The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-03-02
THE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.


are generally very Jealous and sue
eessful in the performance of their
duties and the latter remarkably in
expensive and effective-have been
slandered and abused to an almost un-
limited extent by the Democratic and
Coalition press of Louisiana. We are
not at all surprised that the system
which gives education to all classes of
the community alike, without distinc-
ton of race or color, should be de-
cried 10y the Democratic white element
that retains the prejudice of ante BEL
Ium times against the colored people
and will interpose every obstacle pos
sible to the enlightenment and edu-
cation of their former slaves, but what
astounds us is that men and newspa-
pers defending allegiance to the prin-
ciples of Republicanism, should join
in this opposition, when they cannot
but know that it is absolutely essen
tial to the perpetuation of a Republi-
can Administration of the Govern
ment that the masses be educated.
In fact, education forms the ground
work of our Republic, and without it
we would soon drift to monarchial
rule.
The principal and almost only ar
gument advanced against our educa-
tional system by its opponents is a
charge that it is exorbitantly expen-
sive, and that the Division Superin-
tendents are officials for whom there
is no necessity whatever, whose sal
aries are a drain upon the State treas
ury for which no value is received.
Long experience in nearly every State
in the Union has demonstrated that
this argument is fallacious one that
Division superintendent are abso-
lutely necessary to the well-being
and maintenance of a healthy system
of public instruction. Georgia has 1876
Superintendent, Mississippi SIS, Mis-
souri, ia, Illinois l02, Pennsylvania
rs, New York 1872, Virginia "a, West
Virginia 81, Wisconsin 81, Iowa 81,
Michigan 81, Kansas As, New Jersey
II, Texas IL, etc, while Louisiana has
but g.! These numbers, except in the
case of Louisiana, include only Super
intendents of rural districts, those of
cities and towns being omitted.
The average cost of superintendent
in Mississippi, exclusive of cities and
towns, is sos, 900 per year, in Illinois
1922 400, in Pennsylvania Set, 800, in
New York slO5,6O0, and proportion
ately large in the other States men
toned above, while in Louisiana, in
Guiding the city of New Orleans, the
total cost is only s22, 900. The cities
of Chicago and Cincinnati each pay
more to. superintendent of schools
than does the whole State of Louisi-
ana.
There are to-day in operation in
Louisiana more than seven hundred
schools, nearly six times as many as
during any previous year, yet the
amount of money necessary for their
support is less than half that expended
in le59-in those good old days of &C.
onomical government before the war
that We are told so much about by the
oracles of Democracy.
These statements are all gathered
from official sources and their anthem
ITCHY is unquestioned. Their public
exhibit by State Superintendent Con-
way completely killed a movement
set on foot in the General Assembly
during the present session to amend
the school law ard abolish the offices
of Division superintendent; so will
the slanderous denunciation of parti-
Fan newspapers and politicians fall
harmless to the ground before them.
The present administration of the
Educational Department of the State
Government is the most economical
and effective that has ever existed in
Louisiana. 1t deserves and should re-
ceive the support of every citizen, ir-
respective of race OF political opinions,
and those who seek to obstruct it
should be regarded as enemies to the
interests of the people and their eff
forts discountenaneed accordingly.
nrMnnp AmTn TuprAmc