Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-08
leisure in collecting statistics and information
intended to disparage the schools Of st. Paul,
and advertise himself to the world as radi-


intended to disparage the schools Of st. Paul,
and advertise himself to the world as radi-
cal reformer.
An examination of some of the allegations
contained in this remarkable communication
IN the light of facts that can be furnished if
desired, will be in order at this time.
Let me premise here that Mr.. Dana is
almost a stranger in the West. He has been
resident of st. Paul but few months. He
had never visited and inspected our schools
when he made his debut as their critic. At
that time he had not conferred with mem
Der OF the board of education in regard to
our general policy. He had not conyersed
with our teachers, SO far as the common
schools could ascertain, in regard to the in
ternal economy of the schools. He has
never sought any information from the SUI
perlntendent. He has never inspected the
records, the statistics, nor the examination
papers of the pupils of the schools. He has
never taken step, so far as we can learn,
to procure the facts on which an honest man
would desire to base his opinions, before e1-
pressing them through the medium of the
insinuations and ungenerous inuendoes, and
vicious charges from Christian pulpit.
If Mr.. Dana had called on
the superintendent, he could have
obtained all the information and facts which
he has collected by other methods and much
more bearing on this subject, and after COM
pairing them with the authentic records and
statistics of the board he would have been
| much better qualified to pronounce a correct
| Judgment in regard to the organization and
work of our schools. While he ostensibly
aims his criticisms at the organic defects of
our system and at the rules and methods of
the board, he by implication holds the super
lntendent directly responsible for all of
them. He seems to forget, II he has ever
known, that the superintendent is a subor-
dinate officer, having no vote, and acting in
no ministerial or judicial capacity. but act
| ing simply as the executive officer of the
board. He has no voice in the enactment
of the rules nor in the appointment and
dismissal of teachers, nor in the expulsion
of pupils, for all these functions belong ex-
clusiYeiy to the board.
| If Mr.. Davis had made candid and care
| ful comparison of our system with those OF
| the several cities named IN his communities
ton, he would have discovered remarkable
similarity between them, and that ours does
not suffer in the comparison. Most of the
/ features which he would commend in them
are prominent in ours. He has suggested
nothing new or startling, We can justly
claim for our system equal merit with the
systems of other cities. The foundations of
our system were laid by such men as DR.
Neill and DIR. Mattocks, and they were well
laid. True, most of them are older than
ours, and have some features which are no
found in ours. Music and drawing are il
most of the schools in the large cities of the
West. They serve to embellish a school ane
render it attractive and interesting to visitors
[, for one, shall welcome the time when tn,
schools of st. Paul can take rank with TIL
best in these very important branches Ct ed
ucation. But in the face of grave financial
questions our board has not felt justified i,
increasing the burdens of the people to Sc
curs these long coveted Improvements.