The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-10-28
SCHOOLS OF OHIO.

rected, to a great extent, the training
Of a rising generation, who will be
called upon to exercise a guiding hand
in the social. industrial and political af-
fairs of the State. 1t deals with the
establishment of moral principles in the
minds of our youth. and leads to the in
culcation of correct ideas of patriotism
and the duties and responsibilities of
American citizenship. In all ages the
school system of countries has been so
clearly identified with the condition of
society that it has been taken as the
thermometer, indicating by its vascilla-
tons the exact degree Of civilization and
condition of The people.
The Importance and magnitude of
the work can be stated briefly in a few
statistics. In 1885 the number of youth
of school age in Ohio was I,095, 469, and
the number of teachers employed in in
structing this vast army of young Buck
eyes was 1S, 181. The total amount of
money expended in their education dur
ing that year was $40, 093, 938. II. Thus
it is apparent that society, morally
bound to provide for the education of
its youth, becomes also interested from
a financial standpoint.
The duties of the commissioner in or
ganizing, experimenting, directing and
maintaining the standard of schools
where it has fallen are well known. 1t
is an Office which. if properly filled, re-
quires a yas amount of practical in
formation, and it is to be regretted that
the occupant is subjected to the frequent
political revolutions in the State. There
is no Office in the State where the appli-
cation of improved civil service rules
are more urgently needed. The encum-
bent who has mastered the school sys-
tenn of the State, and is directing it in an
able manner, should by all means be re-
tanned in Office for a reasonable length
of time. To change the official every
three years often places thers a man
who, perhaps. holds conflicting ideas
and pet theories which he introduces re-
gardless of consequences, for he has but
a limited knowledge of the machine he
is handling.
Furthermore, the public school system
of Ohio has been developed under the
Democratic party. Until the constitu-
Democratic, there had been no COM
missioner of common schools in Ohio.
That convention created the office and
in the election which followed the DEM
ocratic ticket was elected, and Hiram
Barnie of Cincinnati became commits
sioner of schools. To that sterling
Democrat the common schools of Ohio
owe much of their reputation for eff
ficiency and worth. Possessing a vast
amount of practical. information on the
subject, working methodically and
being a great organizer he placed the
schools on q firm foundation. The COM
missioners following him, including the
presentincubent, Hon. Leroy d. Brown,
have all been practical educators and
men previously identified with the COM
mon school interests in the State. Not
until the present campaign has a candi-
date been placed before the people who
is a theorist and knows nothing what
eyer about the common schools of the
State, being a grabbed, egotistical col
lege professor. A species of the genus
homo that has never been called upon
in the history of the State to fill this
important position, and the indicat' ons
arc n that never will be.
Hon. Leroy ID. Brown is q man of the
people and a practical educator whose
life has been devoted to work in the
common schools. He was elected by
the Democratic party in 1883, and has
served three years, during which time
he has thoroughly mastered the system
and is performing his duties with credit
TO himself and the State. Mr.. Brown
is from the ranks of the laboring classes,
having been reared on a farm among
the hills of Noble County. He attend
ed the country schools until fifteen
years of age, when he responded to the
call of his country and became a volun-
teer soldier. Although a mere boy, he
served two years under the stars and
stripes. being at the front in many a
battle and again standing shoulder to
shoulder with his older comrades in re-
sisting many a charge. He served un-
der Crook, Sheridan and Grant, and
was wounded while with Sheridan in
the valley of Virginia, and at the close
OF the war he returned to the farm and
by teaching one year and attending col
iege the next, managed to complete the
literary course at the Ohio Wesleyan
University. MI. Brown is a close OBJ
server and a hard student. In the very
midst of his professional work he
studied law and was admitted to the
bar, but feeling that he was called to
educational work gave up the law. He
was made superintendent of the public
schools at Hamilton, o., where he
achieved great success in developing
the school system of that city. In 1882
he visited the principal countries of Eu-
rope for the purpose of studying their
school system, and returned with many
practical ideas.
While loyal to his party Mr.. Brown
holds that the office is one which should
be free from the influence of politics,
and during his administration the office
has been liberated from the tolls of the
politician and brought under the do
main of the school men of the State.
He has effected many changes in the
mechanical workings of the department,
and has placed it on a thorough business
footing. Much work has also been ac-
complished in securing proper and
mnch-needed school legislation, so nee
essary in overcoming the defects of ex-
isting statutes on this subject. Much
remains to be done and will be accom-
plished as public sentiment prepares the
way for such improvements. The three
State colleges have not been neglected,
and by the earnest exertions of Mr..
Brown, all have been placed on a firm
basis. The university at Oxford has
been opened, a chair of psychology and
pedagogy established at Athens and
several departments added to the Ohio
State University. Columbus. The COM
mon schools also were never in better
condition than they are to-day. The
elaborate educational exhibit of Ohio at
the New Orleans Exposition, prepared
under the supervision of MIR. Brown,
was highly complimented by experts,
and placed the State among the first in
educational facilities.
1t is apparent that the common school
system requires at its head a common
snhnol man. one who has been identi-