The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-12-19
Gutational.
address aU Communications fos. th1s coysssssr
To Ae Editor of the EdsscatSon-1
9g. KenoshS. Wisconsin. Ma
OUR COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT

The action of oar County Board Of gu.
pervlsors at their last meeting. has lead
us to the consideration of this subject.
Now we do not wish to be understood
as doubling or in any way undertaking
the ability or integrity of the B bard to
wisely and justly manage the affairs ca
trusted 70 them; bu;, ut the same t:me
reason and our ideas Of justice cempsl us
10 doubt whether &li the mem bers of said
Board carefully considered the result be
fore they fixed The salary of the County
Superintendent for the ensuing term.
1t SEE mas. to US unnecessary at this time
to enter into any leug' by discussion of The
merits Of the County Superintend ency.
The system has been in operation sufsci-
emily long for the people to fairly Judge
of it. and their verdict, not only in this
County but everywhere throughout the
State, is, that it is far prefsrab BILE to the
old town system. Some fsS of the al
vantages ot the present over the old svs-
tenn may be hri, fly and generally stated
rs follows: first superior class of men
10 employed In the supervision Of schools:
second, u county superintendent can max
broader plans aud calry them out m re
readily and effectively han a town su
periEtendent; third, a much higher stand
sr1 of qualification can be, and Is required
IF teachers; fourth. a much greater snlounr
If insiitu'e work has b. en-, done than was
possible under the old SYSTEM; and fifth
the greatly increased efficiency of the
schools which must be apil arent to even
the ;nost casual observer.
1t il useless for us ! this cennection to
Introduce the "tt,repeated, nd now almost
universally accepted fact, that IN the gift
ofgtbe people there IS no smNrs sal'fed
trust to be contided To oficial keeping,
than instrumentation Of their educational
Interests H. il . on earth tina can
gaiu-say the fact that this very trust is
tranght with duties aud >ponsibilte e.,
the faithful discharge of which reeds all
the time, energy and ability at the COM
maB6 of any one man. He only whj has
the patience and has taken the pains tn
explore this great field ~ labor, can speak
inte!ligently OF lts multifarmus duties,
and also what agencies are best adap Ell
to put In practical opeiation the most
suitable means to carry out aud fully de-
veIOp sVst ms of true educnSDn
notwithstanding IN sc facts IF curse
not specifically detailed, Yet sufficient for
the puTpose) the County board has fixed
the salary Of the next incumbent In the
of M
per annum. aa.
N We would like 10 ask in good
natured way, oil those interested in
desirable and etficien supervision of
our scholastic weigh the duties responsl-
0llltIes and conseQuant iaDors inseperablv
connected with this flee, and finishing
tins, just weigh The $5OO.-strlke bal
lanc", ami then decidr tor yourselves.
We know tina after due consideration
every candid thinking person is willing
to have the compensation Of the County
superintendent, such ~ will secure com
potency in the iDcun bent, and therefore
the most ettlclenr supervisors of the
schools. No one however economical he
may be can dINchaIge the duties peculiar
to tins office, supply himself with the
necessary books, pay his travelling and
other expenses To ami from stale conven
lions, ana stthe Same time live comior>
tably on salary of $500. N! the man
Wh" accepts the office and dses the work
as it ought to he dune, should receive a
salary, at the very least, of 5000.
Some place such \ low estimate on the
duties "f the office a. to assert that thew
can be cttectualIy discharged (Which we
sup ose was intended tor ''dlspcnse
wlth1,) I'D three months We are glad to
'De In possession OF facts which a,ltnorlx.
US to pronounce such>-a very unpopular
deiusion. 10 the few who hold the IN
falllbHlty of such convictions. we have
TO say, that your conclusions mnst have
oeen deduced from u course G ( reasoning
hased upon collection of very sparse
ana Iar-fetched GGtG In order to make |
fair estimate OF the labors of the offic4 |
you sould not lose sight OF the fact. hat
these schools are progressive institations !
In consequence of which much time must
10 spent In Thought, devlslng ways and
"sahs' I y examining, comparing, weigh
ing and revolving IN the MAD the various
opihi'ns, experlel ces and theories which
are continually seeking place in the sys
ten OF school government, discipline and
lnstruc' Ion. all this needs time. close
application and severe labor; and were
we to IN orm our friend who would limit /
tue time Tor our labor to q "year" Of three
mont g, thai his 'iitte year" would hard
y sufilcs for just this part of the work
alone, ne would very probably manifest
G 'asinerable astouisbsnent yet such is
TACT Now we. are sufficiently charitable
TO make due allowance for delnsions of
THIS KIND and more especially whea We
remember that thought and very often its