The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-01-11
Try H.
my administration, but from


feet TO the system established IN texas I'M
der the constitution OF 1861
The leading features OF the system at
tempted to be imposed upon the STATE are
the creation of separate department OF
the government the appointment OF
state superintendent, district supervisors
aud county superintendent, with power TO
control the whole machinery 1.-THE schools
and matters relating to them, ana with
competent salaries for their support; also
a special tax levied 10 support the schools, |
and their vast independent machinery Of
officers, for nine or ten months III the year, I
with an increase in tue period oil scholastic |
age, ana a consequent enlargement OF de- !
grees of education TO be paid for by the |
state.
Such a separate scholastic establishment ,
would annually cost more money than the
whole amount of taxes collected OF the
people of Texas for all the expenses oil the
government. 1t would lead to a central
control that would supefcede the local con-
troll of the schools. There are nov seven
thousand teachers Of those schools, with a
regular increase every year. This numer-
Gus body of teachers would be embodied in
"A common purpose of selt-agerandizement
by this central controlling power, and
would exert an influence all over the state
! for more aud greater advantages for the
whols class OF persons engaged in this bust
ness The tax payer would grudgingly pay
| his special school tax, as it would increase
| from time to time, and it would become
odous, as most special taxes for the benefit
| of a class of persons are Other interests in
/ the administration of the government, that
| would be less favored would COmbue and
make war on it as a political machine work
| ing for class legislation. II would finally
be alb tndoned, il not Gas simllsr system
| formerly cXisting) in disgust, at least as I'M
practicable.
The moving cause of this effort is not that
four, five and six months RS now taught in
the common schools each year, for six
years, is not sufficient to teach children
reasonably well in the branches of common
education heretofore named, but because IL
does not give constant employment ana
adequate compensation to competent teach
ers, and the standard of common education
is not sufficiently high. These objects are
certainly very desirable, when their attain
ment shall become practicable.
But the question Is how, and by what
means, shalt their attainment become
practicable. Surely, the state is not bound
20 provide for u higher standard of educa-
ton for the masses of its people, than that
which will tit them for intelligent citizen.
ship in republican government. The
, standard fixed in law is certainly high
enough 10 enable the masses of people gen.
orally, who receive the benefit OF it, to have
? that general diffusion of knowledge, which
is essential to the preservation OF the
: liberties and rights of the people" That is
the object, indicated by the constitution,
aud OF necessity fixes implicitly limta ion
, upon the power ana GJly oftaxation for that
object Anything in excess ofthat is beyond
any established theory or principle OF the
/ obligation of the state TO promote the
general education OF the masses of its pee.
, pie Something else, than an increased and
special taxation, must be resorted to. .Our
many millions of acres of school lands may
{ be utilized by sale or lease, so as to largely
increase the available school fund to be an
, nually distributed as it has been doing for
+ few years past still 1t will be found when
that fund fully natures, the rapid increase
of our population will before many decades
have caught up with it, so that its proper
ton to the scholastic population will Their
, be no greater than it is now, after which
s time it will gradually get less.
o The only practical permanent remedy fol
the attainment of the desirable objects tina
@ have been named will be found in the ell
/ enlargement of more towns and cities to as
A sumo the control of their own schools il
!. the formation of permanent school districts
in the counties wherein the residents car
tax themselves when the population be
/. comes sufficiently dense (Which will require
q Il change in the Constitution); and unit
, that can BE- done, III arouSing public senti
If ment in favor of higher education. that viii
q induce free public schools to be attended b!
\ a greater humber of scholars not within
1, the scholastic age, the compensation to
= whose tuition by those who receive the ben
q eft of it will gradually lengthen the term
! OF the schools ana .pcrease the compensa
q ton of the teachers. a..
>. The state having filled the measure OF Ii
,r duty, reliance must be placed on local taNs
! ton aud compensation from the individual
1 benefited to furnish the means for longe
, terms better pay, ana higher standard {
a, education in the public free schools of tn
"a state. And this must be the case under tn
present system, or under any other tina
A may supplant it, without imposing sue
l. burdens OF taxation upon the people as the
will not bear any length of time. Amen,
10 ments may, and doubtless will, re mad
q upon the present school law to perfect
oi more and more, from time to time, as i
defects are made known in its practic
D. operation.
a one OF the greatest obstacles in the wa
NJ of reaching proper conclusions by ed
Gators, and many other friends of educatio
" is their constant failure to keep strictly
u. view the specific objects of the state in il
10 shutting public schools, as indicated,by IL
N constitution and laws of the state.
ne They habitually devise plans for gener
education, irrespective of the school
10 which 1t is to be taught; whereas the obje
81 of the state IN regard to each school lisp
q ciiic For instance, the public free schoo
,r are instituted and regulated by the consl
tuition and law to teach the mass of poop
NJ such branches only rs are necessary for /
q, telligent citizenship in q republican COVER
~ ment Normal schools are instituted
a. train and perfect the education of pup
nv sufficiently to enable them to be compete
~ teachers in the public tree sshoo
he Summer normal institutes are designed
il tain and improve teachers who are
id ready engaged in the business of teachin
The institutes tor the deaf and dumb al
10 for the blind, are designed to teach pup
-, such things as will best enable them
IN supply the want of the lacking faculties,
ri, far rs practicable.
al The Agricultural aud Mechanical cole
nv is designed to teach learning in agricultu
"a and the mechanic arts, and the natural s.
of euces connected Herewith.
si The university is designed to teach {
ed higher grades OF Learning and science, a
ho 10 qualify persons for The learned prof
m SONS.
So A proper appreciation OF these spec
dc objects will serve rs u guide in the estima
III of what should be taught, and of the exte
90 of the means to be used in their suppo
nr respectively.
W Respectfully refer you to the reports
nj the board of cdu cation, OF the board Of
ms gents of the university, and other repo
nj. o!thusc institutions, with request Tor
~ due consideration ofthe facts present
,oI aud recommendations therein contained
N. STATE ESEcurlvE OFFICERS AND rMrLo,