The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-02-17
IN DEFENSE OF sJEE SYSTEM.


our school system to be faulty or entirel,
wrong thought that the case furnished {
| good illustration for their views; namely
| that examinations are no tests of fitness
for teaching, that competent applicants
may fail to attain the required standing
etc. Here is what The Chronicle says
''One of the peculiarities of the system
| of examining teachers in this state Il
| shown by the fact that the man who stands
| at the head of the teachers Of this coun-
| ty, as regards position and wages, stands
at the foot as regards the ''grade" assign
ed him by the County Superintendent
and earned by him ct the examination.
To those who have unbounded faith in
the system, who believe that ready
knowledge of arithmetic and grammar,
coupled with the ability to read and write
and spell, is all and everything, and that
a broad and comprehensive knowledge,
classical, scientific as well as general, is
nothing, to those, we say, this may seem
a little unjust. While the system is all
right as a general rule, it must be re-
membered that education is not in al
SttoCS W UC lCSLCAl b1 tllC VI 1NiICS
or readiness and accuracy ia figures. The
tests of efficiency the law requires the
County Superintendents to make, often
pass into the rank of teachers now -a-days
persons who would not be found there
years ago when the only test employed
was the ability of some big scholars to
''stump the teacher.
Commenting on the Professors
resignation, The Tribune says:
''There is q very strong impression
prevailing that the causes which led to
his resignation are not such as should be
allowed to influence officers who have by
mere chance been elevated to the head of
the county system. ''The opinion
is becoming prevalent that the entire
system of common school education
should undergo radical change"
The same paper also says:
''The feeling is very general on the
North Side, that our school should be re-
ieved from the interference of the Coun-
ty Superintendent"
The Tribune attacks both the system
and the superintendent. 1t, however,
points out no defects in the former and
prefers no specific charges against the
latter. The editor seems to infer the
professors" efficiency chiefly from the
reputation which he is said to possess.
Had the editor specifically charged any
malfeasance in Office, [ should know how
to meet him on that ground; had he
pointed out faults in the law relating to
teachers examinations, useful discus
sion might be the result, but as he tries
to make people believe that the 'sPro-
fessor'' was wronged, by calling attention
to the great things he is about to accomp-
fish and the high position he is about to
fill, nothing is left to me but to call at
tention to some errors. The Tribune
says:
''Prof. McMahon has been appointed
professor of English Literature OF the
University of France, which would rath-
er indicate that he is not the "pretender"
that our sage q County Superintendent
would have people believe"
The Pilot says:
"Prof. McMahon, lately principal of
the High School, hasjust finished trans
lation from the French, of Mons. Bredif's
celebrated work, ''The Eloquenee of
Demosthenee, or Political Eloqnence in
Greece" the author of the work named
is President of the University of France,
and one of the ablest scholars III Europe.
Prof. McMahon's translation of the work
Just mentioned has secured for him the
offer of the chair of English Literature
in the Academy of Chambery, one Of the
six departments into which the Univer-
sity Of France is divided. He has &C.
cepted the offer and leaves for Europe III
a few weeks to enter upon his new du-
ties"
The Pilot also says:
PROF. Mcmahon leaves fer Chicago
to day where he will remain for couple
of weeks experimenting the publication
of his book, which is being brought out
by Jansen, McClurg & Co."
When cur editors wrote the above,
they did not quite know what they were
writing about.
The University of France is not an in
stitution for liberal education, as uni
versity in other countries, but the branch
OF administration under which public in
struction in its universally is placed. It
embraces all the public, primary, second
airy, normal and higher schools of France.
France is divided into sixteen education
al districts called academies. The Acade-
my OF Chambery is one of these. In it
there Is no higher school OF science and
literature and consequently no professor
ship Of English literature. The word
professor is not used as indisoriminately
IN France IS III this country.
Mons. Bredif is not the president of the
University of France, nor was he ever its
president.
Only q few days ago Jansen, McClurg
y Co., had not yet decided to publish the
Professors" book. There is no doubt
however, that the book will ultimately be
translated, If not by the professor" then
by some one else. There are a number
of good French scholars IN this country
that understand English too, which the
professor" does not.
So much [ must admit: the Professor"
knows how to get on the wings of repu-
tatior. When he came here last fall he
was reported to be graduate of Michi-
gan University. Now, the fact is that he
is neither graduate of this nor of any
other college. He was a student of
Michigan University for one year and a
member OF the sophomore class when lie
left. G. z. FIEBAHN.
The following preamble and resolu-
tons were adopted by Chickerming
Lodge, I. 0. o. f., Of this city.