The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-03-13
The school Journal af TenHes-

70 the Editors Of the Columbia Herald:
The object of this article is to offer a
few friendly remarks in reference to the
School Journal of Tennesses. la order
that | may not be misunderstood l will
state that am School man, known TO
you and many others of Maury County as
such And not only school man but a
School Journal man, and even a TsRneS-
see School Journal man; and yet ! am
not altogether pleased with the Tennessee
School Journal.
We are taught by ancient and venerable
authority that in order TO have the streaH
pure we must cleanse the fountain.
Whatever purports to be pure must
come from a pure fountain. This IL
automatic. Whatever Purports to be
theological must come from theological
source. Whatever claims to be literary
should emanatc from a literary source.
That which purpoFts 10 be A School JON.
nat should at least claim School aaen for
its authors, and be able to show some
claims TO literary paternity.
How is it with our School Journal OF
TENNESSEE If one should judge from its
Editors mayed upon the face of it, he
would be more likely TO conclude that it
was intended to be a Medical, Theological
or Political Journal, than a Literary or
School Journal.
If there is a regular school man in the
corps of Editors, the people OF Tennessee
generally are not aware of il. The man
aging Editor is our very popular and
efficient State Superintendent, who as an
executive officer in the public school sys
tenn, has few equals and perhaps no
superior in the State. But he was ia ken,
not from the ranks of teachers and school
men, but from the political arena, to fill
that Office.
The Editors proper consist Of one
preacher, one city superintendent OF
schools, one II. D., and one lawyer whose
practice enables him to give a portion of
his time TO the school affairs of the State.
which is very liberal on his part, IS well
as that of the other Editors, since the
teachers of the State have thus been adj
Judged incompetent tosmanage them.
His excellency Gov. J. c. BBowN was the
first to discover the incOnpetency of our
teachers for their profession, when he
selected a politician to supervise the
school interests of our State. And the
example has been followed in the selection
of Editors of our Sc6Q0! Journal as well
as men to conduct our Institutes. Not
withstapding all this these professional
Editors have bOidReSS TO say on page I'd OF
their school Journal thaty the teachers
of Tennessee are a noble body of Elen and
women mobile for whRt2 not for Editors
School Journals, but as subscribers to
the Tennessee School Journal These
Editors will, no doubt, find ready escape
from my friendly criticism in the fact
that their Journal is the creature of the
Tennessee Teachers Association, as they
claim that it sprung irom that institution,
although not exactly armed and equipped
as Minerva from the brain Of Jupiter; for
our kind managing Editor tells US that
the first number is rather a specimen
of its physical appearance than
sample Gifts future copies. What II
will be, ne wait to see.
But what is this State Teachers Asso-
citation? The Journal on page informs
us that there are about 5000 teachers in
Tennessee.
What proportion of these 6000 is necssa-
nv to make the State Association If the
city papers of Nashville reported the ssso-
citation correctly during the too last an
nual meetings, there was less than one
per cent of che teachers of the State in
attendance. No wonder that the teachers
OF Tennessee are judged Incompetent to
conduct the School Journal to superin-
tend State opeeation OF the Public school
ystem, ana 10 hold teachers Institutes;
and other professione are called on to do
the too former and our sister State of Ky
i called on to furnish men to do the latter.
We have seen according to their own
figures that less than one per cent of tue
teachers attended the State Association
And uron q close analysis the remainder
Of the Association viii be found TO con