Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-02-07
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY BY
EDGAR SN-OwDENs
FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY :, 1879.
Il must be evident to all who have watched

there Is C01Slueraue parry III tnot podJ w
posed to publ, schools and it is as, evident
that it is sought to feet their destruction by
indirect ueaus, rather than by open and manly
opposition. A school system poorly admlols'
tered i; turo to lose the confidence Of lhs pso
ole, end to that condition some ofthe measures
ut present. awaiting action would % certalo'
if adopted, to redu,s ours The hoarcla! embar'
rsssmen. OF tho Commonwealth has been
tLillfu,!y taken advantage of to undermine tho
public schools on tho pratence OF Necessary
eoouomy, aud, thus many true friends, uncots
tious Of their danger, are ea;rspped I5to assist
ing their enemies.
latel!igent supervision is an absolute necessity
TO a proper school system; teachers must be
,xamined aud zone, but the we'll qualified al
lowed 10 tesct; schools must be regularly
visited; and care mus! be taken that the school
laws, tho result of the experience If may
years ard many place, are faithfully executed.
This is DOW done, or ought TO DO done, By the
clunty supclinteudents. 1t may be that some
ofthese gentlemen fail 10 the proper pcrlor'
msrce OF their responsible duties; it so. let
them be, at orce, removed; but tho sbo.iuon
Of the cHice, IS proposed by the Committee on
Cor:titu,iopal Amendn ents, would leave Cur
schools in the position OF ship Without
pilot. Incompetent men and women would be
employed as teachers, schools would be taught
10 At fashion acd cpered and closed to suit the
convenience Of these teachers, aud the Ia"
would b, obeytd or not, ss it pleased them AN
other proposition is to rcduc, the already small
salaries Of the c)untY kuptriotendents 10
maximum Of 800. From tits. the cities would,
probably, not sutf.r, as all Of them but Alcxan-
dra pay competent man for bis whole time
already, and consider it economy to do 50, and
The seo:iemso who fills The cfioo here, isso sit
uatcd and has suoh love for his BUSINESS
that he would, probably, continue his Wolk Ii
the small salary he receives from tic Stale
were Withdrawn; but 10 the counties, aud es'
psoiay in toe larger oues tho visiting OF schools
would b:como practically impossible, fer the
salary would cot euabls !hs superintendent to
pay bis wsY arcuDd.
The last rrGp1si,ioa iS aimed at The head
of the tys;em The responsibility CT the etiice
of the Superintendent tf Public Instruction IS
sush that il must be held by a man OF crest
ability ard peculiar qualifications and such
q man we tavc 10 Dr. Ruffoer. 1hs &C ion 81
all parties 10 rcecclioe him unanimously proved
copolusivcly that there was then no otjtc!ion
to him, AID whatever cnmity be may have SIEGE
ioc1rrcd, has arisen from his fearless attitude
With respect to public sohocol Interests, PEST
ton which. be il right or wrong, shows at !et
his uDWsvtriDg devotion 10 the Cause which 1t 10
his duly 20 deierd. Yet fur this. as it would
seem, he is TO b, iosultcd 81 paltry reduction
10 his salary, whilst these Of all the other heads
of departments are to belsft Untouched. The
hope a. d, u5t!css, that be will resigp, and that
an ine f6cieut mao. OF au enemy to The pubic
schools, mag be ll.c;cd 10 his place. The
friends Of the system should not be dcudcd by
false protests, and thus be made TO hold on
st the spisoi sni let 20 ct tho buash1le. -
Mere than @ million Ct dollars is expended ali
pualy by the State ard cities and counties. fer
educational 1u5pcsee, aud the fifty odd ttons'
aud raid fer supervision is economically used
in SEEING that it produces the greatest
possible fruit. A farmer OF mschanic working
fifty or hundred bands without SUPERVISION
would DO reokoned a fool; what shall be said OF
o people who initiate him.