Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-02
orr EDuoAr1oxAL. INTERESTS.
Meeting Of she Sixth Annual Session
Of The Tennessee State Teaohers' As.

Court room at the capitol at 10 O'Clock yes
terday morning. Hon. Neil S. Brown was
in the chair and called on Rev. f. A. Mason
to lead in prayer, after which, Gov. John c.
Brown, by request, made a few remarks
welcoming the friends of education to the
consideration of the important interests of
education, and expressed his regrets that
the State was financially able to do so little
for the cause.
The Chairman called the Vice President
to the chair and addressed the Association
upon the first subject in the programme.
He regarded the question as one of great
practical importance and State question. 1t
is obvious we can only have the present
system, whether it is the best or not. The
question is, Does the system need Super
intendent? Every one who has had any
connection with the present question and
system has felt the need of such head
The fact is, we must have a medium of
communication between counties, and not
seek to aid any political party, but to inter
est the people in the work of education, i'm
part such knowledge of the school law, give
unity to its execution and interest of the
public officers in executing the public law.
The Superintendent should be a man who
could so present the interests of edu-
cation as to wake up the people to
demand such action on the part of our law
makers, and such legislation as will secure
to the people schools in each county of the
State, at least three months in the year.
He would be the means of communicating
such information as would present the work
accomplished in this direction. We want
to know what is being done in the State.
The people want to know what is done in
other counties. He must collect statistics
so as to give the facts to other States, as to
what is being done in Tennessee in an edTl-
cational character, for the whole people are
interested in the prosperity of the school
system, and to succeed il must have head
Every department of the government must
have its head, and the importance of this
officer to the success of this school system
cannot be OvereStimated.
DIR. S. II. Stout, of Giles county, made a
few remarks, saying that the remarks of the
preceding gentlemen met his hearty indorse-
ment. Every department of the Govern
ment should have head. Education is a
specially, and to render its system success
full there must be missionaries to labor in
educating the public sentiment upto high
er standard. There is danger of going too
fast for public sentiment. 1t is unfortunate
for Tennessee that this has been done in
the State. The Superintendent must not
be mere teacher, lest he 60 too fast for
public opinion. He must be a thorough
friend of common schools; not poor schools
or schools for the poor merely, but schools
of high character for all the people. The
rich counties of Davidson and Montgomery
have good common schools; but what of
the poorer counties, where there are no
schools. All the friends of education in the
State are inquiring for facts, and desire
light upon the subject. The Superintendent
will give the light and direct action to or
ganization of schools. We must have this
Superintendent to succeed, for he is the
only means by which We can infuse a spirit
Of enthusiasm in this cause in the State.
We must infuse a spirit of earnestness in
the officers of the counties that will impart
the benefits of the common school in nearly
every county and district in the State. This
system demands Superintendent who will
be missionary that will work and impart
information, and with the statesman and
schoolmaster characteristics which he
should possess, the Superintendent can Sc
cure the cooperation of scores of men and
woanen in every county in the State. This
must be given to the different
counties so that no class shall be educated
in any county that are not educated in every
county. The colored people in some coun-
ties have schools, while the poor whites in
many counties are almost without them.
Mr.. Elliott CT Davidson county made
short address; comparingthe system of State
Schools in New York and Tennessee, he
said the laws of the two States are nearly
the same in this respect, but the success of
the school systems in the two States are
widely different-here every thing is at a
all is life and activity and
success; and we account for this difference
mainly upon the ground, that, in New York
there has been such system of State Super
vision as has made the system of common
schools in that State a grand success and
an everlasting blessing. He was in favor of
making Tennessee equal in its school adj
to any State in the Union as she
already equalled and surpassed others in
mai ural resources and in the generous and
,hivalrOus character of her people.
The subject was continued by others,
among them Judge r. W. Humphreys,
who read a most able and interesting ad-
lress which the association requested to be
published.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
The report of the Executive Committee
was then read as follows:
The committee acting simply as a volun-
AIRY association has met frequently during
he year for such action as they would take
or promoting the interest of popular edu-
,ation. By cooperating with the Hon.
Mr.. Morrow, late State Superintendent, and
he Commissioners of Davidson county,
1900 copies of the school law, the rules
md regulations of Davidson county schools,
oSether with the proceedings of the last
eSSiOn of this association have been pub
ished and extensively circulated through
mt the State. The object hoped to be &C
by their publication was to cali
attention to the school system
# the State, impart informa-
ion as TO how to organize and regu-
ate schools and to lead to such action
IS would secure ultimately the organization
" schools in all the counties in the State.
II arranging the programme for the present
meeting the Committee have presented only
hose topics for discussion which they
State demanded, and are submitted with
he hope that the discussion and conclusion
cached may tend to foster the spirit ia
'orable to the education of the masses
without which a Democratic Government
an only exist in name. There is consider
lble difficulty in collecting facts about the
progress of schools for want of a system of
State supervision. The following is list of
he counties that as far as we can learn has
lcted under the present school law in es-
schools: BledsOe, Bradley, Can
non, Davidson, Greene, Grundy, Haywood,
Hickman, Houston, Jefferson, Knox, Law
'ence, Lincoln, AIcNairy, Marion, Meigs,
Montgomery, Polk, Roane, Rutherford,
Shelby, Union, Williamson and Wilson, in
ii twenty-three.
The committee are unanimous in their
opinion that the interests of popular educa-
Ion in Tennessee demand the entire atten-
ion of an efficient State Superintendent of
Common Schools and such a supervision TO
make it successful in the highest degree.
The constitution was also read as a part
lf the committees report. On motion of
tI. S. Bennett, a committee of five was ap-
SOinted to embOdy the action of the assOcia-
don in a report to the Legislature suggest
ng such amendment in the present school
IyStem as will in the opinion of this associ-
ltiOn tend to increase its efficiency.
On motion all resolutions coming before
he association were referred TO this COM
uittee, which was nstructed,to report before
.he close of this session Of the association.
On motion Superintendent S. Y. Caldwell
was requested to enroll the members pres