The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-27

! pald upon franchises, although there IS
a mandatory law requiring it to be done.
Against that item on the assessors list
| for years has been written value I'M
known The main purpose of this suit
| is to compel these corporations to make
| the same statement to the assessor that
| they make to the stockholders, and leave
| it to the assessor to determine, under the
| law, what the amount of tax shall be.
| One curious thing in connection with this
| is that rural assessments have not de.
| cl1ned In Illinois during the past twenty
| hive years, and yet, Notwithstanding
| there has been during that period an
enormous increase in wealth, the assess
| ed valuation in 1898 was SITS, 474, $40, as
! against 81, S4f, 361, S42 in 1873 a decline of
| almost so per cent. The results of this
| suit therefore will be far reaching, and
| great interest is following it's progress in
! the courts. The corporations hold that
the value of a franchise is a matter of
| sentiment" and the state cannot tax "a
| sentiment" The ladies are meeting with
much opposition. So long as it did not
appear that there was to be a system
| attic, determined and well conducted
| hght, there were many who felt like thu
moring this whin" of the ladies' and
| gave seeming encouragement, but now
they are being vigorously told that their
business is to teach school, and that the
| people are growing tired Of having impor-
! tant duties neglected and the business
interests of the city assailed by city en-
! ployes. The ladies express themselves as
! willing to discontinue the work Whenever
| real public sentiment expresses positive
! disapprovaL 1t must-be allowed that so
| far the ladies have made a good fight
! and have gained a decided advantage
/ ana they are seemingly undaunted The
| spirited manner in which they have car
! RED on the fight has revived the Sunday
schooi boys explanation of the creation
/ OF woman. He said that God created
| Adam nrst and then caused him to fall
into deep, deep sleep; and then he took
! his backbone away from him and made
| woman out of it.
But the federation is doing great deal
J aside from prosecuting this suit Seri-
ously, it is to be hoped that this and all
! questions relating to salaries, tenure Of
office, etc, may after while be perma-
! nently settled by those properly charged
| with that duty. The ladies', we have no
reason to believe, like this work and
! greatly prefer to devote themselves to
the study Of their profession and to
! teaching. II the reign of law justice and
| equity, however, cannot apply to them
without an active effort on their part to
secure it, who shall blame them for look
ing after their own interests, in proper
and reasonable way?
GREAT ARE THE CHICAGO SCHOOLS
SClOOlS
Improvement by some at least in Charge
of them. 1 have spoken in a former
communication of the work of the com
mittee of 100 who had underta ken thu
redemption of the school system Ct Chi
cago. These benighted people fancy
something is wrong, but they received a
certain amount of enlightenment a few
days ago, which should put a SION to
further investigation on their part w.
l.. Bodine, superintendent of com ulsory
education, in an address before the Chi
cage Collegiate Alumni association, re-
ferring to the condition of the public
schools very m6destly claimed: an the
general excellence of its public schools
Chicago leads. The world follows I
can but wonder if this modest gentleman
fully appreciated the debt of gratitude
that chicago owes to the world for fol-
lowing. THE world follows" how very
significant, and how we long for such
a view of the procession as would enable
US to plainly see and fully determine the
gracious carriage and humble spirit of
this mighty giant rising from-its con-
d1tIon, and leading the world procession.
But this is not all. Warming 10 his
subject, he says:
Chicago has the brightest boys and
girls of amy city on EARTH Wei. we
are thankful that he did not inc ude
Mars and Venus, and after all it may yet
| appear that there is something for the
| children of Chicago to strive after Let
! no one hastily judge the superintendent
He assures US that he had made care
| full and a conservative estfmateer The
!, only question that comes to my mind
| is why he made an estimate He could
have quite as easily reached the result
| without it.
THE REAL CONDITION.
A careful reading of the course of
study and hasty visit to the schools
VIII show that the schools here are like
| those in st. Paul and elsewhere In
| the past there has besn IN come cites
an attempt upon the part of some con ).
hected with the work to neglect their
| ordinary duties and instead exp oft the
schools for the purpose of attra citing at
| tentlon, with view ostensibly of offer
ing Inducements to those seeking a
change of residence to come and lonata
IN their midst. 1t will be found true
| however in most cases, that when there
Is the strongest attempt at getting ma
lonal or international recognition there
IS the loudest, strongest clamor among
lHe patrons of the system. The fact is
well known to teachers that "the show
SchoolS are not the best in any city
nor do those who place themselves before
the public as the opponents of the sys-
tem as the representatives of the teach
ing force always do the hest work in their
9CAooI rooHlS- 1t is impossible IN the
very nature of any good thing or work
that it should trumpet forth the fact
that it is good 1t is inherently incon-
sistent with the essential qualities of
goodness and of excellence that these
things should be self-proclaimed.a This
publication would alone injure, if net de-
stroy the goodness or excellence. Chiea-
go has muniicently provided for / s pub
lie school system. 1t has many build
1ngs that are magnificent; it has no.
bic army of teachers; it has at least
some. Yes, a great deal of wise super
vision, and it is doing incaIculable good
to the rising generation. But the same
thing can be said of ST. Paul an hun
dreds Of other cities, and it is ide and
inept to resort to boastfng when the work
speaks for itself.
TO the silent workers in the system the
real honor belongs-those who give their
whole heart to the work, and with an
earnest affectionate tenderness. helm the
little ones, cheer the struggling ones. and
advise and counsel the confident ones
Happy, indeed, are they who have such
teachersi Rarely, indeed, does crnDty
boasting include these, but the infiue nee
that they exert in the school reaches
farther than we think, and accompl' shes
| far more than we understand or real
lze "A. ]. Smith.
Sleeper Service to Kansas City Via
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