Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-17

| sHouiu say, from what he said that
all those he has talked with are in
capable of performing the duties una.r
the statute of examining the teach-
ers, that they We're also his pupils In
| our part of the State we have no s,,cn
| conditions existing Let US see inst
what this bill is, and what it means
1t means that the Governor shall m.
point TWO persons recommended bv the
| superintendent as school committee
to travel around and examine the
| teachers. We vote, in our towns about
$l.25 head of the people for our COM
| mon schools, beside what we get from
the State. We think, under the stat
utes, that we are capable of selecting
and examining <oyr teachers. We be-
lleve It, l look on one side Of me and
there is graduate who lives upon a
! farm, and the other way, in the same
| house, two girls, graduates from the
normal school; and SO / look all over
the town, and l find these normal
school graduates. That is only the
average of our county. Have we not
| there people who are capable of ex-
aiming our teachers and saying how
we should spend our money, because
| besides the money which comes from
! the State is the money we have raised
independently and is our own. l am
opposed to this bill on general prin-
| ciples. Just as sure as there is
! Heaven, if you deprive US of the last
vestige of right and authority in our
| town to manage our schools, you
might just as we'll pull down the
| schoolhOuses. If we are not to have
the responsibility, where is our in
! terest. as men or as town? gem
| tleman came to examine our institu-
| tions years ago, and while he was sue
! cessful, all know the character upon
| which he relied. He went first to
Washington, into the House of Rep
resentatives, and they We're discussing
some important matters; and he says,
| surely it is not here that lies the great
| success Of the people of the United
| States He went into the Senate and
they were discussing the qualifications
| of men for different positions, and lie
| said: 1t is not here that | find the
| great success of the. people of the
| United States. He went and saw the
| President and his cabinet. and they
| were talking over some unlmpOrtant
| matters as to the officers of the Dis
| trict OF Columbia, and financial at
| fairs: and he said: 1t is not here that
| | find the cause of the great success
| of the United States. He came into
New England, and visited the towns,
and he says: / find the towns the
great cause. Here you have NUM-
cipalities, and you have your school
| districts-you have your towns, ard
YOU run your own affairs; and you
never can stave up nation supported
as it is by so many municipalities with
the intelligence which they have. ana
with the responsibility it gives them
so long as that exists. Now you are
going to have in our country towns
| another interest in the public schools
| Won have got to take the examination.
| Won have got to take teachers VINO
| have a certificate, and yet how Is one
| to know of the qualifications OF the
tea cher for the particular school Inc
| town is the best judge of that. me
statute gives us that right now. and
as I saw, we are responsible FOR our
| schools. When you take that away
| the interest of the school. when IS
| the great thing, will rapidly deterloT-
ate as they have--as has been said
for the last 10 years: and that is the
| Fact IN our rural districts. They may
| fake about two scholars there. there
| ;s inst as many as there ever were
but if is the system of today OF teach-
| ing which I wish to talk about. 1t Is
| the system of modern times when Is
| causing the deterioration in our com
mon schools, and will cause it to IN
crease if YOU pass this bill II you
| mass if in 10 years from now the
| schoolhouses will rot down, and you
| WIGHT inst as we'll tear them down.
| We oet together at our town elections
in town meetings for a purpose what
foro We vote money for our schoolS'
We are interested. We boom 1t way
| nm why2 We elect our school SUP
erintendent and school committee. We
alact q Supervisor of schools. 1ol
| t,1,o that privilege away from us, ana
| ,or take AWAY the essential prop that
s,nports and maintains our successt I'll
| r,ra1 schools 7 have lived in rural
towns all the days of my life. nave
| hoan connected with the schoolS III
some xvays about all Of my active ne,
,r1 r know something about them
| 1,nov something about our section Oh
tho state. 7 never had, in my HE 10
| contend or to meet with such a state
| of affairs as the gentleman from fl5-
cataouis describes in that part OF the
| state I hope l never shall. II | no.
we will have missionaries: but AN
taking it as we find it up there. Now
| .bi,o wa have these men and women
| h,,dapt1y who are able to examine
orr teachers, and our schools we teel
an interest in them, because we nave
theu-because they are our a'i"
because we have respoiis'oi''s
=, H. town and with that re-
| .;,>;Iitv comes individualism.
| ~ tbis agitation which they
: +o MS ready -made-not
this educaton-this automatic e"ue'
ton. instead of an cducatioh 'i'''.
draws out the best part OF the po%H
and girls. that he has spoken ol-hot
that sort of melancholly-I don L
know what you would -call-it education
-mollycoddle education-but' men ana
women and MISUNDERSTANDING an"
women of intelligence-that IS what we
=. 49,, +l,ot iS Ayhat we have and we