Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-28
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Synopsis OF the Remarks of Hon. j.
ID. Tillman, Of Lincoln,


I'm the House Of Representatives
March %, Is7e, ON the Bill 60 Create
the office of state superintendent o
Public Instruction
Mr.. SPEAKER:-Knowing as / do TIN
apathy OF the people and the indifference, i
not active opposition of many members o
this House on the subject of popular educa
! ton, will be excused for begging the at
tention of members to the remarks am
about to make on the pending bill.
have observed more than once an evil
dent impotence of more than one member,
| whenever anything has been read from the
clerks desk in relation to common schools
and the cause Unpopular education. Signif-
cant facts and figures when clothed in
chaste English have been spoken of as
high-1oWn rhetoric. In order then to
secure the attention of the House, desire
to say in the beginning that the Chairman
ship Of the Committee on Public Schools
and Education, has not made me an I'M
reasonable advocate of wild and impracti-
cable theories of free common schools.
Nor do desire to discuss the advantages
Of education, as it relates to the individual
or the State.
There is one remark, however, that viii
make, which has reference more to the eff
fects of ignorance and learning upon each
other, than to the importance Of education
or the evil effects of ignorance. They act
upon each other and each is damaged by
the other.
In State or government, where there Is
a large proportion of ignorant persons,
those ignorant persons do nearly all the
manual labor, and the educated and the
half educated men and women, conclude
very naturally, that the divine command,
"by the sweat of thy brow, thou shalt earn
thy bread" was intended only for the igno-
rant. g
The result of this is that the professions
are crowded with men who ought to be
producers instead of commencement hunt
ing precarious existence by their Intellect
and dependent for success on the necessi-
ties, misfortunes and ignorance Of their
fellow-man. Young men Of intelligence
instead Of engaging in productive pursuits,
marrying and elevating and improving the
social circles in which they move, spend
their income like the prodigal son, in riotous
living, because it will not maintain wife
in Incidence and pay the wages of hired
servants.
The inclination to shun manual labor is
natural, but the inclination is strengthened
by the fact that the greater part of it is per-
formed by the poorer and more ignorant
classes, and labor in itself honorable is
thereby degraded. Even the prosperous
farmer is often guilty Of intoxicating or per-
uniting to be inculcated the idea that his
children are reared and educated for the
bench, the bar, the forum or the pulpit, and
that his successor need know only when
the seasons return in their course, and when
the harvest will be ripe for the sickle.
Such false notions as these are engen-
dered by the contact of the intelligent with
the absolutely ignorant.
The poor and ignorant sees that his more
educated employer or neighbor lives in ease
if not luxury, without the drudgery which
he undergoes, and he desires to become
educated, not for itself, but in order that he
NAV avoid labor-on the other hand the
educated classes observe that all the hewers
of wood and drawers of water are not only
poor, but oftentimes ignorant and wretch
ed, and it avoids labor as far as possible, as
the high road to penury, if not to tempta-
ton and crime.
Crime is the child Of ignorance, not of
necessity. The thief and burglar are sell
dom impelled by sense of hunger or naked
ness. In the productive and genial climate
of Tennessee the number of wholly uned-
ucated white eonvicts in the State prison,
exceeds the number of educated by twenty
nine, and that too, notwithstanding the il
literates over ten years of age are only one
fifth of the educated, or those who can read
and write.
As the study of the schoolroom cannot
be deep searched with saucy looks, SO this
question of public schools cannot be com
pretended at glance and disposed Of by an
''aye" or "no."
The question is thrusting itself into Ten
nessee politics, and like Banquo's ghost, it
viii not down at your bidding, and it be-
comes us to meet it squarely and fairly,
though it may bring with it stairs from
heaven or blasts from bell.''
The wise legislator should recognize the
fact that there is a school system and en-
deavor to render that system or some other
effective, or else oppose all systems of pub
lie schools. If the load is one you must en-
dure whether you will or not, then bear it
as cheerfully as you can, and place it in po-
sitiOn to derive all the comfort and profit
which can be derived from the unwelcome
burden.
There are two classes of opponents to the
creation of Superintendent of Public In
stTuctiOn.
Some are opposed to the creation of the
Office because they are opposed to our pre-
sent school system. They admit there
should be well informed head to every
undertaking, but being opposed to the I'M
dertaking they naturally oppose the ap-
pointment of leader.
Another class oppose the objects of this
bill and yet approve the county system, and
say that the counties are sovereign on this
question and do not need the advice of a
board of education or the information which
might be furnished by State Superinten-
dent.
To meet the objections Of the former
class, it is necessary to show that the
county system of public schools is best
adapted to the condition Of our State, and
the views of our people.
The objections Of the other class can
only be removed by an enumeration Of the
advantages to be derived from the labors of
an efficient superintendent.
That we have never had system of free
schools, that was commensurate with the
expense l do not deny, nor do l believe
that we viii ever have a system that will be
general in good results, until there is a den
ser population and large increase of tax
able property.
The establishment of efficient systems of
free schools depends directly Oh wealth and
population. No new and s9arsely pOpu-
lated country ever had free schools; no old
country without the wealth to pay teach
ers, and the population to make the schools,
can maintain system of common schools.
That which may be wise and practicable
and economical IN one town or county,
may be folly and useless waste Of money
in another.
No one, who has visited the schools of
Nashville will deny that they are deservedly
popular, and there is little doubt that they
are the best schools in the State. But the
fact that there are good schools in Nash
vile, where four or five thousand children
are or may be instructed and all within an
area of four or five square miles, and tax
able property of fifteen millions, furnishes
no argument for free schools in Lincoln
county, with six hundred square miles, an
equal or greater number of children and
about five millions or one third the taxable
property of Nashville.
The idea that the success of public
,oboOIe 10 dapandaDt on wealth and UODula-