Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1897-05-20
History Of the Legislature.
A GOOD BILL INTRODUCED TO
MAKE COUNTY SUPERVISION
OF SCHOOLS GENERAL.
The Measure Did Not Pass, But There
is Similar Local Law That
is Voted Upon by Each
County.
Correspondence of the Ledger

Correspondence of the Ledger
MEXICO, Mo, May 13.-There was 6
bill introduced in the House, known
as "House Bill No. T." making county
supervision of the Public Schools gen.
ersl over the State and amending the
present law. This bill was prepared
with great care and with a desire to
make it as little expense to the State
as possible and at the same time have
an efficient supervision.
There is now similar law granting
, counties desiring it such supervision.
} But it is local option law and must
be voted upon by each county at a
, general election. This fact contribut-
ed no little to the defeat of this m cas-
ure. 1t was argued, and with some
force, that if the counties of the State
desired such supervision they would
adopt the present law; that the fact
that they did not was evidence they
were against it. Some counties have
held such an election and the measure
has been defeated, while other coun-
ties have adopted it. I, for one, am
never afraid to risk the people upon
any question if they have been cor
rectly informed upon that question.
The judgment of the people, after
proper investigation, is generally cor
rect. But, as all very well know, in
an election there are always one or
two very vital questions that absorb
all interest, and other questions that
are considered of minor importance
are ignored. But the misfortune is
that by this procedure we overlook
the Importance of some questions that
are of the greatest moment to our So
cial and intellectual fabric. So far as
our Public School interests are con-
cerned, this is too true, and / feel that
if this subject was discussed and
properly understood that the whole
people over the State would be in IA
vor of adopting this measure. 1 be-
lieve this from the fact that several
counties have adopted similar one,
and everywhere it has given general
satisfaction.
Besides other states, which have
adopted similar law, all join in its
Recommendation.
1t matters not how liberal the State
may be in its support of the Public
Schools, if that hberality is not Judi
ciously expended we get no benefit
from it. Our Public School system is
liberal in its support, but certainly
lacking in its organization and concen-
tration of effort. Thousands of dollars
are expended that bring no returns
to the people. Many schools are
taught that just as well not have
been, owing to the inefficiency of the
teacher. This useless expenditure is
mostly owing to the fact that no ono
is responsible to the people for the
conduct of the Public Schools. If the
counties have supervisor they have
a man that must assume this respon-
sibility by the very nature of his Of
fee, and also they have a man to
whom the teacher is responsible.
One other point. If there is class
of people whose standard of efficiency
should be of the highest order, both
intellectually and morally, it is the
teacher in the Public School. We
cannot, as people, afford to overlook
the Importance of this question.
The teacher, next to the moth
er, and sometimes his influence
reaches beyond, has in his or
her hand the moulding of the charac-
ter of the child. The teacher in a
great measure shapes the chiId's des-
tiny, and with that the destiny of the
nation. If we would maintain our
free institutions, it must be done by
instilling into the young mind those
great truths that go to make up our
republican fabric. The neglect of
this, both in our public schools and in
our higher state institutions of learn
ing, has been the means of measures
detrimental to the best interests of
our people being advocated and
adopted. If our State school institu-
tions ever fail of support it will
largely be owing to the fact that those
who have been appointed to manage
them have overlooked or ignored the
great influence the teacher exerts
upon the child in moulding its opinion,
and have employed as Instructors
men from foreign countries or foreign
| states who were not broad enough to
rise above their own training, but
bring with them and inject into their
schools the notions imbibed in their
own country or section, however
detrimental they may be to the in
terests of those from whom they are
deriving their present support. If
the people of Missouri and the west
would maintain their own independ-
ence and guard we'll their own inter-
ests, they must look well to their COL
leges and Universities. We cannot
afford to put men at the head of our
institutions of learning who are not
identified with our interests, but who
hold to interests detrimental to us. /
do not mean that our schools should
be political, only favoring that which
is polite to our whole people.
If we would raise our people and
nation to that moral standard which
Is the strength of all good govern
ment, we must not only have the les
sons of morality, integrity, upright
ness and industry impressed upon the
young mind by the use of proper
books, but above all, those lessons
must be impressed by the active, ear
nest work OF the teacher.
l fear we do not enter into SYM
pathy with the good school teacher as
we ought. "Oh, he or she is only
school teacher,n too often drops from
the lips Of those who ought to feel
that the teacher holds a most exalted
position and fills q high calling.
know there are shams and frauds in
school teaching as well as in anything
else, and l pity the district that year
after hear has been infested with one
OF these. 1t is a blight, worse than
blight; it is destroying the best mo-