New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-21
State Superintendent William G. Brown
at the National Educational Association.

State superintendent william G.. Brown
at the National Educational Association.
We find, in the report of the proceedings
of the National Educational Associations
session of the year 1873, at Eimira. New
York, the following, . synopsis of the ad
dress of Hon. William 6. Brown. State Su.
perintendent of Public Education.
The president, at the request of Professor
E. L. Youmans, OF New York. made on be.
half OF the association. introduced Mr..
Brown. who said:
The North and West are 90 far ahead Of
the South in education that felt we ought
20 listen, not speak. Everybody here is
reaching after something better for the
schools Of the country. Shall go home to
the Grudgery Of my work encouraged.
Louisiana is a fair sample Of the South.
Before the war she had no education to
compare with the North. The best South
ern people sent children North to be edu.
Gated. The war made the South poor, and
introduced thi. new element, OF which | am
representative. daughter and cheers
This new element comes III for share il
free schools. The civil rights bill, in the
reconstructed constitution, has been bone
OF contention. Southern people would not
have colOred children in schools. Educated
Southern people hold back because of the
civil rights bill. Education was intrusted
to the Republican party, so IL has got into
politics. We can never get ahead ill. We
get schools emancipated from politics.
NV predecessor, Mr.. Conway. did much
pioneer work-gOt a first rate educational
bill passed. He rad trouble to get it. They
were giving US Maine laws, and MassachU.
sets laws, in louisiana Good laws-tOO
good for Louisiana then. One or two Of us.
little more Southern, got some Louisiana
in it, and we are somewhere between Maine
and Massachusetts and Louisiana now.
Laughter We have a State superinten.
dent, and division superintendents. The
city of New Orleans is one division. The
State board elects a city board of fourteen
directors from representative districts. For
parishes. the State board elects board OF
school directors con taning not less than
five members. Teachers are chosen by the
respective boards. This year the city board
qualities twenty teachers OF first grade,
twenty of second, aud twenty of third.
This list is kept. and vacancies filed from
it. Thus we Try to keep tavoritism out. No
one can get on the list without going through
the prescribed examination. We pay all
teachers alike in primary and secondary de.
partments. Louisiana white people, must
say white people. because that is the only
way can make you understand am not
speaking OF Coi0reu people i!aughteri-
Louisiana white people are entering into
the common school feeling faster than they
are in any other State, l believe. l
love Louisiana. and feel as much South.
ern as anybody down there. There
are cOlOred and white children in the
same school in New Orleans. This school
has a staff OF twelve teachers. all white.
1t is the best school in Louisiana and the
pride Of the board. We have not forced
colored children into white schools. The
laws forbid. bu: General Beauregard says
they must be mixed. What can l, a coiored
superintendent. 90, but mix then: a ma.
jorlty of our 46S teachers are white. They
are at my office forty or fifty d: time. and
pay all Difference any officer can expect
There is no jar.
Catholic. .re very numerous. very re.
spectacle, and have excellent schools, edu-
eating thousands OF children. They do
noble work.
The South has been crippled and poverty
stricken, but IL education she Il. dong the
best she can.
Thanking you for the kind attention and
courtesy shown ..e. take my seat.
Davenport Brothers at the Varieties The.