Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-04-11
Established December 10th, 1850.
As the study of the schoolroon

puOllc SCHOOLS cannon De COfRpre-
hended at glance and disposed
of by an "aye" or "no."
The question is thrusting itself
into Tennessee. politics, and like
Banquo's ghost, it will not down
at your bidding, and it becom S
Us. to meet it squareiy and fairly,
though it may bring with it "airs.
from heaven or blasts from hell"
The wise legislator should rec
oguize the fact that there is a
school system, and endeavor to
render that system or some other
effective, or else oppose all systems
of public schools. If the load is
one you must endure whether
you will or net, then bear it as
cheerfully as you can, and place
it in position to derive ali the
comfort and profit which can be
derived from the unwelcome bur-
den.
There are two classes of oppo-
nen;s to the creation of Superin.
tendent of Public Instruction,
I Some are opposed to the cfea-
ton OF the office because they are
opposed to our present school sys-
TEN. They admit there should
be well informed head to every
undertaking, but being opposed to
the undertaking they naturally
oppose the appointment of a leader
Another class oppose the OBJ
jects of this bill and yet approve
the county system, and say that
the counties are sovereign on this
question and do not need the ad-
vice of a board of education or
The information which might be
furnished by State Superinten.
dent.
To meet the objections of the
former class, it is necessary to
show that the county system of
public schools is best adapted to
the condition of our State, and
the views of our people.
The objections of the other
class can only be removed by an
enumeration of the advantages to
be derived from the lsbors Of sn
efficient superintendent.
That we have never had sys.
tenn of free schools, that was com
mepsurate with the expense, | do
not deny, nor do / believe that
We will ever have a system that
will be general in good results, un-
Til there is a denser population
and large. increase Of taxable
property. - - ~ tf
The establishment of efficient
systems of free schools depends
directly on wealth aud popula-
ton. No new and sparsely popu-
lated country ever had free
schools; No old country without
the wealth to pay teachers, and
the population to make the schools,
can maintain a system of common
schools That which may be
wise and practicable and econom-
ical iu one town or county, may
5e folly and a useless waste of
money in another. s' - -
No one, who has visited the
schpols of Nashville will deny
that they are deservedly popular,
and there is little doubt thai they
are the best schools in the State.
But the fact that there are good
schools in Nashville, where tour
or five thousand children are or
may be instructed, aud all within
an area OF four oi five square miles,
and a taxable pTopertyof fifteen
millions, furnishes no argument
for free schools in Lincoln county,
with six hundred square miles, an
equal or greater number of chill
dren, and about five millions or
ene-third the taxable property of
Nashville. # 9issf isSb3f
The idea that the success of
public schools is dependent on
wealth rand population may be
further illustrated by drawing a
comparison between the pQpula-
ton and resources Of Massaclu,
sets and those of Tennessee. s9gz1
-,a The whole population of the
former State exceeds the popula-
! ton OF Tennessee by two hundred
Thousand. and as the school age
is from FIVE to fifteen years, the
scholastic population is less than
that of Tennessee. The area 7ot
that State is Eve times less than
the area of this State the taxable
property is five times assmuch rs
in , Tennessee absA tax of fsfifty
cents in YMassschusetis would
raise a fundtsf six or seyenzmill-
ions of dollars. while it would re-
duirs q tax nearly 6ve times as
large to raise the same amount 10
Ethis State. p fasTsyinJ bas T9 3
n Tka,a n in Massachusetts, one