New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-15
COuMON SCHOOLS IN OUR STATE.

CONMON SCHOOLS IN OUR STATE
Mr.. S. S. Randall late Superintendent of
Schools in our City, has prepared History
of the Common School System of New-f ork,"
whence we cOndense the following:
At the first meeting OF the Legislature after TIE adop
ton of the State Constitution, IN l777. Gov. GeorY Gin
ton brought before that body the subject OF common
school education In subsequent messages he earnestly
reiterated desire that eecual action might Oe taken
in this directions but it not until 1898 that On the
report OF a Committee Of tho Assembly Of which iona
than Nco Haven of Suffolk was Chairman, an act was
passed carrying this recommendation into partial effect
by the appropriation for this purpose OF the annual sum
OF 500 900 for the ensuing five years ana requiring tho
several counties to raise D.! tax an amount 'ldi l" one
zaton into school districts Effected but with very
incOnsidcrabe practical results and the enterprise was
abandoned nj the expiration OF the hyc years 10 when
the appropriation was limited The real ionhef Oh our
existing common school system was Jedediah Ptfk,
member of the Legislature from the County Of Otseso
during years OF the last and the hs ten yea rs q" me
present century, who, from the desrilpltgn gwen
of him by his friend Judge Hammond In hs Political
History Of the State, was singular specimen "a me
crent surveyor in the County Of Otego then now ana
uucultiyatcd part of the state. He would survey your
night and talk on politics the rest OF the
time. Ably seconded by Adam Comstock of Saratoga,
he kent the school question before the people ii The
county school houses and in the Legislature until laI2
when on the report OF Commiosion OIL when ne vas
Of the Legislature, an act was passed, III accordicc
with the provisions Of which our present common sct
appointed the first superintendent Through ms eAcr
Crs G%InS aad Children ANNUALLY gthcred Into
the schools Through political change IN 1871 Mr. aW
ley was removed "a successor appointed who proved
so incompetent that, by consent of the dominant
party itself the office was al abolished anI e
i've supervision of Secretaries fatGS Flags; DIX spG
GER Young, Benton, Morgan and Henry ). Randall, the
system IN all its parts continued TO be ably ana success
| fully administered .....
system, under which more than Sl100OJ have been con
tibuied from the revenue of the t. . Deposit Fund ana
the several districts furnished with weseleGled b.
rcs amounting in the aggregate To 100000 volumes
still greater advance III It's value and efficiency was made
Secretary Spencer, who, with the late Bishop POttr
Of Pennsylvania, then OF Union college, devised AM
carried into effect the plan OF County sufrN isiol.
through the agency OF local officers elected by the NJ
spccte Boards of Supervisors, and responsible 10 ana
tiaced under The direction of the State Superintendent.
New life and energy infused into the entire system
through the operations and perYadng influence OF hls
class ~ onrrs whose services are now performed by
Assembly District Commissioners. Departments N "A
large number the academies in the STATE were ast or
ganized the education and proper preparation OF
Under the administration of Col Young the first ,or
| mai school was established at Albany in 1874. Tie
father of the Normal School system in this STATE was.
| unquestionably, the Hon. Calvin II. Huburd. then
prominent member Of the Legislature from 81 LawTthe,
now the efficient and energetic superintendent OF to
NewYo.k POst-Ofce Building. Mr. llnlburd visited tie
normal schools O MASSACHUSETTS, DciOfc preparing ILS
report Chairman OF the Literature Committee OF the
Assembly Through his eXcrlOns, vigorously seconded
by Michael Hoffman Of lIcrkimer, then tie Democratic
leader of tho HouSn, bi was passed III the spring Oi
| Il
Six similar Institutions IN addition to the Female Nor
nal College in the City of New-IOrk are now dstrib
uted different sections Of the STATE and the principle
OF normal instruction through their agency and that OF
County Teachers Institutes is ierhdehtI Incorporated
as a component part OF our system Of public Instruction
The great free school canpag commence uliei the
administration OF Judge Benton. William Barnes-then
young teacher in SYRACUSE now superintendent OF the
Banking Department at Albany-was the first TO bring
the ect prominently before the public in able
port from the Onondaga County Teachers ASSOCIATION IN
the Summer OF 1874 In the succeeding year II was us
cusseed at State Convention Of County Superinten.
Gt~r. ab Elgrn fgIV Ia
himself III it's favor; and in 1896 at similar convention
at Albany. after argument by Horace Mann of Mas
sachsettS resolutions unanimously passed RECON-
mending tine establishment OF free schools provision
for their establishment was Incorporated into the orlg
nal drafts OF the Constitution on the report OF the
Hon. Henry Nicol Of New-York Chairman OF the Com
nnttee on Education but was aterward stricken out
Under the administration OF Christopher Morgan.
| an act was, on his recommendation passed III lsi3
making the common schools OF the state entirely free
and providing for their support by district taxation
The popular majority in favor OF this act, at the
ensuing Fall election, was Overw helnng But IN cOnse
qience Of some unfortunate deficiencies in It's details
counter current OF opposition soon manifested Itself In
nearly all the rural districts, aud its unconditional re-
| peal was loudly demanded The question was again
submitted to the people III 1880 ON the issue OF uncOnd
tOna repeal Alter an excited contest, majority OF
about 10000 votes was secured, chiefly in the cities
against repeal The representatives from the rural dis
trlcs, however, having decided numerical majority in
the Legislature succeeded in obtaining In 1884, the pas
OF compromise act, proposed by Mr. burroughs OF
Orleans by which the schools the were
declared 10 be free to all OF suitable age, and annual
appropriation OF $500 900 only in addition to the existing
school fund.- provided for their support leaving
from $4,000 to 500 TO be raised annually by parents
rate bills after exhausIing all the public funds
| thOrized by the act.
In this unsatisfactory condition the matter remained
until the administration Of the late Victor NJ Rice. the
first superintendent of Public Instruction after the
ton OF u separate and distinct Department IN 1854 In
his recommendation, tax Of threequarters OF
MILL afterward i'll 1861 Increased 10 one and Onequarter
mills the assessed valuation OF the property OF the
State, substituted for the nxed sum of soO0G the
obnoxious rate bill abolished, and the schools for
the first time. rendered not merely nomnally but
tuay and entirely FREE. This flexible tax, pressing
with Il scarcely percepble weight upon the individual
tax payers now amounts 10 the aggregate annual sum
OF about s5OOO which, together with the avais Of the
Common School Fund.- secures annual inyehtituTe OF
from the state Treasury for the purposes
OF education Whatever amount may remain beyond
this for providing for the annual support and main
tenace the Common Schools Is Raised under the
thOrity law, by city town. and district taxation.