Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-12
ESTABLISHED 1910.

lature. Il seemed TO have been taken fol
/ granted, in great many localities, when q
calculation was made as to how much rtYe-
nue. could be derived each year under this
school law, that the calculation referred "a
/ the calendar year, and when the calculation
was presented, showing the amount allowed
I each scholar, to be derived In one year, IL was
assumed at once that Il referred to the year ol
1873. II is, therefore, thought that the promise
OF the legislature, the laborOt the state super
! intendent and county superiniendents nave
come TO naught, and that the system is ike "a
prove a failure, ana II suits the purpose Oh
NOT FRIENDLY TO THE SYSTEM
to keep this probability before the minds OF
! the people. There has not been any failure
/ whatever in regard 20 the revenue so far as
there was any reasonable grounds for theil
/ collection. The disappointments expressed
| by some resulted from the fact that there was
] disposition 10 go forward too rapidly, 10 rush
/ beyond the lines Of safety, and TO form toe
| haSty conclusions before the revenue had
! been collected by the revenue officers. Some
| of the schools are suspended but VIII be ena
| bled 10 reopen in the spring, when the funds
are realized or begin 10 come IN as provided
/ by law.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OFFICES
connected with the system is that OF county
/ Superintendent. Experience has demon
/ strated that, without an efficient county sup
| eTintendent, all the other appliances OF the
/ system are com paratiVely worthless. No mat
/ ter how well the efforts Of the other ofiicers
NAV be administered, II the county is not sup
| piled with live, energetic and prompt sup
| erintendent, the whole operations OF the
school system in that county Will only tend tC
| create disorder, and practically the system
will prove failure in that county. In order
| to retain the good material we have now IN
the field Of county superlntenoents, the
! county courts Of the State will have TO make
provision for their maintenance, for it musi
! not be expected that men capable OF taking
care OF the school interests of a county should
starve while attempting TO advance the en-
- Z GREAT LACK OF sCHOOLHoUsEs
! in most of the counties of The State. It was
/ the intention of the Lawmakers that the dis.
triet provisions OF the law should be used tol
providing means for the erection OF schOol-
houses, but we have not yet reached the point
when the district system can be relied upon
/ fer any very useful purposes: l have Srged
/ upOn the county superintendentS to rely upon
] voluntary contributions for the erection Ol
] ouses, rather than let the school dt
reetors lay their hands on the school fund and
/ appropriate II Tor that purpose We nave nol
| yet been able to secure absolute uniformity OF
/ ScnoOi terms. Some schools are yet ID open
some have opened and closed. In every coun,
I ty in the state except one, schools have beer
! organized under the present laW-that one l.
| montgomery. The superintendent OF thai
| county reports that schools Will be organized
| in that county after the nTst OF January next
] IN addition to the funds provided by the Stats
/ and counties, the school system has received
valuable aid from the liberality OF DR.. Sears
| agent and representative of the trustees OF th'
/ PEABODY SCHOOL FUND.
Before finding that Tennessee had adopted
/ general school law, DR.. Sears was at once i'm
pressed with the idea Of making the aid giveI
10 Tennessee exclusively tributary to the sup
port OF that law. Allowance has been made
/ 70 forty schools. The total amount allowed
/ Tennessee this year is $4,000, being eOnsidera
/ bly, in excess of any allowance heretofor'
made. The money distributed by the trustee
of this fund, not as dispensaton OF charity
/ out as an auxiliary to communities that SHOW
| themselves able and willing 10 provide mean
/ for the education OF their children. The funS
is not scattered indiscriminately and witnOu
method, but is placed where II Is thought i
| will do the most good, and as an example 70
other communities to follow.
WE NEED AROUSING.
| What we need is an auOusing, in the variOu
| counties of the State OF an intelligent senti
| ment on this subject; sentiment infOrnei
/ as to the needs OF the county, the state an
the community; a sentiment that viii i'm
press itself upon the courts OF the counte,
/ and will impel action; sentiment that vii
4 strengthen the needs Of the publc-SchOOl OH
| Gers, and will induce the parents and guard
ans of the children TO Use the advantages o
! the school system, and send their children Z
/ the schools TO receive their dement's.