e acti

If the effect of this opinion shall be a practical repeal of section 23, it will be, in the opinion of the undersigned, no cause for regret; as said section has been a constant source of difficulty between various school authorities, and of injury to the cause of education throughout the State.

A. SMYTH,

Commissioner.

E

9

I LOVE THE WEST.

BY C. W. SANDERS.

1. I love the west, the gal-lant west, With its bright and sun ny streams; 2. I love the west, the migh-ty west, With its wild and shady glens;

Editorial Department.

The official proceedings of the Semi-annnal meeting of the Ohio State Teachers' Association, recently held in the good old Borough of Steubenville, appear in our pages herewith. On our hearts are recorded those indelible me morials of persons and things which hopeful men and women treasure up at an association where the finer and nobler qualities of our nature are awakened by concerted action for the welfare of our race, and the elevation of the noble profession of mental and moral instructor of our youth.

Vacation has come, and relaxation and recuperation await the Teacher. Let each one be re-baptised for the great missionary work to be resumed in a few weeks! It has been said that the undevout astronomer is mad. With all the gifted powers of the star gazer, his work is but to see and admire-of course to reverence. But the humble Teacher has in keeping an immortal soul-has in charge the training of those who may owe directly to him or her, their temporal and immortal interests. It is true, then, as Gov. Chase has said, in that chaste and elegant letter read to the Association, and which should be printed in letters of gold, and read by every Teacher and school officer in the whole United States, that "it is impossible to over-estimate the importance of universal education, where every boy is to be a voter, and any boy may be a President."

Good men and women of the Teachers profession in Ohio, the Journal wishes you a pleasant re-union among your friends during your vacation visits, and invokes you to renewed and more determined effort in the field of labor, which requires eminent fitness of scholarship as well as faith and patience.

- Friends of Normal Schools should scan thoroughly the letter of Gov. Chase above alluded to, and consider the proposition broached by the Chief Executive officer of the State, looking towards making the Ohio and Miami Universities of Athens and Oxford, under legislative control, parts of a general plan in our State for Educating Teachers.

- A correspondent sends us the following. Members of the Ohio State Teach. ers' Association please take notice:

"Much has been said and done about rendering the Ohio Journal of Educa tion self-supporting, and members of the Association are called upon to come forward and make pledges to procure subscribers for its support. To this they have responded with the accustomed liberality of Ohio Teachers—of brave labor. ers who can raise $3000 at a sitting, and $1000 in a few seconds.

"But this will no more make the Journal self-supporting than the possession of the mines of South America made Spain wealthy-or of the mines of California tends to enrich us. Our true wealth consists in our powers of action, our indus try and enterprise. If the tone of our Journal be not in advance of the age, and therefore calculated to educate it-if the articles be not replete with profound scholarship, sound sense, superior practical information, and valuable statistical tables - if it be not a Journal which exchanges delight to recognize and carefully read for items and extracts, it will never be widely read, frequently quoted and self-supporting.

"The great question is, how shall this be done? Let Teachers resolve to write something for the Journal- let them resolve to write something valuable and something that shall be quoted, noticed and criticised. They will then write

well. In their daily labors and in their preparation for them, they meet with experimental difficulties to be overcome, and practical problems to be solved. Let them note these things down, ponder them, examine them, write upon them, and practical articles will grow beneath their pens.

"Send these to the Editor; do not let him beg for articles or solicit items; keep him crammed and well supplied; from many good things he can then select the best. It will no longer be minima de malis, but utrum horum mavis accipe.

"While we are extending the circulation of the Journal, let it be a cause for wonder among the new subscribers and the old, of wonder "why we never took this valuable paper before," and of pleasure in the possession and perusal of so able a periodical.

"Teachers, take notice! Do this and your Journal will be an honor to you. Neglect it and it will be a failure, and a disgrace to yourselves."

-To parents and school officers we commend especially this paragraph of Gov. Chase's letter:

"To make the school house efficient, Teachers must be, not only qualified, but honored. The responsibility of their trust, the magnitude of their work, and the dignity of their calling, must be acknowledged, and not coldly acknowledged only, but thoroughly appreciated. The community hardly yet begins to realize its debt of gratitude, honor and reward to the Teachers of its schools."

TO COUNTY AUDITORS AND TOWNSHIP BOARDS OF EDUCATION. The following circular, issued by Mr. H. H. Barney, first State Commissioner under the present School Law, has been approved by Commissioner Smyth, and the attention of active Teachers is called to this instrumentality in aid of the Journal, and for distribution of information on the School Law to each county of the State

"The great number of questions arising under the present School Law, and the importance of having a thorough understanding, by its officers, of the provisions of the law, and a uniform policy pursued in all the counties, in its administration, have imposed the necessity of having some medium of communication with those officers, and the Commissioner has gladly availed himself of the Ohio Journal of Education for this purpose.

"All my official decisions and opinions have been, and will continue to be published in the Journal; and it is my opinion that County Auditors will be justified in subscribing for a copy for their own use, and one (or more) for the Board of School Examiners; and that township Boards may order it for the township clerk, and the clerk of each sub-district, and include the cost of the same in their annual estimate of money to be raised in accordance with the first clause of the 22d section of the School Law.

"The copies so taken should, of course, be kept on file in their respective offices, and be transmitted to their successors in office.

"Editors throughout the State, by publishing the above, will confer a favor on school officers, and greatly abridge the official correspondence of the Commissioner."

A number of township Boards are now receiving the Journal on the plan named in the above circular, and we trust that the number may soon be greatly increased.

The cost of the Journal is $1.00 per annum. Columbus, Ohio.

Address Journal of Education,

ported upon the condition of our common schools, has expressed the same opinion, urging immediate legislative provision.

There has never been a difference of opinion, among men well informed upon the educational needs and instrumentalities, respecting the utility of good Libraries, free to all the people. Yielding to the pressure of public sentiment, the Legislature gave a few counties authority to establish Libraries in 1848; but not until after the formation of the New Constitution, when a thorough revision of our school laws was required, did a General Assembly grant the petitions, which, for fifteen years, had been forwarded from all parts of the State.

In 1853, a tax of one-tenth of a mill for District Libraries was authorized. That tax was levied and disbursed during three years, producing not quite one dime for each youth of school age.

The number of Libraries established was .

5,790 332,579

In 1854, there was stern opposition to the Library tax, but the Legislature refused to repeal the clause granting it, in the belief that, when the system was understood and fairly in execution, the people would approve it. Opposition grew stronger, however, and in 1856 the tax was suspended for one year. In 1857, that suspension was renewed for another year.

Now, the educationists of Ohio having the same faith which the educationists of 1837 declared, appeal to the people for an emphatic expression of their will. They believe that the opposition which secured the suspension of the Library tax, is because of defects in the law, and because of its unwise and incomplete local administration, not from conviction of any want of utility in Libraries.

Opposition, arising out of narrow prejudice and short-sighted illiberality, is now and always has been exercised toward common schools which afford instruction higher than reading, writing, and arithmetic. If strong enough, it would promptly accomplish not only the repeal of the Library feature of our school system, but would abolish union and graded schools. Such opposition we do not fear. The first Constitution for Ohio declared that "religion and knowledge, being essential to good government, schools and the means of instruction shall forever

be encouraged by legislative provision." Our present Constitution indorses that sentiment, and it is legitimate to claim that Libraries are chief among the means of instruction authorized by organic law.

Development of mind, culture of morals and diffusion of knowledge— these are the primary objects of Common Schools. Common Libraries are not merely auxiliary-they form an essential part of an adequate, free school system. The friends of liberal, popular education, know that every argument good for a High School is good for a Library; and they have confidence in the generosity and intelligence of a people which cheerfully supports Deaf and Dumb, Blind, Lunatic and Idiot Asylums, and Reform Schools for juveniles.

The Library system of Ohio has not met popular expectation, in smaller towns and districts, because too much was undertaken when Sub-district Libraries were ordered. The cities and larger towns cherish their School Libraries devotedly; and, with a law adapted to the workings of our School machinery, they may be as highly regarded in every township as they are in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton.

We propose the establishment of Township instead of District Libraries-because our school system is based on township organization, and because, for each township, books enough may be distributed to make each Library attractive.

The Library should be convenient to the most central post-officethe Township Clerk to be librarian and superintendent of schools in the township, being paid a salary sufficient to enable him to give due attention to schools and the Library, and being required to report school statistics.

Let there be a State Board of Library Commissioners, that Board to decide upon a catalogue of books and apparatus. Let the School Commissioner forward that catalogue, with prices attached and the amount of library money due each township, to every Board of Education in the State. Let each Board of Education select, from the authorized catalogue, the books and apparatus required for its locality. This plan would secure local attention to school interests—would afford a Library accessible and attractive to all-will allow townships to select their own books and apparatus, and will, at the same time, secure to the State the advantage of purchase by wholesale. There will be no trouble for county auditors, in the apportionment of books. The Commissioner will communicate directly with Boards of Education.