he has the capital to. go into that sort of
business. Who does the instructing? Who
educates the minds of the pupils sent into
that institution? It is notorious that the
work of practical teaching is done by some
poor fellow who has no capital, except, as the
gentleman from Cecil (Mr. Pugh) suggested,
his own God-given talent; and upon that
very God-given talent, the man who has the
capital in our young ladies' boarding school
or academy, moulds his thousands of dollars.
That is the truth of the matter, and every-
body acquainted with schools knows it.
Mr. STIRLING. I would like to suggest to
the gentleman from Howard (Mr. Sands,)
that he seems to forget one consideration;
and that is that the retired student, a poor
oppressed fellow like that, does not know the
people of this State, and is not competent to
go out and deal with the people. He does
not know the members of the legislature,
and if he came up here, he would not be
known.
Mr. SANDS. I ask my friend if he wants
this superintendant of public. instruction, to
be a lobby member of the legislature?
Mr. STIRLING. I want him to be known.
Mr. SANDS. I want him to understand the
business of teaching.
Mr. STIRLING. To be a Dominic Sampson.
Mr. SANDS, I am sorry we have not more
Dominic Sampsons, that we have not more
educated men and women. I want that
stamp of man united with the practical; and
you may get him for less than $3,000 a year.
I understand from my friend's suggestion,
that he would have a man put into this office
who is to be ornamental, instead of useful,
tall, good looking, and of pleasing address to
talk to the legislature. That is not the kind
of man I want at all. I want a kind of man
who has been in the schools, who understands
what is taught in them in every branch of
education, a man who understands the great
science of communicating ideas. That is the
kind of man I want, and I say if you want to
get such a man, a useful, true and faithful
public servant, you must get a man with the
spirit of Dominic Sampson in him, a man
who loves his employment. He must be a
man who has spent years in it, and learned
to love it; a man who will spend his time
and the talents which God has given him, in
labor for the children under his care.
I wish gentlemen to recollect that there is
a second section in this article which makes
provision for quite a large number of deputies,
who, of course, are to do the drudgery of the
business. The second section says :
"Section 2. There shall bean assistant
superintendent of public instruction in each
county and the city of Baltimore, who shall
be appointed by the State superintendent of
public instruction, shall hold office for four
years, receive such compensation and perform |
such duties as the general assembly may pre-
scribe."
This corps of assistants will be practically
the men who will go into the State schools,
and do the drudgery in this matter. If you
are to give the superintendent $3,000, what
are you to give to each of these twenty-two
assistants? Shall they have $1,600, or must
you have a fancy man for each county, a
Henry Ward Beecher for each county, and
give him $3,000?
The people are anxious for a uniform system
of public education. They desire it greatly.
They are willing to pay whatever this officer
is worth; but they do not want him to be of
the lobby member sort. They want him to
be a plain, practical, educated man. And 1
say again, as to these men taking it as a God-
send, there are hundreds of them in the State
who would be glad to receive $2,000, and
would receive it as a God-send. They are
the class of men who are educating your
children to-day, and doing it that some fine
gentleman who has a little more capital than
they have, may mould his thousands of dollars.
1 say this office would be one of the pleas-
antest positions that could be bestowed on.
any man. Give him. his corps of assistants,
one for each county and the city of Baltimore,
and the State superintendent would do very
little of the hard work. He would stay at
home and read the reports of his county as-
sistants. That is what he would do in all
probability, if he were the sort of man that
could stand up and say, I am worth $3,000
in the market, and if you don't choose to
give me that, you may go and get somebody
else. I want a plain, honest, earnest man,
who will spend his life in the matter of public
education, and give all his time and attention
to the discharge of his duties, for the benefit
of the children of the State and the people of
the State. Such men, I repeat it, can be found
all over the State, who would gladly accept
this position for the salary which the amend-
ment of the gentleman from Caroline (Mr.
Todd) proposes; and I hope that amendment
will prevail.
Mr. DANIEL. I really believe that there
will be more applications made for this office
to the governor, even at a salary of $2,000,
than it will be pleasant for him to decide up-
on, I do believe from my knowledge of sal-
aries in the State and in the city of Baltimore,
of public school teachers and others, that
$2,000, with all the travelling expenses paid,
is a very competent salary. You will get any
man for $2,000 in this State that you could get
for $3,000. I believe that putting up the salary
to $3,000 would have the contrary effect from
what my colleague anticipates; for instead of
securing a man who is entirely competent,
and who will take the place from the love of
it, in a great measure, and because he is fond
of that sort of duty, he will bring into com- |
