Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-17
THE SCHOOL LAW.

To the Union and American.
"IIe considered our present school law
is q great success"-COl. Fleming, State
Superintendent, at State Teachers ASSOci-
ton the other day.
May a taxpayer ask, How "a great sue
ceSs?" Certainly not, so far, in afiOrding
instruction to the children Of the State, at
least in the rural districts. Many schools
were organized and pat i'll operation, but
so far as this writer has been able to ascer-
tain, four out of every five have proved
failures. However they may have -four
iShed at first, they soon dwindled, and if
they continued the term out, the tea hers
sat in empty houses. This has been the
rule, and there have only been exceptions
enough to prove the rule. Solar from be-
ing "a success" in imparting knowledge or
advancing education, sour present school
law has been an utter failure. Why did
the Superintendent ignore the facts here al
luded to? Why did he not tell us directly
what he means by its ''great SUGGEST" Al
though he did not do this, from what he
did say we may infer what he means by
the success Of ''our present school law"
lie does not mean that it has been sue
cessful in educating anybody, but in rails
ing money to pay salaries. lie tells us
what counties have raised so much money
by taxation, and what other counties have
raised other suMs, some more and sGme
less, and what salaries the different cOun-
ties have agreed to give their superintend-
ents. All this is stated in sufficient detail,
but not enc word about the success of the
schoOls-about how many children are re-
cev wing edpcatipns that E1uld hot be with
t,lC this laW with its costly expenditures.
Is it the object Of sour present school law"
to raise great sums Of money by taxing the
labor Of the State to pay an army Of Office
holders and host Of teachers ~ aiG In
empty aGh1pl-hpusesr Ii 50, then indeed
:.oth present school law is great success"
This, it is true, is not its FrOtesSed object,
but facts demonstrate that i IL about AL it
has sIIGGbedod ia doing Gentlemen OF Of
fetal ease and leisure may indulge in plati-
tudos of speech about the "Success" OF a
law and its machinery in drawing large
sums from the hard tolls Of people. but it
is too much 10 expect tAr ppOpio to
eQntnue To applaud When they see those
sums consumed without ever reaching
those for whose benefit thcywere promised.
Il is distinctly charged that th;S iS Nnat
| 4ottr present schyOf law Is doing, and al
lie true or not is a question Of fact, 1t win
be no answer 70 cali nares, or 70 say what
some school law has dong somewhfre else.
TIE question is, What has Four present
school law" done for tho Gauge Qfelteation
here at hOmG, Ia cur own State? Has it
educated child day that would not have
been educated thousand times cheaper
without tile law? 1t is here asserted that
facts prove that it has not. Then why not
take counsel OF facts, and not of mere thsO
ries If BE EGGf9sqry wat labor should
| be t0rcdl to contribute TO the support of a
large number ofofiice holders, not neces-
sary To- the State, Why let it not be done in
the sacred name Of education, when that
cause is more injured than benefited by it?
..'''' '''.' J. W. B+...