The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-11-16
Superintendent of Education.

apparent that either the honors or the
salary attached TO the Office has stirred
the ambition of several gentlemen to
possess, each for himself, incidentally
its honors, but more particularly its
emouments. The schools, in the mat
ter of eternal change in the laws, have
long enough been the victim of demon
alizing practices and influences. The
office of state superintendent should
not now become the football of parti-
san ambition or greed of office.
Mr.. Palmer was chosen superinten-
dent four years ago. He has performed
the difficult duties of the office with
fidelity, industry and ability that have
left no room for reasonable criticism.
He has performed those duties under
circumstances of very peculiar difficulty.
The school law of 1888 was so radical a
departure from the old order of things
as to be practically revolutionary. 1t
was no child's task to put the new sys-
tenn into operation. In the hands of
one less skillful, able and devoted than
was Superintendent Palmer, practical
failure in administration, great loss to
the state and injury to the schools must
have resulted. The law was intensely
unpopular and only Mr.. Palmer's tact
and wisdom in administering its new
and unfamiliar provisions saved the
schools from vital injury. This state
of things was not improved by the leg
islation of 1890. A superintendent
with clear mind, firm purpose and
a well-balanced judgment was needed
to guard the school interests, and the
state had in Mr.. Palmer an official of
this character. Thus the schools have
made progress under very unfav orable
conditions-progress in attendance, in
length of terms, in efficiency of in
struction, as well as in other directions,
which is very largely due to Mr.. Pamer's
wisdom and well-directed labor. To his
recommendation and judicious advo-
cacy do the smaller towns especially
owe the relief from burdensome school
taxes which the five per cent school
tax brought to them.
Mr.. Palmer has now held the office
nearly two terms. Whoever took the
office provided by the law of 1883 must
necessarily serve period of appren-
ticeship. No man, however we'll en-
dowed by nature, could perform the
duties of that Office effectively without
experience and without expenditure of
the time and money that experience
costs. In certain sense the state has
paid its school superintendent tuition
for four years. Now, having chosen a
superintendent of acknowledged capac-
ity, and endowed him with experience
of the greatest value, given him famil-
iarity with all the complexities of the
school laws and all the details of sch DOL
administration, having put into his
possession intimate knowledge of the
vital wants of the schools and all else
that these things imply and is implied
in the word experience" does the state
propose to throw these advantages
away? Does it propose to spend four
years more of time, with attendant costs,
in familiarizing a new superintendent
with the duties and work of his office?
But this is what the state is asked TO
do, and for no better apparent reason
than because somebody wants the office
and its pay.
Mr. Palmer is strongly endorsed by
the leading teachers of the state who
are familiar with his work and under
stand his competency. We speak adj
visedly. The teacher whose name has
been most frequently used in connection
with the office of superintendent, but
who has firmly refused to be a candidate,
strongly sustains Mr.. Palmer's admins
tration and urges his continuance in
office. So do other teachers, men who
are in the front rank of the educators
of the state. Mr.. Palmer is no dude
He may not show up as we'll on dress
parade as some spruce pedagogue
Some of the young school-marms who
set great store by aesthetic charms Of
dress and person might prefer an
Adonis, but the older and wiser ones
are not led astray by any such super
fetal considerations. Mr.. Palmer il
built for business, and he does business
the year round, as his works do testify
and as his most admirable report shows
forth. He has good old-fashioned sen
sible notions on the subject of educa
ton. He is not imbued with the ollie
tanteism, the fancy notions and thee
ries, that have lately got into matters
of popular education. In these re-