Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-03-18

is in all our state legislatures toe
great a tendency to establish salaried
offices which are sinecures, and the
people should exercise a restraining
influence. | believe little good will
be derived from the new law, anG
most of that will come to but one in
dividual in each county, To my
mind the town system seems prefera-
BILE. But as the great need of the
times in regard to school matters is
an awakening of popular interest and
attention, any reasonable law that
is likely to be made will be God
send, provided it accomplishes this
purpose. The increased expense un-
der the new law is a secondary ques-
ton, and will, indeed, be money mis-
applied, gentlemen voters, unless ac-
companied by popular interest and
increased personal effort. Hence let
every parent consider it his duty to
visit the school where his children at
tend, at least once each term, and
endeavor to create, as Mr.. Palmer
puts it, "an educational atmosphere"
in the community. AS important a
| duty as the citizens of this town have
| to perform to-day is the choosing of
a man who will be one of the county
board of education. Though the
time he spends will be less, the re-
sponsibility resting on him will be
greater than that devolving upon 1st
selectman. If you have man who
knows something of educational mat
tiers, and who commands your whole
confidence and respect through long
residence with you, who is in very
truth man, elect him. But / beg
of you regard the matter with thor
ough concern, and do not give the
place to the first man who will accept
superintendent. There is great need
of much care in this matter of our dis
trict schools; they should be cherish
ed as you cherish your children, as
the apple of your eye, for out of them
we are constructing the framework
of our republican institutions. Re-
publican America is almost an eXper-
iment, and soon, like ancient Rome,
it will commence to groan beneath
its own weight. France with her in
stability, her Boulangerism, to whom
we have so often looked for succor
and encouragement, is not helping
US. She to-day detracts through her
bad example. No other nation of
the first magnitude to-day exists as
successful republic save the United
States. With what are we building !?
Castle Garden gives us her thousands
each week; some come from disor-
derly France, some from squalid Ita-
ly, where as many as fifteen families
often live in a single cavern; some
from Russia, sections of which sup
port but one school to thirty-five grog
shops; all from countries that edu-
cate their children to ideas of depend
ence or most dangerous disaffection.
The great current of this foreign in
fux is toward the West, and even
now in the West, anarchy is rearing
its CyclOpean head. If we are to
continue union and a republic, it
will be because the children of these
| foreigners and of ourselves are edu-
Gated in our public schools. And
| the schools of the eastern states
have a great work to do in improving
themselves and creating a higher ed
vocational sentiment among the peo-
! pie, which shall counterbalance every
unpatriotic and disorderly tendency.
Let the educational tree be so firmly
rooted, that having gained the sup
! port of all classes of society, it shall
select and assimilate only that which
is best, and like the tabled tree of
| old, bear fruit for a thousand years
even unto the throne of the most high
! God. w. f. GILMAN, NJ. d.