The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-02-25
rHx COUNTY suPKRINrENDKNr AND
TIE PAR0CHIAL SCHOOL.
Tn. cairo Gazette Returns to the As.
sault.
fHnr The Cairn Rullsiin


she Is under "to labor In every practica-
BILE way to better the condition Of our
public schools, ;" and at the same time "la-
l,or Ia every practicable way" to
build up and prosper sectarlsn school,
the very existence OF which will depend
upon the number OF pupils and tile NOR
al support 1t may draw from the schools
nj which she Is the official head. Only
specious reasoning and irrelevant argu-
ment can, as the BULLETIN has plainly
shown, be employed to controvcrt the
truth Of this proposition.
Because l.. Y. Butler practiced law and
John G. White invited insurance risks
without being asked TO resign the of'ic'
OF County Superintendent, Mrs. TAYLOR
says the BULLETIN, should, without All,
question being raised ~ TO the moral and
legal right of the act, be permitted 10
take charge Of a sectarisn school. where
'religious instruction will he given, based
upon the teachings OF the Protestant
Episcopal church." No man more scnsi-
bly, realizes that this reasoning Is puerilc,
than Mr.. 0berly. lie. as well a. any
man living, knows that, between the
practice Of law OF the pursuit OF insur-
sne business (or saving wood If you
please aud discharge of the duties of
County Superintendent there Is no an.
Egonism; aud no man, better than he,
knows that between the duties Of sec
tartan school teacher and those Of the
official head Of the public schools, there
Is an antagonism. both moral and legal.
The utter indefeiisability Of his position
renders resort on his part, to an inap-
plicable style Of reasoning unavoidable.
Nothing more or better il within mortal
reach, else John ii. Oberly had en-
pioyed II.
We concede the right OF the parish TO
establish the parochal school. but. in
common with every man and woman
with whom We have canvasscd the mat
ter, We deny the right of the chief officer
Of oar public schoo.s TO take charge of it,
and insist that, in doing so, she place.
herself in moral and legal antagonism
with the public schools. This PROPOSE.
ton Is 20 plain that thinking men will ask
no elaboration of it; but will wonder that
any one can be foundt to seriously gainsay
its truth.
There is no purpose, We agree, in the
establishment of the parochial school, to
weaken the public schools or In any man.
ner mar their efficiency; but that such a
result viii follow, can readily be made
apparent. The parochial school must
and will draw upon the public school for
from thirty to forty of its most valued
pupils and brightest scholars. This heavy
levy, we need scarcely add, will greatly
deplete some Of the classes, and cffec,ually
destroy Others. II will disarrangc the
grades and the equilibrium Ct rooms. IL
viii ALLEVIATE the interest. and to a GER
tain extent the influence, Of both parents
and children from the public school, and
centre them upon the parochial school.
And this untoward interest (claims the
buLLKTiS) can be headed, with entire
propriety, by the chief ofiicer-by the
very head of the public schools. Her
moral and social influence, her ability rs
teacher are TO DE expended,
in every practicable way to better
the public schools?' No: but for
the success Of an avowedly sectarian
school, which cannot exist without draw.
ing on pupils from the public school, and
correspondingly detrscting from its In.
terest' and the strength Of its moral and
material support. In neither law nor
public sentiment can Mrs. r., while act
ing as County Superintendent. find a
warrant for such course.
That the salary of the office /. mad.
.qtate TO the support Of the incumbent
ana her children, is tub thrown TO the
sympathy whale among US, that will
Iali 70 achieve the desired purpose. Mrs.
LIS not, aud never has been, dependem
for livelihood upon the income OF the
office she holds and that she has no
moral right TO add TO the salary by the
course che has determined upon. we have
the conclusive evidence Of her own con.
duct.
when elected, aud until she entered
upon an active discharge Of her duties.
she held the position OF teacher in the
public school. Believing, as she did, tina,
there was an incompatibilty in the duties
oil the TWO positions. she rendered her
resignation a. teacher, and asked the
Board of Education 10 name her succ.s..
or now she can harmonic this act
with her recent acceptance OF the posi-
ton Of teacher In sectarisn schoo, M.
are at a loss TO determine In the nosi.
uon she resigned she could, In a limited
sphere at least, have labored ''to better m,
condition OF the public schools" In IN,
position she proposes to accept, her la
Dor, her moral and social influence, will
whether actively e1erted in that directio,
or not, tend TO bring about dlametricsll,
different results.
No County Superintendent can satisiac
torily discharge his or her duties In les
period Of time than that fixed by on
County Commissioners, viz: l25 DAYS
About 100 days OF this time should be de
voted to visitation Of schools. Mrs. T
has consented to devote 224 days 10 th,
parochiai school. This will leave her, ex
IL 81 o..