Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-11-01
PLAIN WORDS.

The most noteworthy feature of the
State Teachers association meeting at
St. Adams last week was the opening
address by its president, w. ii. Sander
son of Atteboro, Mass, formerly at the
head of the Woodstock school. After
speaking of the new school law-which
he does not consider radical enough-he
said:
We see this new law, too, beginning its
existence under the worst possible con-
dtions for success. We see the man who
it is true nine years ago accepted the
Office of State superintendent without any
special qualifications for the position.
but who by years of untiring industry
and earnest devotion to his work had
made himself largely master of the sit
uation-we see this man, at this critical
hour, succeeded by another whose quail
fications for the position are not at least
pre-emnent knowledge of the science
of education, nor "A large experience with
the educational needs of the State-talen-
ted and able he may be and doubt not
he is, efficient he may become in the
future if he is willing to devote his days
and his nights to the study of principles
and problems that are not wont to yield
their solutions to much less than master
minds; but today, in this transitory
period, when, if ever, it seems to me,
there is need of sound wisdom and large
experience, he can hardly claim to be
commander-in-chief of the educational
forces of this State in much more than
the name. His lieutenants, too, the
supervisors, earnest, energetic and en-
thusiastic though they may be, still are
largely drawn from the ranks of men
who have not as yet taken IA high place
among the educators of the State. So
that practically we are experimenting
with new law under the direction of
men with whom all educational matters
are as yet largely matters of experiment.
A few of our contemporaries are dis
posed to find fault with Mr.. Sanderson
for his frankness, but their criticisms
seem not to be well grounded. No per-
sons in the State have better right to
speak their minds on educational mat
tiers than the teachers, and the qnality of
the man chosen to guide the educational
interests of the commonwealth is some
thing about which they. if any one, have
a right to entertain and to express an
himself SET over them, they ought to be
allowed the privilege of saying so, es-
pecally in their own convention. That
Mr.. Sanderson voiced the convictions of
nine-tenths of the teachers of the State
we have not particle of doubt
Those who hold up their hands in hor-
ror when an official of whatever grade is
criticised are, we believe, the loudest
in praise of the Swedish colonization
scheme. 1t is their duty to back it. The
policy of holding sacred and above error
every fellow who gets into Office, of re-
framing from any consideration of candi-
dates qualifications till after the conven-
ton, and, in general, letting the offices
60 to the wire-pullers and fuglemen, has
had not little to do with the present
condition of Vermont. Ambitious and
able young men do not care to remain in
a State where the deification of non
entities is the rule rather than the ex.
ception, so they move out; and no one
can blame them when they see chance
of bettering themselves by going. Oh
course this is not the only reason why
the population of the State does not In
crease and the character Of Its popula-
tion improve, but 1t is one reason.