,
which sum is tC be assessed I'D collected by
the same officers and in much the same way
as the internal revenue is now assessed and
collected. If, however, at the expiration Of
twelvemonths after the first day Of July,
1871. any State can prove Ito the satisfac
tion of the President Of the United States
that there is established in said State sys-
tenn of common schools which provides rca-
sonably. for all the children therein who
dwell where the population is sufficiently
dense to enable schools to be main tained
suitable instruction in the aforesaid branches,
viz: reading. writing, orthogra ply, arith-
metic. geography, and the history of the
United States no further steps shall be
taken for the appointment Of officers or the
assessment of the tax therein; otherwise he
shall proceed to cause said tax to be assessed
ard said schools to be established within
each State forthwith thereafter"
Such are the principal features of the bill
establishing a national system Of common
schools and it must strike every one as a
system uu-AmeIican in every feature. at
most despotic nation on earth might favor.
Russia or Turkey might safely adopt i. as
basis for their system Of education" The
people. as such, are entirely ignored by this
bill /; they have no voice in the matter of
the education Of their children further than
TO pay the tax. No directors are TO be
chosen by the people, which directors have
the electlns OF teachers, cOuEty sIperinteDd-
ents, the establishing and locating of schools
and school-houses, the selecting of school
books, the assessing of school ia Ies, the fix
ing Of school terms, &c. By our present
systNm. all power IN the premises is in the
hands OF the people; by the new system, all
power is in the hands of the President the
Secretary Of the Interior, the National Com
missioner of Education and the different su-
perlntendents appointed by these officials
Political services will alone be considered in
the appointing Of these school officers, just
as they are at present in the appointing of
poStmasters, revenue assessors, &C., and
with every change of administration will
come a change OF school superintendent
throughout the land from the least to the
greatest. No lover Of his country can look
npon this scheme without serious apprehen-
sion.
But it may be said" says Prof Wicker
sham, freFn whom we have already onotsa,
"that the bill is not designed to disturb he
systems Of education in The States where
such systems are ia efficient operation. o
But while it may not disturb the systems Of
education in States like Pennsylvania, Il
grants The p0scer to do IL, and the InoDsat
the Giil shall pass Congress and receive the
signature Of ths President, that moment all
State authority in the matter Of education.
and all authority emanating directly from the
people in the exercise of their primary rights
Of soveFeisnty in school districts for school
purposes, throughout ibe whole nation. will
bs snhordinated 20 the central powers in-
trusted with the management Of education
at Washington, Nothing could be more
unWise." 7. j. c.