Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-12-14
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

ject affords fine opportunities for what i
bestknown as "bumcombe." Every on
will admit, at once, the importance o
education, and With equal readiness
the necessity for some efficient system
of public schools, which we ccrtainl,
do not now have. But the momentou
question is, what system, or what kline
of system, shall we adopt2 Tn,
county system has been tried, anc
justly pronounced failure. In it.
place some advocate what they call the
State system. which will be found only
to multiply the evils of the county
system by the ratio of of the area of a
county to that of the State. In other
words, just as the State is many times
larger than one of our counties, 90
will the evils of any State system be
many time greater than our present
bungled county system. We propose,
instead of either of these, the district
system. That is, let home affairs be
settled as near home as possible. The
school is next to the fireside there
fore, let the affairs Of the school be
managed and controlled, as far as prac
ticable, By home influences. Facts
and the experience of mankind should
always outweigh any merely theoretical
argument, however logical or cogent it
may appear. Hence VIC give the fol-
lowing facts bearing on this subject
1. 1t has been the experience of all
countries, States and municipalities,
that have successfully established pub
lie schools, that little or nothing
could be accomplished, until, as far as
possible, an interest was aroused in
every household in behalf of popular
education. Indifference is worse
than opposition TO public schools.
Their very life, depends upon every
head of family, indeed, every mem
Der of each family, taking an active,
positive interest. To secure this the
control of the schools, and everything
directly concerning them, must not be
removed out Of reach of those who
send to them. To take the affairs of q
public school system, even up to the
county seat, if only for consultation,
is to ALLEVIATE them from the affections
and confidence of the people. Plain
ly, then, the civil districts, (Which in
some other States are called town
ships incorporated cities, and towns
have been found to be the largest
units of government to which the af-
fairs of public schools can be wisely
committed. Except in the way of
very general and merely advisory su-
pervision, public schools can succeed
only when they are left to the people
Of each community.
2, five lived purely in stat1 of na.
ture, the parents Of each child would
be its proper teachers. The work Of
nstructing the young naturally be
longs to the father and mother. But
society and the demands of our civil
zation necessitate that this work be
delegated to others, who will stand in
he place of parents. II is for this
reason that our laws always consider
he teacher as standing in place of.
he parent" Now, nature is already
strained in taking the child from its
natural teachers, its parents; aud, 81
We go still further ard place me teach
'rs, who really are substitutes for
parents. under official control, we
lught to oc very careful to see that
hIs olfieial control is not rendered in
dependent of, and superior to parental !
influence. Public schools must work |
n harmony with the parents. There
ore, Capitalization in the government
# public schools, as by county or
State systems, is to be dreaded as tend.
ng inevitably to tyranny. Cen
ralization is bad anywhere, but
nat in school affairs especially terrible;
or here its grinding oppression opcr-
ties chiefly on the the tender children
hat are dearer to their parents than
ife itself
B. Reformatory movements should
egin with the people, should proceed
rom the people, and their character {
nd complexion must be determined
y the people. The establishment of
ublic schools must, from the very
aturc of things, be a rcformatory a
leasurc, 1t is kind of revolution, !
least, in educational matters. Re.
'rmcrs are two apt to forget this ;and {
I'D hence We have already recorded
yo failures in attempting to legislate 5
lblic schools into existence in Ten !
esscc. The State system first, and fol- /,
wing it the county system, both orig /
atod, not with the people, but in the |
gislature. Both were attempts TO /,
verse the proper order of rcformatory =
casurcs among a free people. Itis {
/ essential feature Of democracy
at all measures, making radical ,
langos in public institutions, should
igiuate with, and proceed from, tho "
.ople. 1t IL only in this way that the {
e law making power in the State can u
old the folly and danger of enacting h