The Shasta courier., 1871-10-14
THE SCHOOL sUPERINTENDENCY.

The design in. placing the office q
State Superintendent of Public Schools in
the list of officers to be voted for at the
Special Judicial Election, was in obedience
to the popular feeling that not only the
Judiciary, but the Educational interests OF
the State also should be removed as far as
possible from the contamlnatin and cor
rupting influences which are ever more or
less attendant upon an exciting political
canvass. 1t was held that the Public
Schools should be conducted in the inter
ests of the whole people, that politics and
sectaria nisn should alike be ignored in
their management and that the public
positions which held controlling influence
in the educational department Of our gov
ernmeut should be filed by those only,
who were possessed of the best educational
qualifications, rather than as reward to
others for mere partisan services.
The Republican party have, ic obedience
to this intention of the law, sought in their
nominations, to place only these at the
head of the School Department whose oc-
cupation had made them familiar with the
best Textbooks in print, and the best
methods of teaching practiced in the Com
mon Schools ofthe day. John SWEET, who
was elected in the fall of 1868, was prac-
teal teacher Of many years experience,
under whose administration the public
schools. reached degree of efficiency of
which the State had just reason to be proud
In. accordance with his recommendations
judieioas amendments we're incorporated
in the General School Law, which when
placed in operation, were at once approved
by the people, In 1867, SWEET was renem-
mated by the Republicans, but was defeated
by small majority in the general Repub-
lican overthrow of that year. His success
ful opponent, the ev. q. p. Fitzgerald,
had nothing to recommend him for, the
position but the fact, that during the
rebelliol he had been. an intense sympa-
thizer with the cause of, the Confederacy,
aud had been theil candidate for the posi-
tion when the empty honor Of a nomination
was all the party had to bestow. In the
four years in which be has had sway, the
public schools have been turned into a
partisan machine in so far as it lay ia his
power to make them 30, the school books
have been changed at a great expense to
parents, and apparently fox no other reason
than the fact that, tha books in use con-
tanned sentiments of patriotism with which
the reverend gentleman could not coincide.
To be safe history of the United States,
and one worthy of being accepted as a
! text book in the schools of this State, a
book parporting to be such history must
.'st er clear of Seylla and Iharybdis,
Plymouth Rock and the rebellion" Old
and inferior books were substituted in place
of the series tabooed, and the Superinten-
dents political friends reaped rich harvest
by the change Through his advice and
by his influence, the wise and liberal schoo
law of 1865 was so amended as to desti oy
its eff, ieney in several important particu
lars. ) OF this alone, but teachers from
the South, rebels in heart and sentiment
have been invited here to teach the loyal
children of California, until it seemed that
a commission in the Confederate army, was
better recommendation to teach than a
diploma from Northern University. And
while always protesting that he is person
ally and officially opposed to fostering
sectarian schools at the public expense, his
name is upon the petition asking donation
to the schools of the Presentation Convent
at San Francisco. is time indeed that
such partisan bgotry, which seeks to null
lify the Intention OF the people in lrovid-
| &, a. nloat,nn ~ Sahool
tendent at the special Judicial election
should be rebuked.
Professor Bolander, the Republican
candidate, is teacher of seventeen years
experience, is thoroughly acquainted with
the best systems OF teaching aud enjoys
in an eminent degree, the confidence aud
respect of the ablest teachers of the State
He was not, Of his own accord. an aspir.
ant for this posit on, but was brought for
ward for it by leading Republican teache
and others, who knew him to be eminently
qualified for the place. To those who be.
lieve that our Free School system should be
cleansed of all that is partisan or sectariau
in its management. who believe that the
blessings of edu;ation should be extended
to every child in the land, and that sterL
ing qualifications should be recognized in
preference to party claims, we need scarce
" say that to accomplish these cherished
objects, their votes must be cast for Henry
N. Bolander
To the Republicans of Shasta county we
say, do not let this important election be
lost through any apathy upon your part
The vote at the Judicial election always
falls for short Of that cast at the Genera
election. showing that the voters are moi
thoroughly aware oil the importance of hav'
ing able, impartial and incorrurtible Off
GERS in the departments filled oD that day
The administration of school matters fol
the next four years will be decided on
Wednesday. next, and this Of itself, should
be sufficient to bring every friend of edu
cation to the polls. When we add that, il
addition We shall be called upon to chose
Justices of the Supreme .ourt and coun
ty judge, and that the Democrats viii
strain every nerve to elect their candidates
we have given reasons enough to insure &
full Republican vote. We hope in uul
next assure to chronicle the fact thai
Shasta county has given majority fol
each of the Republican nominees, and il
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