The Opelousas courier., 1904-04-16
Of. AsWell ON Education.

OF the N. ". Plcayune, PrO1. ASWell
nominee for State Superintendent
OF Education, recently said, among
other things: O
We now hRl ieve-d1lat the safest
y investment that ae can make is to
Fpend money in the education OF
h>echildren of the State. The peo'
pie Relieve that light is better than
darF ess, and that virtue, freedom
and11 ger dwell in the light, and
wheTre light is, no happiness Or
greatft is found, and that moth
ing ths, 4an holds dearest and
best is saiS>p the hands of ignor-
With the Improvement in educa-
tional sentiment and the increase
in educational interest, cohse-
queht increase ihS Sthe demand for
better teachers haScome. That we
have not good teachers in all our
country schools is not surprising
when one remembers that the aver
age monthly salary of the country
school teacher in Louisiana is less
than is paid the man that shoes
your horse, or paints your house, or
ploWs your cotton or cane<
I It is clear, then, that bacNSf the
question of better teachers lies the
question of better pay. | opefsRon
to see the day in Louisiana Wien
school boards in the country, as
well as in the towns, will have Thu
mAney to pay for the best quality,
of teaching that can be found in
thesland, and that they will accept
no other.
Ineed not discuss the Importance
of supervision. You cannot make
a success of any great business like
this business of teaching without a
man at the head-a man of mind,
heart and soul, a man of tact and
energy and consecrated purpose.
You cannot command such a man
without paying him Il living salary.
Such men are in great demand for
any work. The parish superinten-
dent is and ought to be at the head
of the parish school system. The
schools of the parish are never bet
ter than it's superintendent. He is
the soul of the educational interest
of the parish; he must decide upon
the quality Of teachers that should
be directing the lives Of the chill
dren; he is the chief adviser of the
parish boards in the entire admin
istration of school affairs; he ought
to pass upon all expenditures, look
after all school funds, and be the
chief inspiration of all educational
sentiment, and the leading agitator
of all educational movements in his
barish; he ought to be the chiefest
counselor of the teachers and pa
irons, the very life aud inspiration
of the school. Surely such posi-
ton, such a sacred responsibility,
should demand the most competent
man with the conservation of his
every faculty of head and heart and
body for the fultillment of this high
mission of training children for the
intelligent participation in the af-
fairs of State.
Mr.. Aswell went on to say that
every parish should have for its
superintendent man who finds his
greatest Joy in contributing to the
Improvement of the schools, and in
the general education and uplifting e
of the children; a man who goes in
and out among his people preach.
ing in season and out, in public and
in private, the everlasting gospel OF
universal education; mar who goes
out into the byways and hedges and
compels the little ones to come into
the educational feast spread in the
little public schoolhouse. Until we
realize this condition it will be i'm
possible for our State to come into
the full fruition of our glorious
hopes. trust that when the State
Board of Education comes to select
| the various parish school boards o.
| the State, and when the Represen
tatives and Senators are recon
mending men for these important
places, that there shall be one stan
, dard, one single principle to guide
and that the all-powerfui question
, '!How weEl-fitted are these men b,
! training and interest, for the INTEL
igent fulfillment OF the sacred dut,
, If proyiding for every child in Lou
isiana the best training that none,
and energy and talent can create7
Unless the man is especially titte'
9 for the responsible duties devolvin
! upon a parish school board membe
: | can conceive of no ulterior servic
! rendered or promised i'll any othe
line of life that would make it ds
sirable for him to be selected as
= member of one of our parish schot
l boards. The one question shoul
-Gbe, not does he want the position
81 or do his friends want. him to hay
it, but is he fitted we'll for the bes
service that such position ca
= render the schools and children?
! lam persuaded that the peop
,r of this State are now ready for I'll
% measuring of men in school mattel
by this standard, and I confident
believe that there is a sentimeI
abroad to magnify the position
= the public schools, making ever