Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-28


II should be divided with all and yet none
saved from starvation.
. know no reason in morals or politics, why
? county barely able to educate its own
cnlidren should be called upon to furnish
SCHOOLS Tor others, thereby rendering its
results.
The great thing then TO be accomplished
IS 10 secure the operation Of good and per
manent schools IvhereUer it can be done,
without taxation that viii excite animosty;
ana this can only be done through some
such agency as is proposed by this bill.
II L have succeeded in convincing men,
bers who oppose the bill, because they do
not approve the county system,) that that
system is best adapted to our wants and the
wishes of the majority Of the people, then
L hope that | have removed their objections
to the measure now under consideration.
The other class of directors are more I'M
reasonable. They approve the public school
system, yet they oppose everything which |
we think cal culated to make it more effect |
i've and permanent. What, then, are the |
reasons for creating the Office of Superin- |
tendent and a Board of Education? Al |
though 10 direct tax is levied for school /
| purposes by the Legislature, small sums |
hnd their way into the State Treasury, and |
under law of Congress lately |
enacted, one hundred, or one hun
dfed and fifty thousand dollars will be
annually appOrtiOned to Tennessee, as her
part OF the proceeds of sale of public lands.
and 1t is hardly probable that another Leg
lslature viii convene here without prOvi-
ding for the payment of interest on the |
school fund. 1t would be wise then to be-
gin now to secure such information through
| some authorized head of the educational
interests as will enable future Legislatures
to act wisely and for the best interests of
the public. Few members on the floor of
this Hall, either know or can ascertain
without going to the United States census,
the scholastic population of their respective
counties, and not one, perhaps, outside of
two or three counties, has any definite idea
OF the number Of schools in his county or
the number of children in attendance, or
for what period they have attended in the
last twelve months.
A Superintendent is needed in order that
such information as is here mentioned may
be presented to the Legislature for its guild
snce, and to the people for their instruction
and consideration. He is needed as a
counsellor, TO advise and direct in the Or
ganizatiOn and management of schools in
counties, where they are first being organ
lied, under inexperienced commissioners.
The influence of a practical and intelli-
gent mau would go far to secure the adOp-
ton Of uniform and wholesome text books.
lie could suggest and secure uniform rules
for the government of pupils and teachers.
The dissemination Of practical knowledge
on educational subjects, will secure wiser
legislation in future; changes in the school
laws If made at all will be more permanent
and beneficial, for they will have for their
foundation facts instead of theories.
If the office Of Superintendent is created,
and man of broad, liberal and practical
ideas is appointed, we will soon ascertain
whether general or State system of public
education is possible, and if it is found i'm
practicable, there need be no more agitation
Of this troublesome question.
do not insist that this measure will i'm
mediately produce great results in the estab- J
lishment of schools and the actual advance.
meut of education among the absolutely
illiterate, but l do claim that it NAV be
compared to the planting of seeds, which
ere long bring forth fruit, some thirty, some
fifty, and some an hundred fold.
How many tax payers are there in the
State who know that there are ninety thou
sand voters, or One-third of the whole voting
population who cannot read and write?
How many are there who know that
there are forty or fifty thousand mothers,
who cannot teach their children the al
phabet?
How many of the watchful guardians of
the State Treasury and grumblers over the
expenses of State prosecutions are cogni-
Zant of the fact, that according to popula-
ton, there are six white uneducated, convict
ed criminals to every one educated and half
educated?
Every asylum for the afflicted and unfor-
tunate, every public hospital for the sick
and diseased, are the abcdes, in an unequal
proportion, of the ignorant or the children !
of the ignorant.
The people, you say, are opposed to pub
Lie schools. l admit it, and so they will al
ways be, if you deny them the means of
knowing the number who ought to be edu-
Gated, and the costs of educating them.
This bill does not propose to force upon
an unwilling people any new or fixed poll
cy, but it proposes to furnish through the
agency of an intelligent superintendent of
educational affairs such information and
statistics as will either lead 10 the repudia-
ton of the whole idea of public education,
or the adoption Of our present system, or
some other as the determined policy of the
State.
1t proposes no changes in the school laws
and l am opposed to changes in all general
laws, unless there is a manifest necessity
for them or palpable advantage to be de-
rived from them.
l have reviewed our present county sys-
tenn with a view of indicating our State
from the assertion that we have no school
system, and 1 have endeayored TO show that
that system is the best adapted to our re-
sources and the wishes of our people.
The passage Of the bill will necessitate
the expenditure Of few dollars only to
each county, and yet it is believed that its
effect viii be to incite a general interest
among the people on this important ques-
ton.
No legislative body can wisely and pru-
IDENTIFY direct legislation without proper in
formation for its guidance, and unless this
bill is passed the next Legislature will con-
vene as ignorant of educational affairs as
we have been.
We may perhaps learn from an efficient
Superintendent whether the statement that
common schools are desirable as q matter
Of economy, is true or false.
The havOuet darivas IFS MANN from, tEo |