The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-11-05
HObgOblins.

W Ille lOWH system OF SCHOOLS because
we believe it fairly indicates the height
and depth of the prejudice or unreason-
ableness with which the system is re-
garded by many who oppose it. Our
correspondent refers to Sec. 597 of the
Revised Laws and pretends to believe
that board of directors exercising the
discretion the section gives might con-
centrate all the school districts of a
town into one, that under other sec
lions they might do other idiotic acts
turning things upside down, and inside
out, in the exercise of only those dis
cretionary powers which the law ordi-
narily gives to town officers. 1t is true
that Sec. 597 says the directors shall,
among other things, prescribe the num-
Der of schools. So does another sec
ton of the laws say that selectmen
shall, as the convenience of the inhab-
itants and the public good require, lay
out, alter and discontinue highways in
towns, but no one supposes that select
men will go ahead in a @ bull-headed "
sort of way, either to lay out expensive
highways promiscuously, or close up all
but one or two of the highways. They
will exercise reason and judgment in
the matter. They will proceed de-
liberately and after due consideration
in this as in all other matters which the
law leaves to their discretion. Just so
will the board of school directors pro-
coed in all discretionary matters relat-
ing to schools. There is nothing in the
laws prescribing some of the most i'm
portant duties of selectmen to prevent
them from rushing the inhabitants into
extravagant and ill-advised OUTLAWS and
converting towns into pandemonium.
Some things must be left to the dis
erection of officials. 1t is presumed
that towns will elect men who can be
trusted with discretionary powers, and
! that they will act always for the con-
venience and best good of all the in
habitants. If town is so unfortunate
as not to have such men, or to be able
to elect them to office, its organization
should be recalled and it should be
placed under the guardianship of the
state. If it is clearly for the con-
venience and best good of the in
habitants to concentrate all the districts
into one, the inhabitants will so desire
it and the directors will do it. They
would be derelict IN their duty if they
did not do it. If two or three districts
having three or four pupils each can be
conveniently concentrated, or the
scholars distributed among adjoining
districts so as not to add TO the hard
ships of getting to and from school,
thus saving the expense of one or two
schools and giving all better advantages,
the directors will do that; and if money
can be saved and better instruction in
sured by closing school in a district
having three or four or half dozen
scholars and transporting them to an
and it will be done in the interest of
real economy, for the good and conven-
fence of the inhabitants and because
the inhabitants, or majority of them,
desire and approve such course. Our
correspondent reasons like man
blinded by prejudice or bereft of sense.
Absolute powers are given to every
official, from president down to
the school district committeeman
They are no greater in the case of
school board than in the case of the
selectmen or overseer of the poor. We
imagine we hear our correspondent ar
guing against the creation of the latter
Office because the overseer might feed
the poor on daily rations of turkey and
ice-cream. Absolute powers are rarely
abused, and it is reasonable to suppose
that the liability to abuse would be
vastly less with three or six picked
men of town than with the average
run of the committeeman. We are
ashamed to discuss these matters seri-
ously; the absurdity and unreasonable
ness of the objections raised are too
conspicuous for sober refutal. The cor
respondent says President Buckham
has given the metropolitan view of the
matter and wants the farming commu-
mites to give their view. Well, such
farming communities as Waitsfield,
Hinesburgh, Brighton, Middletown and
others have given their view of the
matter, and after from five to ten years
trial could not be induced again to en-
brace our correspondents idol, the
"pride of the state," the by-gone dis
trict school system. AS an antdote to
our friends "pride we commend to
him the following SOLDERING passage from
Governor Pingree's message: Can
it be answered why Vermont-one of
the most nearly non-manufacturing
states-with a foreign-born population
of only 10000, and with her district
school system century old, and not
cramped or diverted from its highest
uspfulness Inv any radical LEGISLATION ar