The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-11-01
PROFESSOR sTOCKDALE

Professor Stockdale, the Democratic
candidate for county superintendent o
schools, having been away from home dur
ing the last month or two on a trip east
mainly on account of his health, ha!
made no canvass of the county, and his in
terests as candidate have been rather ne
elected. Indeed, even this reference 10 him
might not have been made had 1t not beer
for an exceptionally coarse and venomou:
attack upon HIM in late number of the
Ottawa Republican, the substance OF which
Is, that the Professor never had any expe-
rience as a teacher except as superintend
ent of the schools of the city of Peru, and
that his work there was failure, he hay
ing nearly killed the Peru schools"
Such venom is ineXcusable under any
circumstances, but It Is doubly so and
shameful when it Is false. Mr. Stockdsle
had been engaged for years as teacher in
Philadelphia before he came to Illinois,
and brought with him the highes, testimo-
mails of his competency. No one with any
knowledge of his career as teacher IN
Philadelphia will be bold enough to claim
but that his experience or grade as an ed
ucator is vastly above that Of his rival,
Mr. Rinaldo Williams.
At Peru he succeeded in charge Of the
city schools Prof Powell, now of Aurora,
confessedly one of the best educators in
the state, yet it is the united testimony Of
every citizen Of Peru we have conversed
with that the schools of that city rapidly
advanced under the administration of
Prof Stockdale, which commenced IN 1870,
to much higher state OF efficiency and
excellence than they had ever attained IN
der Prot. Powell, and maintained that
grade to the end Of his connection with
them, which occurred in 1873. tits strange
that If Prof. Stockdale was such fail.
ure" that the school authorities of the city
never found 1t out during eight long years,
nor at the end Of them, for when the Pro-
fessor left the schools to engage with his
sons IN the grain business, we believe,
they appear to have received the announce
ment with regret, for they unanimously
passed, in connection with the event, the
following resolution;
In reference to the communication from
the Superintendent announcing his pur-
pose to retire from the position he has so
long held in our schools, at the expiration
Of the present term, the Board of Educa.
ton adoptsithe following minute and d.
rscts that 1t be placed upon the records:
The Board recognizes the valuable services
rendered by Mr.. Stockdale to our schools
during his eight years lricumbency Of the
Office OF superintendent; that under his
management the standard of scholarship
has been steadily raised; that the grading
and organization of the various depart
ments have been improved; that the order
and discipline Of the schools have been
maintained with great success; that the
zeal of the pupil IN the performance Of
school work and the pursuit OF knowledge
has been awakened and stimulated; that
the number of scholars remaining to com
ple,c the full course has largely increased,
and that good work has been accom-
plished in this field of education. And
when the time to sever his connection with
our schools, as indicated In his communi-
cation, shall arrive, Mr. Stockdale will car
ry with him our best wishes for his pros
perIty and leave with us pleasant recollec-
lions OF his uniform urbanity in all the re.
lations he has sustained TO us.
AS to his failure to take a leading
part IN Mr.. Williams's periodical teachers
institutes or drills 1t is probably true that
Mr.. Stockdale, like many other excellent
teachers we could name, never manifested
any special fancy for these annual teach
ers' picnics. 1t is but just however, to Mr.
Williams, the present county superlntend
ent, TO say that he has always spoken Of
the excellency of the Peru schools under
Mr.. Stockdale's supervision, and We be
lleve he is too much of a gentleman to
galnsay it now when he is the opponent of
Mr. Stockdale for the county Office.