Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-03-28
NOW Or NEVER.
The Educational Interests Of
Tennessee IL, Peril. Importance
Of Prompt Action by sl1e Friends
Of the Cause.

Effc Educational Interests Of
Tennessee il, Peril. Importance
efrrSElpt Action by sl,e Friends
Of tlse Cause.
Now is the time for every friend of
education to show his hand, and make
his influence felt. The interests of Com
nor Schools tremble in the balance.
a bill creating a State Superintendent
of Pablo Instruction, a State Board of
Education, and levying a light tax on the
counties, is now before the Legislature.
There is some doubt a. to its final passage
in the Senate, as the minutes of the Gem
eral Assembly show. 1t would be a
general calamity if the amendments
which the bill proposes fail to become a
law.
The County System. as it exists, is a
dead letter comparatively, upon our sta
tute books. 1t fails from gis inertir,
there is no power to set it in motion. 1t
may be good enough when once gener-
ally adopted, but the great difficulty is to
secur its adoption.
The schools of the State should at once
be set upon their feet, under the v~itali-
zipg power of u good law. We cannot
afford to wait 4 single year. Ii the law
were made efficient now, before the sum
mer passes away we would sec schools
spriEging into existence, in every county
in the State.
The contemplated amendments, we arc
confident, would have the desired result.
4 State Superintendent is needed above
all things. He should be an agitator Of
the question, a head center for all the
friends of the cause. unifcr of the system,
a compiler of statistics, a school mission
airy. writing letters, making speeches,
issuing blanks. doing everything to make
the law operate. He should lie what
Horace Mann was to Massachusetts, al
Educational Mushstick.'
Without such an officer it is almost i'm
possible to find ont what has been done in
the State by the counties. The friends Of
education have inquired of each other
time aud again, during the past few
months, as to the number OF counties
which had voted a tax, and it has been
curious to note how ignorant everybody,
even after the most diligent inquiry. re-
mains.
IS TO the tax proposed, it is by no
means large-ouly one mill on the dollar.
Yet if the Legislature would levy it for
the counties, we axe persuaded that the
counties would double or treble it by their
own sutIersges before the year is out. II
would furnish a beginning, and in this
case the beginning is more than half the
battle.
The Legislature should assume the re-
.pOnsibility O. levying the tax. There
are so many local interests and prcjudices
working in every county, that III most
cases the vote would be against the tax,
and yet the people might want the school.
In most of tho counties the tax contem-
plated would support schools for several
months, which for the first year would
be a vast step in advance of no schools.
If nothing more could be lone the Grst
year than to organize the school machin-
cry in the districts, and set it running, it
would tell with powerful effect upon the
work for the next year.
A State Board Of Education-such as
is contemplated in the bill-becones a
conservative force in the system, a stan
ding auditing committee, the guardian of
the school interests, the %expounder Of the
the Owe seer of and faithful adviser
of the Superintendent. The members of
its acting without pay, no additional e1-
pense is incurred by their appointment.
The wisdom of the most eminent cduca-
Of the State may thus be made avail
able for consultation, The fact hat such
a Board i. ever watching the school inter
ests of the whole State would at once re-
store aud increase public confidence in
the law. The appeals made by the Board
receive 4 ready hearing.
Give such a law as these amendments
would make, and light would break in
clear and flash through the darkness.
can doubt that a feeling of relief
and JOY would Instantly take the place of
the gloom and depression which nov ell
the hearts of the friends of education.
1t is to be regret edthat it has been sug-
to defer the operation of the law
until January 1. 1873. The public vel
fare requires that the bill become a Law as
One Senator gave as his reason
Why the operations of the law should he
postponed until January L, 1873, that
the people might consider the measure
thoroughly before it could take effect. If
they were opposed to it the act could be
before next January. Permit
US to ask .'by what data could the people
of the value of the law before next
January if it did not operate until them"
they are opposed to it now what shall
act as an educating force by that time to
leach them to approve it? Nay, rather
rive them the trial of the law for six or
nine months and let them elect the next
after having tried the law for
some time.
To wait until the people should express
heir opinion of the law, without having
lad any experience of its effect, would be
ike the parent who forbade his boy going
INTO the water till he had learned to
win.
Then again, our law-givcrs are not
to wait for the dear people to ex-
press themselves before the Legislature
ID because of their eminent wisdom to
laws for those who were not so wise
Is they. The Legislature should be al
a little beyond US common people in
heir comprehension of the demands of
he public veal, and whether we, the dear
want a law or not. they should be
to rise above public prejudice and
ignorance, and act from motives of true
craftsmanship.
In the most respectful. yet in the strong
st language. We appeal to our Legislature