The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-10-18
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF SCHOOLS.
why Men of All Parties are Support
ing Miss Kirkpatrick.

ing MISS A1rkpatr1cK.
at meeting of republicans and demo
Gratis, held in the Office Of A, E. Cutter,
last Tuesday evening, for the purpose of
preparing an address to the people of the
county advocating the election of Miss
Annie Kirkpatrick to the Office of county
superintendent of schools, a committee was
appointed for that purpose, and the fol-
lowing has been prepared and handed us
for publication:
To the People of Roch; Island County:
A large number of citizens of all parties
believing that the duties of County Super
intendent of Schools can be as WE'LL and in
some respects more acceptably performed
by lady of recognized executive ability
and experience as a teacher and unques-
toned scholarship, have obtained the con-
sent of Miss Annie kirkpatrick to use her
name as an independent candidate for that
Office. There are now in this state quite
a number of ladies who have been elected
to that position, and in every instance re-
ported they have given entire satisfaction,
and, we believe, have been unanimously
nominated for reelection-in many cases
without opposition.
The practical art of education and in
struction is the foremost of all the arts
known to civilized man. Happily this
country has done much toward the per-
lection of this art-frst, in laying down
what to teach; and, second. how to teach it.
Education has, in recent times, under
gone great Improvement in almost all its
details.
1t difficult matter for any one to pro
nounce an opinion upon the best way to
; inform the intellect and mould the char
acter of the young, but we believe that the
reputation of Miss Kirkpatrick as a
disciplinarian aud her ability and success
In our city schools has given her better
} idea of those duties than any of her COM
petitors.
1t is most sdesirable that the course of
instruction pursued in our country schools
should be equal to our city schools, and IN
selecting our superintendent and teachers
natural aptitude and acquired skill should
be our first consideration. Mics Kirk
patrick has already proven that she has
abundance of both.
Such an important Office as County
g Superintendent of Schools should be con
a sidered on higher grounds than mere politi
cal partizanship, or to provide a sinecurt
> Office for some politician. Candidates
u should be selected entirely on their merits
q and not because he or she belongs to any
f particular political party. Neither are The
= best candidates always selected by leaving
= the matter altogether in the hands of pro
fessionial politIcians-even though the!
F. may have been elected to- the office before
I'll l.
efficient teacher in our city schools 70
) the past nine years, and is now Prineipa
y OF the Fourth ward schools. All vii
3 therefore admit that she has had ampl,
u experience, and, com bined with her natura
i aptitude, qualifications, love ofthe profess
q ion, great industry, and her determination
u if elected, to assidiously apply herself t
u the duties of the Office will. no doubt, brin
II the schools of this county up to as high
standard as any in the state,
U The employment of ladies as teacher
y has been so universally approved by tn
Is people that to offer any other authorit
would be useless. As to the satisiactio
E. given by ladies as county superintendent
D. 1t is only necessary TO copy letter pub
- lished in the Chicago Legal Neaos,
= September 22d, and it will, we think
III justify us in announcing the name Of Mis-
E. Kirkpatrick as a candidate for that ofict
ne 1t is as follows:
Ds WOMEN AS SCHOOL OFFICERS.
1y The following letter addressed to Juds
or Bradweil 10 relation to Miss West, scho
superintendent of Kbox county, is fro
u Mr. Waldo. of Altoona, an old scho
&c teacher.
altoona, Sept. 81, 1877.
Hon. James B. Bradwell
Dear Sir:-Kuowing that you, as ii
arthor of the bill making women eligib
de to school Offices in this state, take dee
ay interest in the practical workings of Il
Is. law, it gives me pleasure to be able TO s;
MS that during my residence here 10 tn
a county, more than twenty years. zoe ha
lie. aeUer had so competent q superintendent
Ias our present incumbent. Mss West, of Gale
90, burg; and this is admitted by nearly IF n
he oil interested, and as a proof of her pop
10 larity, she has been unanimously nomiu
xt ted for a second term. This is compete
evidence that she is very highly Apr
OF clated. M B. WALDO. !"
eo We appeal 70 all heads of families al
ere all patriotic we'll wishers of our schC
De system to support Miss kirkpatrick at Il
eo coming eection-not in the behalf or
e, the success of political party, but 10 4
interest of the sacred, great, and go
no cause Of the education of the young.
us Respectfully, THE COMMITTEE.
fm Rock Island Oct IS 1877