Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-11-30
Reform in County Government.

luc DOdIu VI OuperVlSOrS OF CuntOf
county, under date Of Oct. 10Th, 1877
have issued an address to the Boards Of
Supervisors throughout the State, ask
ing their aid to bring about certain re.
forms in county government by bring.
ing the subject before the next General
Assembly.
L am not competent to pass upon the
whole address. / shall notice the
sixth" section. "That the Office of
County Superintendent be abolished, as
we are satisfied that it is an useless and
unnecessary expense, and can be con-
veniently dispensed with.
This whole proposition is bold and
savors much of that satisfaction which
comes Of the want Of knowledge. The
more person knows Of his calling and
its connections with other branches, the
less is he satisfied with present attain
ments in that calling. Whenever we
find man who is satisfied, We find a
man who is grossly ignorant of his sur
roundings, or else obtuse and stoically
indifferent to everything.
Ii from principle the blow is aimed
at the Office, why not say, We are salts
lied that the Office is useless and unnec-
essary. That word expense is a very
prominent factor in the proposition. It
shows the animus of the originator of
the Sixth" and, if fairly interpreted,
the reading would be: "We are salts
fled that the Office is useless and unnec-
essary because it costs some money"
Some men there are who are perfect
ly satisfied with scrub cattle. The man
who would pay $500 for COW they are
ready to vote insane Again, there are
persons who pay willingly thousands of
dollars for small herd of cattle, or
hundreds of dollars for fine hogs and
sheep, and then devote their time to the
oversight of these animals, or employ
experienced persons to oversee them,
yet many of these same persons deny
the principle Of supervision when ap-
piled to schools for children and youth,
and are ready and anxious to vote sup
ervision Of schools useless, unnecessary
and expensive.
That the system is expensive when
measured by its results in general, can
very safely be denied That it costs
some money no one will deny Have
our proposers calmly investigated and
inquired into the workings of the sys-
tenn in general? Did they, as rational
men, after a full investigation, come to
this conclusion? Did they inquire into
the workings of the County Superinten-
dency in twenty eight of our States and
five OF our Territories? Did they then
inquire into the condition of the COM
mon district schools of those States not
employing this agency? Did they then
compare notes? Without such full and
free investigation, an opinion, a judy
ment, is worthless. | am credibly in
formed that they did not so much as to
consult their own people. am also in
formed that their action in this respect
does not meet the appreciation of the
educators OF Clinton, neither does it
meet the approval of the people in gen
eral of Clinton county. In his report
of 1875, the State Superintendent of
Minnesota says: 1T may be we'll to in
quire how this Office is viewed in neigh
boring States. There have been rumors
Of dissatisfaction with the system in
Iowa, Q87Q. Upon careful inquiry, it
appears that the opponents of the sys-
tenn in that State have not stood among
the most enlightened and earnest friends
of popular education" The opposition
to the system comes mainly from those
who are not fully acquainted with the
nature of school work: from those who
think that all that is necessary for
good school is for some person to 20 in
to the schoOl-room and hold the text
book while the pupil repeats few def
nitions; from those who think common
schools ION ,,colacc opI ox
pense, and can be conveniently dispens-
ed WITH from those who reason, upon
all things connected with schools, at
least, in the following manner: The
sum of eight and eight is sixteen; the
square root of sixteen is four; that is,
the square root of the sum of two num-
bers is rational; therefore, the square
root OF the sum Of any two quantities is
rational quantity. Actual trial leads
us to many irrational results, and shows
us that the conclusion as to general
law, in this case, is irrational
Is it the spirit of our government to
subordinate brain to beef? Is it the
spirit OF our government to furnish
safe asylum, sure retreat for money
getters only? Is the glory Of our ma
ton in her millions of dollars, or is it in
her intelligent and educated masses?
Then why attempt to weaken our school
system? Do away with the Superinten-
dcncy whenever you are sure you can
give us some system more efficient.
For three men, Ostensibly the repre-
sentatives OF their county, to sit down
and put forth such broad declaration.
is, to say the least, in bad taste. 1t
smacks much of a forlorn hope for
cheap glory.
That it Is IAN useless and unnecessa-
ry expense, and can be conveniently dis
pensed with, " is reserved for future
article. w. f. PARKER.