The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-05
THE SCHOOLS.
are They Conductedio for the PEG
pies Benelit?

AEA6
Are They Conductediio for the PEG
/. pies Benefit?
To the EdItor Of the Cleveland Herald.
Everybody understands the character
istic difference between what Is called Z
common education and 4 kbaal education
It'll the duty Of the State toproyids By
public taxation the means Of educating
allher youth in the branches Of scom-
mon English education, which includei
reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, &c
ogrAphy and grammar, and very little
II anything more. Whenthe State has done
this she haS reached her constitutional
limits as IN educator other youth. II wa
the intention Of the trainers Of the Consti'
tuition 70 leave whatever pertains 10 . lib
erAl education to individual and corpor-
alive enterprise, to academies, colleges
and universities. The. frat Two or three
high schools which were established In
this State were authorised by special en-.
actment. The general school law Of 1858
authorized High schoolst to be established
in districts where desired, ona majority
vote Of the electors. Nearly all the High
schools In the State were erected under
the provisions Of this law.
In 1873 the school laws were codided,
and this very wholesome provision, re-
quiring 4 popular vote, a \ preliminary
step in establishing a High school, was
omitted, and 8 general authority granted
to Boards Of Education TO establish
" schools Of higher grads than primary
whenever they should deem itpfoper or
necessary for the conduct and welfare Of
the educational interests Of the district."
This provision seems not less attfal In its
phraseology than unwise in It's policy.
In fact, Il smacks more Of The schoolmas-
ter than OF the statesman; and, II We are
not mistaken, the Legislature, 10 granting
this unlimited power, were oyerreached.
In addition to this tho Boards were au.
thorirsd to exercise the independent
right to levy taxes and Issue bonds for
school purposes-arig right which ought not
to have been granted. In consequence OF
this loose and %unguarded Legislation We
now see all sorts Of schools established,
especially in our cities, without much re.
gard to cost or public necessity. In all
probability the Wilson Avenue high
school would not have been erected had
the question Of Its erection been first sub
mitted to q vote Of the city. As 1t is, we
are unable to zee what good use eau be
made oft. II some Of u e%uterprisipg
and wealthy citizens who advocate the re-
moval Of the Western Reserve College to
Cleveland would associate themselves a.
u corporation, purchase II, and convert 1t
into irregular college, itmight be made,
perhaps, not only useful to the public, but
creditable TO the city.
In connection with our common school
system there has grown up within the last
twenty years an organized armyof pro-
feaionaI educatorsi in this state, who have
souRht TO make the business OF teaching
the young idea how to shoot one Of
the " learned professions They prac-
tically assume that the common schools
OF the State have been confded to them,
and that they have the right TO dictate
the school legislation Of the State.
They hold monthly, quarterly, and snnu.
al conventions, and are evidently dispo.
sed to act in concert in reference to all
matters pertaining to Their newborn pro.
f%ession. In this way they seek not only
to enlarge both their moral and political
power, but succeed remarkably well in
enlargipg their salaries. The superin-
tendent OF our city schools receives 8 sal
airy Of $4,000, while the Supreme judges
Of the State, whose services and abilities
to say the least, are not " much INFERIOR
to his, receive asalary OF but $4,000.
But all this merely proves that " some
things y can be done as we'll rs others.
We think tie time has come when the
people should determine whether or not
the public schools belong to them, and
whether they have any rights regarding
them other than the privilege Of paying
the onerous taxes required for their sup
port. We must have r~etrenchmeut for
our school expenditures. This We can
have without mpairing in the least the
efficiency Of our schools. In order to do
this, the FIRST step should be to dispense
with theispresent useless machinery,
and reoreanire them in u much less COM
plicated way. We believe that the school
fund should be applied directly and
faithfully TO. the equal education OF the
masses Of our youth, and that the degree
OF education thus given should be limi-
ted TO a good, common Eoglishe education.
This Is certainly all that is necessary to
secure intelligent citizenship. II q more
liberal education than this is desired ii
should be left to individual enterprise.
The State has no authority togive It's
youth q liberal or professional education
atthe public expense. Yet our School
Board have established aNormal school
without authority Of law, and are sus-
tanning 1t at the public expense. 1n its
character 1t Is purely a professional "
school, designed to "teach the teachers
in the arts and mysteries OF the my
system" at a cost Of some 5000 u year.
Il is no more the duty of astaee 10 edn-
cate professional teachers than It Is to
provide by general taxation for the pro-
iessiopal education Of lawyers and doc
tors and clergymen. Il Is to be hoped
that the newly elected Board Of Ednca'
tion will take the control OF the public
schools into their own hands, and radi.
calIy reform them in respect to their
complicated machinery and e%xtrayagant
expenditures, and in this way increase
their direct efficiency n common schools
COMMON SCHOOLS.