The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-27
GOV. McENERY AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

UT laI-SceihS contemporary, 'nS ivy
Item, takes us to task as follows:-
Very earnestly and forcibly our able and
esteemed contemporary, the Shreveport
Times, cautions over-frank citizens OF Lou
isiana as follows: "Gov. McEnery, in res
ponding to the toast of the State of Lou
isiana at the veterans reunion, spoke feel-
ingly of the injury inflicted upen the State
by her own children in giving currency to
reports calculated to damage Louisiana
and her interests. The Governor Is right,
and the way in which he handled our home
detractors merits our approval. Wo need
less carpinn and ding, and less Use
less criticism of the State by her own peo-
pie. Strangers estimate ua ut the vaiua-
ton we place upon ourselves, and, If we
declare this to be a 'cut-throat govern
ment,' they are doubtless disposed to
give us credit for speaking the truth"
The leading article of the same edition
contains the following: "In nine Parishes
out of ten the shortness of the school term
and the efficiency of the teachers combine
to make the system farce OF The first and
most majestic magnitude" AS Gov. Nc
Emery is responsible chiefly for the compo-
sition of the Parish School Boards, he will
doubtless suggest to his Shreveport defen-
ders to practice that which he breaches,
This criticism seems very plausible
at first blush, but, stripped of its So
phistry and looked into its very heart
and substance, amounts to nothing.
We expressed our disapprobatiop of
the detractors of the State-of those
whose imaginatsons fashion govern
mental ills, and whose pens seek to
scatter knowledge of them abroad.
1t was not the honest critic of whom we
wrote-.it WIS the dyspeptic grumbler.
A full and free and fair discussion of
any shortconing in our public institu-
tons is not calculated to injure the
State one jot Or title, and the Item
knows it. The public school system
is farce simply because there is not
money enough to place it on a sound
footing. The shortness of the school
term is due to a lack of funds, and the
inefficiency of the teachers is due to a
lack of funds. 1t is money, money
everywhere, or the lack of it. Eff
cient teachers are to he had, but eff
cient teachers must be paid paid sala
ries commensurate with their ability.
The wretched pittance which the Par
ish Boards are able to offer cannot Sc
cure first-class talent, and the shortness
of the term, even with the best of sala-
ries, would keep our brains and discip-
linary skill ont of the school room.
And now, pray, what has Governor
McEnery 10 do with the inefficiency of
the public schools, when their ineffi-
cheney has naught to do with the Par
ish School Boards, and is based en-
tirely on insufficient funds9 We know
many very Jealous and very efficient
School Boards, which provide very in
efficient schools for the people. They
are not at fault. The funds are not at
their disposal. In Rapides Parish, for
example, where that energetic citizen,
Mr.. Jonas Rosenthal, is President of
the School Board, and our cultivated
and scholarly friend, Charles Owen,
secretary, it has been decided that the
schools are to be closed on the 18th of
January for an indefinite period. This
is deplorable but unavoidable-no
money. We have no brief in behalf
of Governor McEnery or Governor
McEuery's administration. We are
sure, however, that we have sufficient
fairness and frankness to commend
both when they are right, and to con-
denim them when they are wrong.
The Governor does not not need to
suggest anything to us; we practice
our own preaching and none other.
Can the Item say as much Shreve-
port Times.
RICHARD X. Fox has offered a
$3.50 medal Or cup to represent the
pigeon shooting championship of the
world. The shoot is open to all, $50