The Russellville Democrat., 1876-06-01

velopment or our agricultural
 mineral and manufacturing inter
 ests depend upon our intelligence
 and education, the better will be
 our chance and the sooner will WIG
 realize the prosperity we all hope
 for in the future. The truth is
 that we as state, are far, very
 far behind many of the other
 states, and far below the standard
 to which we must aspire, and for
 which we must all work, if we ev-
 CT expect to sustain respectable
 rivalry and position, such as we
 covet among the other states of
 the Union. We all want iinmi-
 grants and capital, but such as we
 want and such as would do us the
 most good, are quite unwilling to
 abandon the free schools and ed
 ucated society which they have
 assistedin building up, and bring
 their families to a state where
 there are none, and among a peo-
 pie who show but very little in
 tercst in their development or es-
 tablishment. 1 have within the
 past month converscd with more
 than fifty families who have set
 tied in our state during the past year and every one of them have
 mentioned as their greatest griev-
 ance the fact that they had no good schools. We all know that these complaints are too true, and
 feel the press of the whole state, and all the people of education and enlightened views must take
 hold of this matter and tell about it, and write about it, and act about it, and see if this scandal and reproach upon our good name and reputation cannot be remov- ed. Our educational, like all our other interests and resources, must be worked up' and devel- oped, and it is going to take time and labor to do it, and we should be careful at this late day that we make no mistakes, as we have no time to waste in experiments, but we should adopt such tried and successful means as we know is best calculated to accomplish the desired purpose and in the least possible time. The first and most important of the means to be used ill this great work is the state superintendent of public in struction.
 As this office is not political in it's character, or should not be, no more than the supreme court of the state, the only question should be the peculiar adaptabil- ity for the position" of the person who may be selected, as is so well expressed in the article which you have already published. He should be already thoroughly qualified and posted up' upon the duties of the office. We can not at this late day afford to take any man, no matter how learned, or how good, or how much service he may have rendered the state in some other capacity, and wait for h.m to become educated up to a proper knowledge of the duties required. He should possess good administrative abilities, and be capable of selecting, organizing and directing the influences and means which can be brought to bear upon his work. He should be well posted on wha ,thas been lone and is now being done in other states, He should be en ,husiastic in his labor, and capa- bic of infusing the same spirit in- % others, and of removing the old preiudices of the people, in order to make our schools and | school system popular among hem, that they may become the pride of every community, as they | Ire in other states. He is to be | he pilot of the ship, and should | lnow well, in advance, the course hat he is to sail, that he may lvoid the shoals, and rocks and 'nags upon which ether states as we'll as Arkansas, have nearly oundercd their school interests. No matter how learned or indus rious, or how high his moral tanding and intellectual ability, 'r how good his intentions, if he loes not thoroughly understand he genius of free schools in their practical workings at the present ime, and their bearing and influ- 'nce upon our interests and desti- " in the future, he will be con inually at work in the dark, his administration will be inefficient, nd worse than worthless, by dis ppointing all in their hopes of uccess, and bring additional re 'roach and rnpopularity upon he whole system. BRINK.
 A Trenton bankrupt always alue0 his poSSpssinnC ohovo no,,