Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-31
G.aens,,' Column.
w. +. PAPErR. Editor.
County Supervision Of Schools.

| W. ~. w NV AIcX.t IStttVf " ACUc'ep"
CUlumn:-
So much has been said and written
within the past few years concerning the
Office of county superintendency of
schools, that am persuaded TO send you
my views Of the supervisionary office.
Systematical and separate departments
of labor of the same class are now recog-
nized in all branches of business and pro-
fessional life, SO that really the only qucs-
ton to be discussed is the limit of sub
divided labor. You will, it is true, find a
few chronic croakers who will insist that
the olden times were better than the pres
ent. They will persistently declare that
the school system when they were pupils
was far preferable to that we now have,
when the fact is, they had no system
whstever in those early days. 1t is not
for such class tnat VIC write concerning
our schools, but for those who have an in
telligent idea of what the schools were
when we were boys, and what they are
now, and what they should become.
Classified work was hardly known in
any department of industry twenty-five
years ago-we then Jumped our du-
ties and performed them by the job. -
The time, for Instance, once was when the
minister was expected to not only preach
two sermons on each Sabbath, but he was
to hold Il third service on each Lords day,
and then personally identify himself with
the Sabbath school; he was, moreover, to
hold religious services in some of the out
lying districts during the week, make the
usual number of calls upon his people,
and attend to the wants of the sick and
dying of his parish. All this is now
changed, and for the better. In all our
larger towns the clergyman has his assist
ants, some of whom are to visit the peo-
pie others to attend to the wants of the
poor and distressed, while others still per-
ssnally care for the Sabbath school and
conduct the subordinate religious services.
The pastor is to be made acquainted with
what is accomplished by his subordinates,
by carefully prepared reports from those
assisting him.
We find this same system OF well defin-
ed and divided duties in the law, more
frequently than otherwise: one attorney
prepares the case. while the other presents
and defends it in court In medicine we
find the physician prescribing and the
druggist compromising the prescription.
The universal division of labor comes
from the fact that no one individual can
do everything, and that nearly every indi-
vidual can do something; so We legiti-
matcly have our divisions and subdivi-
sions of duties in all business and profes.
sional life.
Superior to nearly every other interest
belonging either to individuals or the
community are our public schools, They
are the common heritage of all living un-
der government like ours. They con-
stitute democracy, and herein lies their
chief glory. 1t Is fortunate they do not
belong to the favored few, for were it SO,
Il monarchy would be the result; and it
may be equally fortunate that they are not
alone accessible to those less favored, for
then we might find ourselves under gov
eminent granting unbounded license when
restriction should be had.
1t is, however, the soundest wisdom that
they take in all conditions and ranks in
life, for by natural law they must grad
uate from this Heterogeneous mass those
who arc both able to found and rule le-
publics.
The office work of our public schools
, is not only formative, but reformative.-
They, the chools, are not merely to keep
safely those pupils under their care COM
ing from pure and virtuous homes, but
| they are to exercise their redemptive pow
ers by taking in and saving those boys
and girls who have been lost for the rdnt
of hone. repeat then, that there can
be no interest so vital to any people as
that of our public schools. When and
how much shall we do for them will for
ever remain an important question for us
to answer; and what we shall MT do for
them is equally important. We should
not hold them responsible for what the
home and the Sabbath sccools should have
done for the children. If more or less
frequently, We have pupils who are pro-
fame and untruthful, the public should
not affirm that the schools have no regard
for moral instruction. You will find
faults and immoralities in all the profess
sions, and yet they ale not necessary un-
favorable criticisms upon the department
/ of life in which they are found. We &C.
casionally hear Of some moral and relig-
ious trader who has fallen from dizzy
height, and yet how absurd it would be to
conclude that morality and religion had
become less desirable and worthy by rea-
son of this fall.
cannot we'll forget with what exceed
ing pleasure ], a few years since, frequent
ly listened to the preaching of an able
divine in an eastern State, and under the
shadow of the most orthodox city in New
England. Vivividly do Inow remember
the last discourse from his lips, and l then
thought it his best and most eloquent
His subject was the visit of Christ at the
home of Mary and Martha, in Bethany.
His description of the situation of Betha-
ny among the hills surrounding Jerusalem
could not we'll be surpassed. His keen
analysis of the disposition and character
of the two sisters of Lazarus was so real
and lifelike that you could hardly help
seeing the loving and devoted Mary as she
sat amounting the feet of Jesus with the
precious ointment, ana then wlplng His
feet with her hair; while Martha was anx-
ious and troubled concerning the hospital
ity that her house should give her Lord
and Master. / can now recall the pious
tones of the reverend man as he repeated
those sacred words: "And Jesus answer.