Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-04-12
THE SUBSTITUTE HARVEY BILL.

THE SUBSTITUTE HARVEY BILL.
The substitute for the so-called Harvey
bill has just reached the legislature.
The most obnoxious feature in the origi
nal bill the removal of the office of
county superintendent from the electoral
column lis eliminated. The district in
spector of common schools is to be
elected in the spring at the same time as
judic al officers. This is a genuine re-
form and in line with the suggestions
made by the CENSOR few weeks ago.
At this advanced stage of the discussion
of the Harvey bill it Is necessary to
clearly define the position of the critics
of the measure. We are, emphatically,
not opponents of the improvement of
our common schools nor blind to the
imperfections in our educational system
either at the top or bottom. We respect,
profoundly, the opinion of such veteran
educators as Professors Harvey, Sails
bury, Hutton, Chandler, and the State
Teachers association, but our duty to
speak plainly and without reserve in
criticism of proposals we believe to be
demonstra unsound and unwise we
shall not shirk. Admitted that our
common schools and rural high schools
are in sore need of improvement that
party politics and private interests have
and do influence, to their lasting injury,
the office of the state superintendent
the board of regents of the normal
schools--the election of the county
superinter dents, and the certifcation
and appointment of teachers of city and
district schools. We admit all this but
claim that the proposed bill would fail
permanently or effectually, to cure exist
ing evils but to the contrary, by the in
difference on The part of the people and
the possibility of abuses it would en-
gender, must aggravate those evils or
develop others of a more dangerous
character.
We submit that the desired object
can be obtained as follows: Require
the board of supervision to hs created
under the proposed law to prepare and
Issue the examination questions for all
candidates for teachers certificates.
Hold the examinations at convenient
centers In each county, simultaneously,
under the supervision of carefully,
selected local committee. At the close
Of each session the papers to be sealed
and returned to the county superintend-
emit, marked by board of readers and
identified by number only, the CORES
pondlng names of the writer's being
sealed and forwarded to the county
superintendent, not to be opened till the
papers are marked and then by the
board Of readers who will return the
papers, with the standings of each, to
the county superintendent. This plan
will relieve that officer from political or
private pressure for the issuance of
teachers certificates to the unfit. Ger.
tifcates, so issued, to be accepted any
where in the state. The percentage or
standard of attainment should, of course.
be uniform and not as low 40 per cent
In one county and so in another. Estab
lish board of readers in each county TO
examine and Issue, under similar pro-
cedure, diplomas OF graduation in our
rural district and high schools. The
same beneficial result will follow in this
connection. On the advice of Super
intendent Burlinghame, the board of
supervisors of Columbia county have,
to their joint honor, adopted and su.
cessfully carried this plan into pr actice.
The readers appointed in one county
should mark the papers in an adjoining
county to ensure thorough impartiality
and independence of action.
Last but not least, appropriate half
the sum now used for farmers Institutes
for the purpose of reorganizing and re
vlvifyng our common school system by
sending such veteran educators as Pro-
fessors Hutton, Salisbury and McGregor
into each county, for sufficiently long
and continuous period, to reorganize
the schools township by township and
awaken the people to the;r needs and
duty in the premises. We prophecy
such improvement as will gladden. the
heart of every friend of our common
schools--and that is every true Ameri-
can. Also we guarantee an enthusi-
astic welcome to the educational crusad- !
ers and, speaking for an agricultural
constituency, the cheerful assent of the |
farmers, in apl out of the legislature, 10 |
the proposed diversion of the farmers |
institute fund for this purpose. Take
vote of the farmers in the legislature
on this question and see it we are not
correct. We still object to the proposed
abolition of the county as the electoral
unit and to the arbitrary powers con-
ferred upon the board of supervision.
Under section ID said board may both
make charges against county superin-
tendents and pronounce judgment. The
bill has many good features. The CEN
soR hopes, that, freed from Objectionable
provisions the bill may pass unanimously.
WELCOME HOME BOB
Snatched from the very jaws of death,
"Bob" LaFollette has come home to his
beloved state, restored in mind and body,
ready and fit again to dare and to do oil
that he may for Wisconsin, her people
and the repu blican party; all of whom
he has served so we'll and faithfully. |