The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-09

! the matter has been potent one, and
! it is no less certain that the result is
highly creditable to 1t. Severance OF
family ties is entirely too common in
most communities nowadays. 1t would
be better if the good influence of the
Catholic church in this important mat
ter were more generally felt.
OPPOSED TO NEW SCHOOL LAW.
The Keosauqua Republican, one of
the leading weekly papers of the
state, edited by an experienced school
man, is out in vigorous opposition to
the proposed law revolutionizing the
management of Iowa school
affairs what the Republican
| has to say on the subject is cure to
command wide attention and exert
great influence Its editor, Hon. j.
w. Rowley, taught in the public
schools many years. served per-
iod as superintendent of schools of
Van Buren, county and was for time
a member of the state educational
board. The principal objection urged
against the proposed law is that 1T
aims at too much Capitalization of
authority and responsibility in school
matters The article in it's entirety
is as follows:
IAN AUTOCRATIC PROPOSITION"
"On the first page of the Republican
this week will be found an extended
article, full synopsis of the proposed
revolutionary school law that will be
urged by some members of the Iowa
legislature for passage. Every parent,
and every citizen of Van Buren, coun-
ty, as well as every citizen of the state,
is interested in this proposition. To
us, in many respects, it seems a very
unwise measure. OF course there are
some propositions of merit in 1t, but
the seemingly unwise elements of the
proposed law largely overbalance it's
meritorious parts. We can only take
( space here to refer to few of them.
) 1t takes away from the people the right
of selecting their county superintend-
ent of schools We believe the Sc,
lection of the county superintendent OF
schools should be under the control OF
: the electors as much as any other
4 county officer, and if anything even
. more so, for every parent and every
child is interested directly in that OH
: cial Furthermore we believe ne
should be selected from the citizen
ship of the county, and not from any
where, as the contemplated law pro
t vides. More than this we do not be
a lieve in law that will delegate to
. county board of three persons almos
:, oligarchal power. We believe in tn
u present system of allowing each schoo
e board or sub-district to select tn
j. teacher i. wants. The proposed lay
i says three or four men may select al
!. the teachers of the county. We be
: lieve too the matter of school taxs
ton should be left entirely, as 1t no'
a is, with the residents OF the respet
IN tive school districts. To be explicit
he we do not believe in the autocrati
,e tendency of the present state schot
N department OF centralizing the schot
- power of Iowa in a coterie at De
10 Moines which seems to think, as IL
Z Dictated in the proposed new law, ths
r. such autocratic power can be nor
n easily carried out by centralizing tn
of control of the school system of eac
county in three or four men. It's
great scheme indeed to make the pc
pie of each school district largely
:. nonentity. We ask all residents
'ia the county to read carefully tt
,e'i synopsis of the proposed law els
en- where in this issue of the Republica
on Study it. 1t proposes to repeal tt
er present school law and if you do n
= approve of it, you should so advi
n Senator Allen and Representati'
'ai Bauman This is not partisan mea
ure, and no political prejudice whs
ever can apply"
,es There is much that might be said
no favor of the Republicans contentit
- that the bill aims at Capitalization al
- that too much Capitalization is not
20 good thing One of the commended
10 features of the present law is tina.
"a keeps school affairs close to the d
trict residents for management al
"a control and inspires deep individu
AZ interest in the schools The puD
So schools are for the public and their
81 fairs should be administered by t
public in such way as to make t
% public feel its responsibility for the
40 AS matter of education of the pcol
the duties of school work and mana:
,re ment should be kept with the Poop
,s If they are called upon to select
county superintendent, levy thu scht
"a taxes by districts and discharge otE
duties as they do now they are pre-
certain to take more interest i'll
90 schools and in school affairs than
121 those duties are farther removed fir
Sc them as proposed under
81 new law The legislation contempt
40 ed is Objectionable in that it viii Ia
46 the administration of the scho
81 largely out of the hands os in3:Yid
az residents of districts and concehtr
- it in the hands OF few. In cities
., 90 the size of Keokuk it will not w
any very important chang IS, but
We the rural districts it will revoluti
any ize the management Of school affa
w The Republican speaks for these 8
tioh makes a strong case against the n
the
1906 ---------
Inc NOTES AND COMMENT.
as Josh Wise holds that If M
FOLK orphaned children were adopted, &
OQfl- eor,,, ,,ocn1,,fionc moro pnO1 Un