The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-18

THE Journal of Education takes
issue with the superintendent on the
Baldwin high pressure plan of man
aging the schools of the state. The
superintendency feature, it thinks, Is
little too much of feature. 1t sum
marizes it as follows: There Is the
superintendency feature, comprising
four classes of superintendent, viz:
State superintendent, who shall super
wise the next in rank, or district SUI
perintendents, who, in their turn, shall
supervise the third and fourth in rank,
or precinct, or city, or village superin-
tendents. Extra duty is imposed on
the precinct superintendent, he being
required to teach the precinct high
school, in addition to supervising all
the schools in his precinct" Further
in its review the Journal says:
In addition to this field staff of SUI
perintendents, the doctor proposes a
corps of subordinate officers designa-
ted precinct school directors" whose
duty it shall be to direct the school
affairs of their respective precincts.
The doctor further proposes two edu-
cational councils, respectively coun-
ty and state council The latter, he
suggests, could do much to remove
friction" but, unfortunately for the
doctors plan, under the constitution
of this state, said council cannot be
clothed with power to furnish the
character OF lubricating material,
which his system of supervisory
wheels within supervisory wheels de-
mands, i. e., money The legislature Is
the only branch OF government which
can furnish the fabrication neces-
sary to make the wheels of govern
ment run smoothly, and II the doctor
OF the advocates of his plan, will eX-
anime, if accessible, the files of any of
the leading state newspapers pub
lished in 1871 and ~, or do what is
more convenient-if he or they will
consult some well-informed tax-pay-
ing citizen who was a resident of the
state at that time, and learn OF him
with what adherence he or his fellow
citizens regarded the system of district
supervisors, and precinct directors as
then enforced, the effect will be to
sensibly weaken the faith in hope
that the eighteenth legislature, or any
other legislature that may be elected
by the people of Texas for the next
half century will repeat the folly, tC
use no harsher term, of the twelfth
legislature in reference to school leg
islation, and particularly in reference
to this matter of district supervisors
and precinct taxation.
This is moderate view of the sys
TEN, as taken by paper claiming tt
be the friend of Prof. Baldwin anC
party-the friend of his plan of edn
cation. But in spite of their friend
ship, the journal asserts that "NC
argument can convince an intelligent
legislator that public money would b'
wisely expended in paying an annua
salary of $500 to district school super
intendents, whose duty, under tn,
law, would be an impossibility, viz: tt
supervise the schools embraced in thu
limits of a senatorial district, eXcep
in such districts, and they are bu
few, where the district and the county
are identical. To be valuable to TIN
state, school supervision must b.
direct, constant and personal
Such supervision can only exis
where the schools are numerous
and the territory small" Of cours
the views of the Journal are not il
the nature of harsh criticism, since i
does not object much in the scheme
and we give its views, in part. simpl,
to show how this most earnest ad
vocate of education, the Texas Jour
nal of Education, objects to pro
posed system which the STATESMAN
treats with ridicule, because it is
most unreasonable piece of presump
ton on the part of these superintend
ents, who have an eye on the schoo
fund.