That is, that the estimation yon give to this
position here is the measure of your position
before the world upon this very question of
education. If you want a good man, if yon
think the work he is to do is of great value
to the State, then you will endeavor to secure
him without quibbling about five hundred
dollars. And I only wish to say to the gen-
tleman from Howard (Mr. Sands) who has
characterized this view of mine as being non-
sense, that I thank him for his commenda-
tion.
Mr. SCHLEY. I desire merely to give ex-
pression to the views which I entertain upon
this subject. I halve looked at this report
with a great deal of interest. It is extremely
gratifying to me to think, from the provisions
of this report, that we shall have under it a
just system of public education. And know-
ing the attention that has been given to the
subject, and how thoroughly animated a
number of the gentlemen are with its im-
portance, I am prepared • to accept their re-
port.
Upon the particular suggestion made here
to reduce the expense of the State superin-
tendent of public education, I merely desire
to say that although, as the gentleman from
Howard (Mr. Sands) has suggested, and as
others have thought, it may be that we could
get a thoroughly competent person to fill that
office at a less salary than is here proposed,
yet I fur one' am so desirous of securing a
thoroughly competent superintendent of pub-
lic education, that I would rather run the
risk of giving too large a salary, than falling
short one dollar of the necessary sum to se-
cure his services. I came here feeling the
responsibility of every dollar appropriated
by way of salary for the officers under the
new constitution we are about to frame. And
I trust I am disposed to be as economical as
my constituents require, or as the public
welfare demands. While thus feeling, I am
persuaded that the sum here set apart for the
salary of this officer is net an extravagant sum
at all. It is not a large sum in comparison
with the important duties that are to be de-
volved upon that officer. And it is an in-
significant sum in comparison with the bene-
fits that a competent man in that office will
be able to render.
It has been intimated that this office may
fall into the deplorable condition that some
other offices under the constitution and laws
of the State have fallen into through partisan
influences. I have no such fear. The officer
himself is put forth differently from any
other officer in the State, and is a mark for
criticism upon his action. And there is no
governor who would appoint a mere parti-
zan to this place without proper qualifica-
tions. And there is no mere partizan,
whatever may be his effrontery, who would
have the arrogance to undertake this office
without the requisite qualifications to per- |
.
form its duties. Or if he did, he would
soon perceive how much he was out of
place, and would be glad to shrink away
from public observation. I trust therefore
that gentlemen will see that it is just econo-
my to keep this salary at the amount reported
by the committee.
Mr. VALLIANT. I have a desire to offer an
amendment to this first section. And I will
preface the reading of the amendment by a
remark explanatory of my views. This con-
vention, in my judgment, has made and will
make no provision for the erection of any
office, or for the creation of any office, of
greater consequence to the best interests of
the State, than the office embraced in this
section. I do not propose to weary the con-
vention with an expression of my views in
reference to the great consequence of this
office. I only wish to express my high ap-
preciation of the important duties to be per-
formed by this officer.
I regard the adoption of this article as but
the inception of the great work which it is
proposed by the enactment of the article to
be performed—I mean the adoption of some
plan by which the masses of the people may
be educated. As this is but the inception of
this great work, the duties to be performed
by this great public functionary, I apprehend,
must necessarily be much more onerous than
the duties to be performed by any of his suc-
cessors. I therefore consider that his salary
should be larger than the salary of his suc-
cessors. His duties will be greater, because
he will have duties to perform which others
filling this office after him will not have to
perform. The report requires of this officer
that he should devise some school system for
the State; and if the school system which he
devises for the State is not adopted by the
legislature, then that system becomes tire
law of the land, I regard that as a very
high responsibility. And I do really con-
sider that a man whose services in the com-
munity cannot command but two thousand
dollars, is not the man I want, or the people
want, for such an office as this. With the
same propriety you might argue that two
thousand dollar men were the men for the
gubernatorial chair, I regard this as a first-
class office, and nothing less than a first-class
man with a first-class salary will answer.
I propose to amend this section by adding
the following as expressive of my views :
"And said salary of three thousand dol-
lars per annum shall continue after the ap-
pointment of the first State superintendent,
for lour years after said superintendent shall
have entered upon the discharge of his du-
ties; but after the expiration of the said four
years neither he nor his successor shall re-
ceive more than two thousand dollars per
annum, exclusive of office and travelling ex-
penses."
Mr. TODD. I wish to make one remark |
