Year: 1873

| w w


get, because am denied the present OF
portunity of debating just what [ wi
have. Mr.. Speaker, such is not my view Q


public duty [ shall attempt now, an


hereafter, to rise above such little contract


ed ideas as lead men to oppose whateve


they can not father. God forbid that


should run the risk of endangering fire.


schools in every neighborhood, simply be


cause 1 fail to have my peculiar notion


embodied in the law by which they are t.


be established.


But, Mr.. Speaker, let us examine tht


supposed objections to the bill before us


and the system it creates.


First, it provides for a State superin


tendent! When did anything, or any


body succeed without head? A Stat,
superintendent is as necessary, in Orde


to plant the free system of education il
the several counties and remote corner:
of the State, as the head is essential to tht
direction and management of the human
body!


There must be some controlling power


to every system, whether it be of church
or State. Nothing can succeed by chance


What can be accomplished by leap in the
dark? Or to use more practical illustration


what would be the result of that machinery


which should be set agoing, without some
central head by which its motion could be
governed? In plain phrase, how are you
| to establish schools where they are not
and impress their utility and blessing upon
those unfamiliar with the working, and
who know but little of their effects, unless
there is managing spirit, directing in
| fiuence, or governing, or controlling power
to carry into OBJECT the means employed
| for their diffusion among the great mass OF
of the people, where they are SO much in
demand?


To talk about State system of common
schools, without having Superintendent,
would be about equal to suggesting State
| without a Governor, or a court without q
| Judge? All, but we are told that the man.
ner of appointing the Superintendent is
Objectionable. He is to be nominated by
the Governor and confirmed by the Senate,
| and, therefore, some oppose the whole bill,
| as / suspect for the reason that the Gov
ernor will fail to make satisfactory nomi-
nations. Well, would not obtrude poll
tics into this discussion for anything. No
sir Be it far from my purpose. But, /
will say, that if l were Governor-which
/ can't be for some two years to come, and
the distinguished gentleman from Shelby
(NIr. Kerr reminds me that, being some
what older than myself, (though bache-
lori he shall claim the race-ifI were Coy
ernor, I would, perhaps, nominate Super
intendent of my own political faith, though
certainly not an active politician, but |
should confer it upon no one who was in
competent or unworthy. So, while [ do
not agree with the present Governor, yet
feel certain he will be guided in his selec-
ton by motives worthy of the great pur-
pose to be accomplished. Has it come to
this? Are we to be denied the great boon
of common schools just because, fOrsOOth,
a Democrat is likely to pick up public
crumb? What would you say? Nay, what
do you say, when you hear Democrat OPP
posing this or that because some Republi-
can is likely to receive a benefit from it?
Are we to have no schools except by pleas
ing our party pride? May God forbid that
party should ever rise up to drive me from
doing my duty towards the unfortunate
children of the State. My bill, already al
in reference to the manner of the appoint
ment of the State Superintendent l de-
sired then and now that the two Houses of
the General Assembly should elect. belev-
ing it would be bringing the matter
nearer home to the people. But [ yield
that as [ do everything else for the one
great object of committing the State to the
policy inaugurated by this bill, when
passed. Again it is objected that three
thousand dollars is too much salary. My
objection to the salary is that is not large
W
three thousand dollars is none too much,
indeed it will not pay any man who is COM
petent?


Where is the man with suitable qualifica-
tions who can not make as much and with
less labor? 1 wish to give expression
here to the sentiments of my heart and
the conviction of my mind, that one of
the worst curses with which the country
has been afflicted, is the little minded pol
icy which has prescribed inadequate COM
pensation to our public officers. The
burthens now weighing us down grew, in
large measure, out of the incompetency
of those in office, by virtue of the niggard-
ly policy of refusing just compensation. If
had it in my power l would increase the
salary of every officer in the State. I
would pay for the first order of talents,
and then everything would move on in
the proper channel. But objection is made
that the County Superintendent is to be
appointed by the County Court.


stitution. That instrument provides that
all county offices created by the General
Assembly shall be filled by the County
Courts or the people. The County Court
can be reached and action had much Soon
er than by the people, and as schools should
be established at once, it was thought best
to refer the matter to the County Courts.
And, the manner OF the distribution OF the
school fund, as well as the source from
which it is to be derived, is worthy of
remark. That feature which levies and
collects one mill on the dollar, to be ex-
pended in the county where collected is
altogether Objectionable. It is contrary to
the whole theory Of free schools. 1t sin
consistent with, though do not assert re-
pugnant to the State and National Consti-
tutions, The idea involved in the phrase,
''common," certainly implies thai all the
people are 10 have an equal participation
In the thing to be enjoyed: The term
8. free y surely implies something is to be
had, and somebody too poor, OF at least
unable to pay for 1t.


So, common free schools" must mean
such schools as are to becommon to all the
people free of charge, except as taxpayers.
Such Is the idea embraced in Section II Of
Article IL of the State Constitution.
| Nor is system of common free schoola
of modern invention nor Of recent eoncep-
ton. Old Virginia was the first foster
mother Of free education in this Country,