The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-03-30


crept into the free school system. He
wanted to show his devotion to the
cause of popular education by amending
and improving the system. The report
OF the State Superintendent elbows that
during the past year Isl, 900 Of school
money was wrongfully applied, and the
investigation that has been had shows
that over $50, 900 ofpublic moneys have
been embezzled in past years. The
committee hoped to remedy the evils
that had grown up They did not
wish to interfere in any respect with
the permanent school fund already &C
cumulated and invested. But he saw
no good reason for its increase and that
there was no obligation resting upon
the people of West Virginia to tax them
selves to the earth to-day to educate the
children twenty years hence. He
thought it would be better to distribute
the fund already collected than 10 bur-
den the people for its increase in order
to let future generations he free from
tax. The State needs now every dollar
it can spare for educational interests,
but he saw no reason why they should
cripple their present resources for the
benefit of the future. A vote being
taken, Mr.. Hollis amendment was
adopted.
Mr.. Raymond amended the substitute
offered by Mr.. Jackson by inserting at
the end OF the section proviso that all
delinquent taxes due to the State shall
90 into the school fund, but the local
taxes shall be refunded.
Mr.. Wilson thought that the revenue
from forfeited, waste, and delinquent
lands should be put into the distrlbut-
able fund rather than into the per-
manent school fund. We are loanlng
money at G per cent and borrowing al
9 or 10. We should rather limit or
abridge the amount Of our investment
IN the irredncible school fund and
devote more to annual distribution. He
therefore thought it should be in the
power of the Legislature to appropriate
for distribution the proceeds OF de-
linauent and forfeited lands.
. Mr.. Farusworth wanted cheap and
efficient system and would support the
amendment offered by the gentleman
from Wood. lie thought that the Leg
islature should be left free to adopt
whatever system proved most success
ml. The annual report OF the State
Superintendent was very imperfect.
because the County Superintendent had
not been able to properly perform their
duties. The County Superintendent
has no power TO compel the subordinate
officers to report to him. lie thought
better plan would be TO require the
township officers or boards of education
to report directly to the State SuperIn-
tendent. The County Superintendent
cost $4,000 annually, and are not
worth, so far az these reports show, $25.
Mr. Pendleton called attention to the
fact that there are only fify.two in the
State and they are limited to 5000 each.
Mr. Farnsworth wanted a system by
which the boards Of education should
be rcg,Gred TO report TO the central head
of the system. There was great com.
plant against the county superln-
tendency, and he hoped these words
would he stricken from the report. lie
had alluded to this subject Few days
ago, and he desired TO say that he did
not intend at that time to cast any i'm
putation upon the State superintendent:
That gentleman was an upright and
competent officer. But he desired to
call attention TO the fact that the school
system was not working smoothly and
he thought it needed reformation. The
county superintendent had not been a
success, and he wanted the Legislature
to have full power to rearrange the
details of the system 80 a. TO secure Its
efficiency.
Mr.. Martin thought the County SUI
perintendcncy was q failure. The system
contemplated q head in each county
that should be a head indeed. lie
wanted an order book in each county
showing the exact levy in each district.
The county court should he required to
make, and the President OF the Court to
superintend, the levy for school pur.
poses. lie would have commission
to examine teachers and give certificates
to those who deserved them and reject
those who did not. The trouble with
the present system is the multiplication
Of officers. 1t wants simplilication and
Capitalization. The county superin-
tendency has done no good. tits not
proposed here to say that the Legisla-
ture shall not provide for county
superintendency, but that it may have
authority to devise any system that its
wisdom may approve, and that the
people should not he advertised by this
Constitution that the old wrongs were
to be perpetuated. There is too much
machinery about the system-it needs
simplification-and all this should be
left to the Legislature.
Mr.. Davenport thought the discussion
would be more appropriate to the
making Of a school law. lie thought
the County Superintendent were as
necessary to the school system rs the
Captains of companies in the organiza-
ton OF an army. The counties that had
failed to make the reports required by
the Code were not entitled to any share
OF the distributable school fund, and 1t
should not have been paid to them by
the State Superintendent. lie thought
the school system at present in force is
better one than the one provided for
in the committees report He thought
the Convention had already killed the
system by refusing TO strike out the
word " common" and now proposed, by
striking ont county SUPPLEMENTARY, to
roll it in the dust
The Committee of the Whole then
rose and Convention took a recess until
afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Convention was again resolved