Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-01

EDrToR Pogr- r-INrELLIoKxcKs:
II IL IN altogether erronsous notion
that in order to make . good School
Superintendent the individual must
have bad practical experience In teach
ing. School teachers-and no one re-
Allies It more than an unprejudiced and
Intelligent teacher fall into certain
grooves OF work and thought, from
which they ind u difaoolt 20 dissnQaRe
themselves, and which. from the tread
mill exastions Of their occupation, un-
at them In way from general superin-
tendence, which requires freshness Of
mind and total emancipation from
routine methods. Il II very generally
accepted idea among the people Of the
United States that they have the best
public schools, and the best public
school system In the world when, az a
matter Of fact, our public schools are
far inferior 10 many Of those In Europe,
notably In Sweden and Germany.
There is q thofoughness and Discipline
in the German schools that quite put to
shame the lax and superficial methods
in ours, where children acquire smat-
tering Of dozen arts and sciences, and
ara thorough in none.
In many parts of the East the public
schools have fallen into such disrepute
that many among thosa who are CON-
sidersd the bsst people refuse TO pat
ronizo them. which II q matter always
TO be deplored. Latterly an effort has
been made to improve the schools, and
10 this end women have been appointed
az members Of school boards and as
school superintendent offices which
ahould DO Allied by appointment and
not by election and the result has
been In q very high degree satisfactory.
That women have o peculiar fitness for
teaching and directing the education of
the young no one will deny and In the
management Of our public schools there
is great deal more TO be taken int
consideration than the mere incubation
of rules OF arithmetic and grammar.
First and foremost, the health Of
the pupils is Of the utmost
importance. The absolute idiocy
that is oftentimes manifest In
the ,nstrsction Of seats, and IN the
temI e-aturs aud ventilation Of school
rooms amounts TO crime. The moral
traiing of schools 10 of equal import
ance, for the vices that prevail in some
Of the public schools are appalling. and
are snesndered and carried on in q wa,
AZ fairly TO place their correction out
side of the reach Of parents. In these
two important features alone, health
aud morsis-for the first cousidera ton
Ia TO make the child healthy animal,
aud. secondly, moral being--an efh
cient, alert and keenly appreciative
Superintendent should accomplish
much In the way OF reform and whom,
think yen. would best sucoeed-a man
or a woman, all things being equal I
Even the most prejudiced will admit
that Ia sanitary and moral matters per
tanning to children there is no one 30
sensitive and watchful As voman who
has children of her own. To use the
language Of Hamlet, her vigilance is
equal 10 that Of forty thousand breth-
ers."
II 10 notable fact that the men who
have most frequently been called 70 Gil
the highest and most important offices
have not been men who had won the
confidence Of the people by previous ex-
perience In some particular Office hold
ing. Neither George Washington. nor
Abraham Lincoln, nor James A. Gar
field were elecled to ths Presidency be-
cause they had been executive officers
in legislative matters, bat because they
possessed certain intellectual training
and moral qualities as seemed 10 fit
them in peculiar degree for the high
position. Neither Hamilton nog GaiIa-
tin, who were probably the ablest finan-
oiers that ever the United States Cav
eminent has had 10 all the Secretary
ship of the Treasury. were men who
had been notable IA money makers or
money hoiders-and both were at times
hard pushed for the needful" Bat
they pusseased the mental and moral
requirement essential to statesmanship
-broadness of mind, Judgment. acute
ness of penetration. decision OF chsrac-
ter, and the power to infuse into others
their own patriotism and enthusiasm.
Aud IL is precisely upon similar oendi.
tious that school lsuperinterdents should
be seiected--a person keenly alive to the
best interests Of education in its broad
aud true sense, unhampered by peda-
goeueism. willing - consult those com
petent to advise, and with sufh ,ient
power and tact Of execution 20 insure
at least, in an encouraging degree, the
suscessfui Issue Of these interests.
Wherever these qualifications are found
In woman she IL every time 10 be pre-
ferred 10 man. II 10 A naturally her
sphere Of work M In the smaller domain
Of home. and In the one. ~ in the other,
the benehcsnt influence Of q woman Of
high character, combined With unusual
ability and educational qualifications.
such a. are conceded 30 the woman
candidate Of King County. cannot be
loo highly estimated. aud should ap-
peal with peculiar force - all parents.
the educstioa Of whese children must