Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-22

gressive spirits, and uses his position to
hinder what he ought to advance. To ad-
vance is to leave him behind; to gain light
is to expose his darkness.
There is no question that many intelG
gent men, who, while the Office is in poll
tics, feel bound to take care of it, would
yet prefer to see it set free from all politi-
cal alliances.
In view of the evil tendeacies of the
present plan, recommend as the best
which the experience of Other states fur
nishes, the following:
l. That the county superintendent be
chosen for a term of three years, at meet
ing in which every school board shall be
represented by one of its members.
2. That reasonable qualifications of
scholarship and experience be required as
qualification for the Office.
3. That tho duties be more carefully
defined.
4. That provision be made for removal
by the governor, of the illiterate, the i'm
moral, and the inefficient.
cMANoEs IN COUNTY cERT1TIcErEs.
At the convention.of county s1perinten-
dents, afterA general interchange'of views,
it was resolved to advise through the state
superintendent that the subjects of n.y.
giene and civil government BE- added to
the dist Of subjects wequired in the exam
nation fog a second grade certificate.
1offer, for the convention, and very
heartily second, this recommendation.
There is.e generalSconsent to the rule that
teachers holding certificates lower than
| fb,oo Ho Ekc1 II,
ployed. The third grade should be con-
sidered.exceptional, and employed only to
meet the emergencies of scarcity and small
pay.
Thersubjects Of examination mentioned
are most practical, and ought to be at least
somewhat familiar to every teacher.
1T was also recommended that the limit
in age. to which certificate may be is
sued, be not hess than seventeen years.
The reasons in.support OF this recommen
datioE are veg strong. Very frequently
young persons have very screditable schof
astic ability, Jet in their. youth have not.
reached the period of reflection, frmness.
of character and good Judgment necessary
to make it wise, or perhaps really safe, to-
entr1st young children to their care and
management
BY reference to the reports of county
superintendent it will be seen that the
minimum limitation Of the school terms,
as 6 condition for receiving the appor-
tlCnment, should be- changed from three,
to four or five months. All prosperous
districts are satisfied with nothing less
than from seven to nine months. In
most cases in which districts have but
three months of school in the year, there
is more Indifference than poverty, and
nothing but the requirements of law will
gain for the children what they most need,
and what the district can we'll afford. In
cases in which evident hardship is threat
ened. provision might be made that new
districts should be excepted for two or
these reasonsII commend this change to
the consideration of the legislature.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
rs one 0e the district courts has decided
that vaccination Cannot be made c0mpal-
sorg, the superintendent asks Legislation
reqniringsit.
LIBRARIES.
Whatever objection there may be against
projecting men and women of mature
of vice, there can be no question in the
mind of any respectable citizen, that the
state ought to exercise its parental author
ity with the utmost care and strictness for
the protection of our youth against the
power of men whose occupation and gain
are in debasing them in mind and body
by bad literature and as bad companion
ship.
He will he a wise man and q valiant
friend of our children, who shall drive bad
books and papers from street publici&g ,,
aud shall compel dram shops and billiard
halls to exclude boys from their crowded
company.
But take greater interest in recon-
mending the enactment of law that Will
encourage school districts to provide Ii 1
braries of interesting and useful books 4
for their children. If our schools shall
meet the expectations of the people, it
will be, not by cram ming them will the
facts and rules of their text books, to be
laid by with satisfaction when the school
ends, but by cultxating taste for learn
ing, and an inquiring spirit.
CONCLUSION. q
I am quite of the opinion, THAT in care
full survey of our present condition,
~ Will appear G0aL bn0 m8C0r1al
support of the system is satis-s
factory and quite proportienate to the
material development of the state. Very
little money is called for; but the pressing
necessity is, by legislative authority, to
give such direction to the great financial
and intellectual forces now at work, that
the most efficient officers may be selected,
the best plan for the improvement and su-
Pervision of teachers may be esta blished, |
and that the selection of teachers be made
most complete in excluding the incompe-
tent, in choosing the most capable, and
continuing them in service by fair nemun-
GRAFTON, continuous employment and hon
orable promotion.
If all this is to be accomplished, if we
are to continue to its completeness our sys
tenn of common schools, already SO we'll |
established, if it is to meet the demands |
of the people, who are watching most |
studiously the intellectual and moral |
development of their children, it will not, |
think. be questioned that our legislation |
must express the highest principles, the |
best established views and experience of |
our American civilization and that all in