History of Indiana from its exploration to 1922, Vol II, Part 9

Author: Esarey, Logan, 1874-1942; Cronin, William F., 1878-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dayton, Ohio : Dayton Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 620


USA > Indiana > Vigo County > History of Indiana from its exploration to 1922, Vol II > Part 9


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42


5 See State Superintendent's Report for 1844. Only a few counties represent anything except reading, writing and arithmetic, as taught in the common schools.


682


HISTORY OF INDIANA


might aspire to be a surveyor without losing his standing with the masses.


§ 123 CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


In 1830 there was organized in Cincinnati an association of public school teachers with the rather ponderous title, Western Literary Institute and Col- lege of Professional Teachers. Among its members were such well-known teachers as W. H. McGuffy, C. E. Stowe, E. D. Mansfield, and J. H. Perkins. There was a board of directors, under a vice president for each state. In 1835 this board for Indiana was M. A. H. Niles, J. H. Harney, E. N. Elliott, John I. Morri- son and M. Parks. In its annual meetings during the next few years Indiana teachers took an active part.6 In March, members of the society organized the Cin- cinnati Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowl- edge. Its purpose was to improve the schools of the Mississippi valley. In 1845 they sent an agent to Indianapolis to confer with members of the society resident there. At a public meeting at Indianapolis a committee of nine, headed by Judge Isaac Black- ford, undertook the work of supplying better teach- ers to the schools of the state. A circular was sent to each district calling for information concerning school conditions and needs.7


During the year 1844 H. F. West, a member of the Cincinnati society, traveled extensively over Indiana in the interests of a better school system. In August, 1846, he returned to Indianapolis and began the pub-


6 In the volumes of its Transactions are addresses on all phases of school work. These are undoubtedly the source of the numerous papers on education published in Indiana from 1845 to 1852.


7 Indianapolis Journal, April 7, 1847.


683


CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


lication of a fortnightly journal called the Common School Advocate, devoted to the common schools. In his introductory article the editor lamented the gen- eral backwardness of the schools. Reading was espe- cially poor and he detected a tendency on the part of the older pupils to skip reading in order to take the higher branches.8


During the year 1847 the agitation for common schools increased. The governor had referred to the subject favorably in his message. Signed articles appeared in most of the newspapers pointing out the value of learning and especially the danger in its neglect.9


The General Assembly of 1846 by joint resolution recommended a state Common School convention to be held by the friends of education at Indianapolis, May 25-28 inclusive.1º This convention was attended by a large number of influential men. Governor Whit- comb and Chief Justice Blackford presided. Ovid Butler, Caleb Mills, S. H. Thompson, R. W. Thomp- son, Edward R. Ames and others were on the resolu- tions committee. The long discussions reached every detail of the schools. Various plans of organiza- tion were discussed.11 Caleb Mills presented his famous statistics on illiteracy. A committee was ap- pointed which drew up the school law of the follow- ing year. Throughout the four days' discussion there was only one subject before the convention: How to improve the common schools.


8 Indianapolis Journal, Aug. 26, 1846.


9 Indianapolis Journal, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 3, and Feb. 10, 1847.


10 House Journal, 1846, 360; Senate Journal, 1846, 387. This resolution is not printed in the Laws.


11 The proceedings in full are given in the Indianapolis Jour- nal, June 4, 1847.


684


HISTORY OF INDIANA


The convention met again, December 10, 1847, to hear the report of its legislative committee. A state Educational Society was organized which took up the work of perfecting the school system. The report of 1847 covers finances, organization, houses, texts, teachers and local administration.12 It was while this agitation was going on that the remarkable series of papers summing up the substance of the discussions was prepared and published in the Indianapolis Journal by Caleb Mills.13


A committee of the school convention and one of the house of representatives worked almost the whole of the session of 1847 on the school bill, but only suc- ceeded in passing it through the house one week be- fore the General Assembly adjourned. Feeling that it had had too little time to discuss it the senate re- ferred the whole matter to the people in a referen- dum. The question was, do the people want to tax themselves for free schools? Two points would be gained by the referendum. Public opinion would be educated and the members would have time to con- sult their constituents and study the measure.


The Indiana Education Society held its first meet- ing, May 25, 1848, at the capital. The General As- sembly had kindly given the society a room in the statehouse for headquarters. Rev. E. R. Ames pre- sided and Joseph L. Jernegan, a brilliant lawyer from South Bend, made the principal address, on the subject, "The Relation of the Colleges to the Com- mon Schools." Prof. Daniel Read spoke on the need of libraries in the country districts. Amory Kinney was employed to travel over the state and collect in-


12 Indianapolis Journal, Dec. 20, 1847.


13 These papers were edited by Charles W. Moores and pub- lished in Vol. III, Indiana Historical Society Publications, 360, seq.


685


CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


Lagrange Steuben


5686


Lake 302


17125 (259) Laporte Porter 698 207 6 73


StJoseph 1513 ₺ 99 (245) ,


12455 516 (1035).


Noble 963 G


6075


37 (131)


froted with marshall)


(4 (8)


1255 6


Whiteley


Jasper 2276/20 (202)


Pulaski 224+22 (172)


Fulton


2211 (1092)


589- to


86


(326)


(1073)


huntington


( 646)


Miant


Wabash 1387


ما


e


Cass 1281 5


3/3


to


(8/6)


137 (5711


(562)


Adams 4 44


Benton 112+31 (95)


105 ( 401)


Carroll 273 47


( 172)


287


Grant


(15)


Tippecanoe


7978) 3926314


(14)


( 1064)


157


2432 6 471 (15 49)


Clinton 1111 6 460 (057)


275693 (480)


Madison 488₺


Delawer.E


Fountain 11346 717 (1444)


Montgomery 86'5


Boone


559


1182


535 to


1105(954)


( 815 )


Henry 1072 To


Wayne 24925


Sparke 9605


Hendricks mation 623 6 1846 5


Hancock


616


1404 (9/8)


1420


1892


Putham 65536


31539 {(1302)


15 40


(3/6).


2300


morgan


Johnson


(2021)26564


205 to


1224


996-


119.4.60


934 50


444


(470) (1641)


Decatur


1078462


(332) 1238


monroe 3776


Brown 187 6


11376


15,68


Sullivan 594 5


Greene


1448


490


1033 (1153)


10976


1900


Knox


(1564)


339


1452


(12)


50


(1214)


494


Orange 152 6


630 ৳


(898)


Pike 2486


Dubois 19716


(1396).


ailson


Crawford 3816759


Floyd


1101 5505


766


6.72 (430)


(945)


Harrison -513 7786 1509


-(902)


1055


14664 142


754 (371)


599


323


(89)


747


(1108 )


497)


(945 )


(437) Jefferson Switzerland


21946287


/2785


Daviess Martin 6816


95 106 657


cote


(1432)


665


5


(1104)


Jackson


Jennings 1343 6


1043


Dearborn 2601


1105 ( 743 )


464 631380


(1035)


(1503)


Lawrence 475


590 16


1338


(38) 833


140%


627


798 37


(145) 5 939


Clay 2/6/6


Owen


15/63 w(902)


Tipton


Hamilton


Randolph


1399 6


1952


579 11095)


(1137)


880 25 424


Jay 503 15


Warren 9565


to 472


Howard


Blofford


Allen 18216 /10 440


596657


Kosciusko


149 (365)


326


(593) starke


Marshall


6985


99


(482)


175


to


309


440 L/C2


187 (11 10)


Vigo 10/15


Shelly


Rusín


Fayette Union 101461126 6 500 16:81


(514) Franklin


62,9 5


Bartholomew


(30) Ripley


(1027) 642612(77)


1812 Clark (1222) 1540 66587


(795) 6


(1496) Vander U12& Warrick posey burg 498 to


Perry 529 5


Spencer's


1554


Washington 6704793


879


177


Whit 5646


Elkhart


11986 (23) 184.


VOTE ON FREE SCHOOLS, 1848 ( ILLITERATES)


686


HISTORY OF INDIANA


formation on the common schools. Rev. F. C. Holli- day spoke on the means of elevating the common schools. The convention lasted several days.14


The legislative committee, appointed, May 27, 1847, by the convention, consisting of Amory Kinney, O. H. Smith and Calvin Fletcher, laid before the Gen- eral Assembly an elaborate report containing not only a detailed description of educational conditions as they then were, but pointing out the failures and suggesting remedies.15 Another committee, consist- ing of E. R. Ames, Jeremiah Sullivan, T. R. Cressy, R. W. Thompson, J. H. Henry, Solomon Meredith and James Blake, prepared an "Address to the Peo- ple in Relation to Free Common Schools." This was sent broadcast to the people during the referendum campaign.16 The house committee, of which Amory


14 Indianapolis Journal, May 31, 1848.


15 Documentary Journal, 1847, Pt. II, 145. This is one of the best reports available for a study of the situation at that time. This, together with the "Address in Relation to Free Com- mon Schools," undoubtedly formed the basis for legislative action during this period. Following the "Address" in the Documentary Journal is a summary of educational conditions in all the eastern States. This latter was taken from West's Common School Advo- cate.


16 Documentary Journal, 1847, Pt. II, 161. A brief quota- tion from this eloquent appeal will show its nature: "In the older settled parts of our country, at the decease of parents, the children are sure of an education, the best of fortunes. They also generally inherit sufficient property to give them a start in life. And should they be left orphans and without property, they are in the bosom of the relatives and early associates of their deceased parents. They have all these friends to fall back upon when their father and mother are no more. Parents, when closing their earthly career under these circumstances, have, comparatively, but little cause to be solicitous for their children.


But in the West, circumstances are widely different. We live in a land of emigrants. We have but few men of wealth. The


687


CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


Kinney was chairman, submitted a detailed report on the necessity of elementary teaching, training teachers, free schools, school taxes, superintendence, district boards, and libraries. This was a defense, section by section, of the bill submitted to the peo- ple.17 These documents were circulated by thous- ands. The General Assembly considered subscribing for the Common School Advocate for each school district.


The campaign for free schools was not an easy one. The referendum was not on the abstract propo-


great mass, though comfortable to live, are really poor compared with the older States. But few of our children have ever seen their grandsires or the brothers or sisters of their parents-and, in truth, no reliable provisions are made for their education. Now, what must be the feelings of the dying emigrant father? He is leaving no property for his children beyond bis funeral day. None of his relatives are near to throw around those orphans their guardian care, and at the same time no system of education is in existence to furnish them with that intellectual furniture which constitutes the greatest temporal wealth. He leaves them in poverty, in ignorance, to the cold charities of a land of strangers and exposed to every temptation.


The free common school system may throw her broad mantle over this helpless class of innocent sufferers, to shield them from Infamy and woe, to develop and give their minds far higher attainments, and plant them as virtuous and useful citizens in this broad and beautiful valley whose influence is to decide the destinies of this mighty nation."


17 Documentary Journal, 1847, Pt. II, 355. A study of this document shows where the opposition to the measure was: "Teachers are not chiefly responsible for the condition of the schools of a community, because they cannot of themselves estab- lish and carry on schools. They cannot teach without scholars; and they cannot compel people to send scholars. Teachers may form plans, but If the people do not choose to have them executed they can send away the teacher, or keep the children from going to him. The people build and furnish the house, the books, etc., and they do as they think best about these matters. Teachers are


688


HISTORY OF INDIANA


sition as many commentators seem to think. There certainly was an overwhelming sentiment in the state for schools, but these schools were to be free, poor and rich all jumbled together, common, devoted to reading, writing and arithmetic, non-sectarian, where children of infidels mingled with those of Christian parentage, and last and worst, to be paid for by all whether the payer had children or not. The people were asked to vote on a bill with all its details, and every politician knows how much more difficult it is to carry a bill in detail than it is to carry the gen- eral principle on which the bill rests.18 For instance, Judge James S. Frazier, of Kosciusko county, op-


dependent on them for permission to teach, for pupils to teach, for houses, etc., wherewith to teach, and for subsistence while they teach. The power is with the people, not with the teachers. The people are responsible. The school officers are chosen by the people, must be directed by the people, and have no power to compel the attendance of the children. The legislature assumes no right to put any teacher in a schoolhouse, nor to place any child under one's charge, nor to debar the people from having children taught as their parents feel it a duty. The legislature prescribes conditions for the use of public funds in education, but it constrains none to put their children into a school. The people choose the legislature and can have one that will execute their wishes in the matter. The people's money will secure such teachers as will answer their views if they will fix a standard and require instructors to come up to it. The people can have good schools if they will. The people are responsible, for they make the schools what they are."


Still another campaign pamphlet favoring common schools was prepared by F. C. Holliday, James H. Henry, Joseph L. Jernegan, Jeremiah Sullivan and Charles H. Test, a committee of the Indiana State Educational Society. Judge Kinney took the stump for the measure.


18 It may be thought that the expression In 1848 was on the general proposition, but a reading of the law submitting it will make the point clear. The house had worked out a long bill and passed it. This is expressly mentioned in the act as the bill to be acted upon. Laws of Indiana, 1847, ch. XLIX.


CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


689


Steuben


Laporte 1559 19 368


St Joseph 12,81 to 312


Elkhort 12015 ~ 835


822#264


788


Lake 422 + 31


Porter 6 70


Noble (in faver)


Dekall 450 5 365


votet


with maraold


1018 5 ***


whitely fator)


Jasper 276 # 164


Pulas ıştı 947512


Fulton 701 to 109


Allen 1130 to 483


Huntington


Cass


Miami Wabash 1160


Wells


979


(in favor)


Adams 639 t 210


Benton 124637


Carroll 1012 6 506


359


to 580


Grant 7625564


5145171 Blackora 25 164


Warren 881 G 248


2011 to 528


Clinton 882 G 765


Tipton 2015 189


Madison


Delaware 657G


Randolph


5-40


Boone 5595 /118


13:35


Henry


Parke 1169 to 1455


Putnam 980 € 11960


Hendricks 15445 1249


marlon 1898 5 ≤ 1752


Hancock ( against )


1983


wayne [2000,5 1/4/2


Virgo 11/48 't 1199


Clay 515 G 690


morgan/ JOhnson 99515 604 + 1190 1469


929


Franklin 1297-5-1066


789 69571


barthol new


Monroe 560 G 1197


Brown 210 G 37/


(n Faver)


Sullivan 488 G 1244


area'ne 797 54 1155


Jennings


Ripley 972 872


Dearborn 2090€ 57L


Lawrence Martin 694, 51256


Jackson (in favor )


478


Knox 1026 1 474


Davies's 663 892


535


Scott 4096604


Pike 12155


Dubois 84 1675


Crawford 175 ℃ 714


Floyd


posey


Vander.


Perry Spencer, 5095


Harrison 9575 1267


60%


(in faver)


VOTE ON FREE SCHOOL LAW, 1849


Jay 30 4 to 242


Fountain 1339 to Montgomery 10975


Hamilton $20


(against)


949


937 G 698


Vermillion


45SE 376


Fayette Union 992,6,711G 512 92.5


shell 1364


1357 5 1633


Owen


Dec 1317)51167


Ohio


Switzerland


247


Jefferson 2608G 750


Orange 349 G 1459


Washington 1058 4


1575


Clark 14055.876


Gibson 1049 5 707


77/


Warrick RIST 75 €'506 973 € 180


Starke


Marshall 54# 5 121


Kosciusko


White 419 5 158


463


Tippecanoe


485


1863


Howard


Lagrange


690


HISTORY OF INDIANA


posed the bill because it made the system local rather than state-wide. With a prescience far beyond his fellows he argued that they could never have a real system until money from a state fund was distributed equally to every child in the state. The result of the poll was satisfactory. The measure was endorsed by a majority of 16,636.1.9


The sore spot in the common school bill was the taxing provision. The people were just recovering from a period of financial mismanagement and, while they shared the visions of the friends of education, were reluctant to undertake to raise a large sum an- nually for schools.


With the warrant of the people in their hands the General Assembly of 1848 soon constructed a bill to increase and extend the benefits of the common schools, which received the signature of the govern- or, January 17, 1849. So fearful, however, were the members on the tax provisions that in order to get enough votes to carry the law a county local option referendum had to be authorized. This gave each county the privilege of adopting the law for itself. If the county voted adversely then the old school laws prevailed.2º The law was adopted in sixty-one coun- ties and rejected in twenty-nine.


With the passage of the law of 1849 interest turned to the constitutional convention authorized at the same election which approved the law of 1849. Among the members of the convention were only a few of the outspoken champions of free schools. John I. Morrison, who was chairman of the committee on education, Daniel Read and Edwin R. May had to bear the brunt of the fight in the convention. No


19 The following map shows the vote on the last referendum : 20 Laws of Indiana, 1848, ch. CXVI.


691


CREATING SCHOOL SENTIMENT


progress was made, but the ground already won was held. The seminaries were abolished. Various pro- visions looking toward the consolidation of all school funds into the common fund were made, even a seri- ous effort to divert the congressional seminary grant or to divide it among the several colleges of the state. One can not avoid noting their lack of vision when compared with such men as Kinney, Frazer, and the earlier agitators. The new constitution em- phasized the common schools but gave only a faint authorization for a state system of education.


The first General Assembly under the new consti- tution took up the work of formulating a law organ- izing the common schools. Governor Wright in his message did not hesitate to speak plainly on the duty of the state toward these.21 On the committee of the house on education were Robert Dale Owen, chair- man, and James R. M. Bryant, two of the most pro- nounced friends of schools in the state. It is scarcely too much to say that the preparation and passage of the common schools bill engrossed their whole time. On December 10, they returned an adverse report on a petition to convert the state seminary fund to the common school fund. Neither from the standpoint of law nor from that of the common good did they consider it advisable. Mr. Owen was especially insis- tent on maintaining the only non-sectarian college in


21 House Journal, 1851, Pt. I, 19. "This is the most favorable view of the question. The same census shows that we have sev- enty-five thousand and seventeen over the age of twenty years that cannot read and write. This number, believed by many to be more than we really have, has been greatly enlarged at a distance, in the public journals. In our zeal to advance the cause of sound learning, we have neglected to throw our energies and means In the right direction. Whilst we have been building up colleges and academies, have we not forgotten and neglected the great schools of learning, common, district and union schools?"


692


HISTORY OF INDIANA


the state as an open forum for all science. If the in- come were distributed, he pointed out, it would pro- vide one and one-sixth cents for each school child in the state.22


Acting on a suggestion of Mr. Owen concerning a normal school, a petition was presented, January 30, asking that the state seminary fund to be used to equip a normal for the training of teachers of com- mon schools exclusively. The petitioners were merely referred to the previous report.


Petitions to have English taught in the common schools; to enact a compulsory attendance law; to found a state normal; and to organize a normal de- partment in some college of the state were heard and reported on. In the meantime the committee was cultivating a school sentiment among the members. Leading educators were brought to the capital where they lectured in the Assembly rooms. Finally on February 9, 1852, the committee reported the bill which became the famous law of 1852, the foundation of the old Indiana common or district school.


It should be said that the district school had been previously developed and hundreds of them were at that moment in successful operation. It is the merit of this law that it organized them into a state institu-


22 House Journal, 1851, Pt. I, 105. "Your committee are therefore of opinion that such divisions of the University fund would be illegal and unconstitutional, even if it were expedient, and inexpedient even if it were legal and constitutional. Your committee believe, however, that in strict conformity with the terms of the grant, the fund in question may be made directly to subserve the cause of common schools by establishing as a perma- nent branch of the State University, a normai department, for the training of common school teachers. Had the resolution referred to them made such a proposai, they would have reported unani- mousiy in its favor."


693


THE DISTRICT SCHOOL


tion and began that steady state support and super- vision which in time gave us a real state system of education. The bill was fought vigorously at every step. Amendment after amendment aimed at the essence of the act was warded off. From February 9, it was postponed to March 10; from then to April 24; the committee of the whole came to a deadlock on it and asked to be discharged from any further consid- eration ; on March 10 it was sent to a committee to be rewritten;28 this committee held it till May 12 and then recommended a substitute which was laid on the table ; a half dozen proposed amendments would have prevented money collected in one county from being diverted to another; an attempt was made to submit the whole bill to a popular referendum but failed by a vote of twenty-four to sixty-two; and finally, on May 20, the house came to a vote and the bill passed by a majority of seven. The title was then amended on motion by Mr. Owen and the work was done.24 After considerable opposition it passed the senate, June 2, by a majority of one.


§ 124 THE DISTRICT SCHOOL


Financing was and always had been the chief dif- ficulty with the Indiana schools. In this respect the congressional land grant had been a misfortune. It had taught the people to expect the cost of education to be met without any sacrifice on their part. Not having been accustomed to paying taxes and always having associated them with oppression, the people


23 Mr. Owen was chairman of this committee.


24 House Journal, 1851, Pt. II, 1849. Godlove O. Behm of Tippecanoe moved to add to the titie "and to swindle the larger counties out of at least one-half of their Congressional Township fund." The representatives from many of the wealthy counties opposed it on that account.


694


HISTORY OF INDIANA


were now reluctant to shoulder the burden of a half million dollars annually. Having determined to pro- vide common schools for their children, they now searched every quarter of the horizon for resources which they could turn into a school fund. The con- gressional township fund consisting of $1,607,819.13, the proceeds of every section of land numbered 16, the surplus revenue fund, consisting of $551,529.92, given to the state under the Distribution bill, the saline fund, consisting of $61,270.05 from the sale of lands around salt springs given to the state by con- gress in 1816, the bank tax fund, consisting of $56,- 969.04, the proceeds of a tax of twelve and one-half cents annually on each share of stock in the state bank held by individuals, were merged. Besides these there were fines, forfeitures, escheats, and the pro- ceeds of the sales of the old seminary properties throughout the state. All these in 1852 totaled $2,- 268,588.14, which was to constitute the common school fund. It was estimated this would give annu- ally about $150,000, the balance, necessary to conduct the schools, remaining to be made up by a direct tax. For this purpose a general levy of ten cents on the hundred dollars was made. It will be noticed that there were two innovations here; the first and most opposed was the consolidation of all the county con- gressional funds. Some counties had many times as much money from this source as others; the other was the awful ten cent levy which would be a badge of bondage on those who had no children to attend schools. The law of 1849 had permitted those coun- ties which so desired to tax themselves for the sup- port of the schools, but this money never went out of the county. It seems now to have been a great strug- gle over a small matter, but it contained the whole question of a state school system. Without the power




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