Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-31
" belongs to them and for nothing more.

ly belongs to them and for nothing more.
But we are pssitsreIy 10 assist our schools
andl moao wish to speak only of the office
of County Superintendent as thus assisting
them. We have the testimony OF score
of States as to the great benefit to our
schools coming from this supervisory
office.
Hon. John Eaton, Commissioner of
Public instruction in this country, wrote
me but few days since that Massachu-
sets is now agitating the question of cs-
tablishing some official supervision inter-
mediate between the general one of the
State Board and its Secretary, and the To-
cal one of the town officers.
1t is an admitted fact on the part of our
best educators that tie office of county su-
perintendent of schools is an essential one
and the strongest argument that can be
brought to bear upon this point is the
help that the office has already given to
our present system of public instruction
In order that this supervisory office
should prove itself thoroughly efficient,
there is need that it should be better I'M
derstood and appreciated by the public
The Office should. without delay, be more
amply and justly remunerated
The reason why it has not and does not
now receive what pecunlarly belongs to it
is on the same principle that one does not
sec the necessity, or is unwilling to give
of his means for continued health while
well, and yet is not only ~illing, but anr-
ious to spend his last penny, if need be,
to recover his health when once it is
lost.
There is but little fault found with the
fact that our county Shcriffs receive from
two to four thousand dollars per year for
their services; and why? Not because they
reform the criminal, but simply for the
reason that they detect him and bring him
before the law, and for time check him
in his career. Would it not have been a
wiser arrangement to have expended more
largely of our means in having so educat-
ed the boy that society might have had
another worthy citizen added to its list, in
place of another criminal in our jaiis and
prisons:
The patrons of our schools should in
sist that the salary paid our county super
intendcnts should at least be equal in
amount to that paid to any other county
officer; for this supervisory Office Is GER
tainly not inferior to the other Offices of
the county.
The difficulty has been, that with all
our professed love for the schools, they
have still been the first point of attack
whenever we have wished to save pen
ny from the burdensome tax of which we
annually complain. would emphasize
the fact, that larger expenditures in green
backs, and this, too on gold basis,
should be made by the public for the de.
partment OF county supervision.
Another important duty that we owe
this office is our moral support. The eff
ficiency of the county superintendent will
be increased an hundred fold when he
feels that We recognize and appreciate the
worth and magnitude of his official duties.
We are not to unfavorably criticise when
some friend of ours may fail to receive a
license to teach, but we should, even in
such failure of our friend, willingly
abide by the decision of the supcrintcn
dent and give him our personal assistance
for by this sworn official act of his, by
which license to teach has been withheld
he has shown great mercy TO your school
besides giving Il strong hint to our FRIEND
tina, he Or she should longer recsioe thai
instruction which the teacher is expected
to.impart.
trust we shall fortify and make strong
er this department of county supervision
by proving ourselves positive friends te
the office We can rest assured that il
such case, increased results will com,
from the schools to us and the State.
| WILSON PALMER.