have county superintendencies than anything else. In 1856, when I was in Pennsylvania, the highest salary paid was $1,500, in Lancaster county, to Mr. Wickersham, but in many of the counties they paid only $500. I think the salary should be fixed high enough, so that a good man may be secured. I think we are ready to have a committee to memorialize the Legislature on the subject.

MR. BOLTON. I hail from Pennsylvania, and have been in the habit of regarding the law there as a better one than that of the State of Ohio. I may not be right. The Dutch of Pennsylvania are exceedingly hard, even if they have a good law, to move in the way of progress. The progress made is largely due to the county superintendents. Go into the counties of this State, and is it not the fact that in nine cases out of ten, the boards of education pay no attention whatever to the character of the certificate which the candidate presents? I believe the candidates are seldom asked to present them. In Pennsylvania it is different. The county superintendents come in direct contact with the boards of education, and they speak to them especially on this point. They know the standing of every teacher in the county. Then again at stated times, the county superintendent comes around in different parts of the county, and talks with the people. Books are kept noting the punctuality of the students, their standing in recitations noted down every month, and their deportment. Scholars look forward to the time when the county superintendent shall come around and look at the register, and see who stands the best.

MR. HANCOCK. I think a well managed normal school could accomplish a greater work of good, if there were the right kind of young men and women to attend it-these county superintendencies would have a tendency to furnish. We ought not to attempt to carry on too many things at the same time. We ought to concentrate our efforts to accomplish one or two things at the next session of the Legislature. The thing we have resolved to attend to now, is the normal school, and let us concentrate our efforts on that. There is nothing in my mind more desirable than county superintendencies, but I think it had better be made a subject for our next annual meeting.

MR. CORY. I do not know that there is any necessity of talking any more over the matter, for the subject has been talked over, and we are probably all of a mind on it, and I do not know but we can secure this thing, in addition to what has been proposed, just as well as not.

MR. HENKLE. If I had twenty votes to give, I would give nineteen for county superintendencies and one for normal school. I believe it is the most important, and that even now we had better put county superintendencies first, and let the normal school go. The whole subject, both normal schools and county superintendencies, ought to be put in the hands of a committee, and let them work the thing the best way they can. If they can get a normal school, let them take that, and if they can get both a normal school and county superintendencies, let them take them both.

ADDRESSES.

INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

BY PRESIDENT ELI T. TAPPAN, OF ATHENS, OHIO.

The revolving year has brought together the teachers of Ohio, to advise with each other, to devise new things and to discuss again old methods, to aid each other with counsel, to enjoy for a day or two each other's society, to cheer each other with good words, and thus to obtain new strength and new zeal for their great work.

In my address to you this evening, I shall attempt to state a few of the important topics which at this time demand the attention of teachers, beginning with those matters which relate more particularly to our own State.

The Ohio Teachers' Association has in the seventeen years of its existence, first reformed the school-system of the State, and then continued to give to it that life and spirit which have produced the most vigorous growth. When we look back over the history of these years; when we recount the great men whose names have brightened the fair fame of our State, some of whom have passed away to a higher life; when we see how the influence of our past labors has been felt in every school district of the State; we are filled with a sense of gratitude to Him whose servants we are, that He has so blessed the work of our hands. Yet, however much has been, more remains to be done.

It has been said by a great English lawyer, that the principal thing to be accomplished by the British Government, King, Lords and Commons, with all the machinery of Courts, was simply to get twelve good men into a jury box. It may be said with more perfect accuracy that the greatest object to be attained by all our school-system, laws and regulations, State, county, township and subdistrict officers is this: to place a competent teacher in every school-house. Of the twenty thousand teachers in the State, how many are there that we here assembled would consider competent to govern and instruct our children? This question brings home to us how much remains to be done. To increase the number of good teachers, to supply this demand: he who can solve this problem will benefit the State far more than he who increases the quantity of corn or grass grown on an acre of ground.

There are more than enough of those who are willing to be paid for "keeping a school;" there is always in every branch of human occupation an oversupply of those who are unable to do good work. On the other hand, with us as in every other profession, there is a great want of persons to fill the most responsible positions. For example, many of our towns are now without a school-superintendent. Varied accomplishments are required to fulfill the

duties of a city superintendent, much tact, industry and scholarship: the sup ply of such men is less than the demand.

Of the agencies for increasing the number of good teachers, the county board of examiners is one of the most important. These boards are the door-keepers of the profession; none can enter without their permission. In many counties of the State, they are of but little use; they admit so many that are incompetent, that, practically, there is no exclusion. In those counties where a wiser policy prevails, where the number of certificates issued is not much over the number of teachers needed, the effect has been a steady and rapid improvement in the character of the schools. Every member of this Association, every friend of education, can help to bring this about, by advising the examiners to exercise more watchfulness, and by sustaining them publicly when they do their duty in this respect. These gentlemen are subject to a constant pressure, coming generally from unwise boards of directors. The number of certificates issued should not much exceed the number of schools in each county. This plan eliminates the inefficient, and accomplishes the very object of the law, which is to secure the best teachers. It would be adopted in many counties, if the examiners were cordially sustained by half a dozen active friends of common schools. The responsibility is upon us, we must uphold the hands of the judges. In many counties a portion of the teachers, in special districts, are not required to have county certificates. So far as I have been able to observe and to learn from others, the district boards of examiners do more harm than good. They rarely pursue any systematic mode of examination. I suggest to the Association whether every teacher in the State ought not to be required to hold either a county or a State certificate.

County supervision would help very much to place a competent teacher in every school-house. Normal schools are needed for the same purpose. It is sufficient to refer to these two very important subjects, as they are to be among the stated topics for discussion at this convention.

The high schools, seminaries, academies, and colleges, have always been the principal source for supplying competent teachers for our common schools. The higher institutions of learning must continue to supply the raw material of teachers. The county superintendent and examiners may select or reject, but they can only in an indirect manner increase the number of persons who have sufficient scholarship to be teachers. The normal school may give the professional instruction, may teach how to teach, but this science must rest upon a foundation of general scholarship.

The teacher ought to know more than the very thing he is teaching. No one can be a good teacher of arithmetic who has not either mastered the first elements of algebra, or obtained by thorough drill that mental discipline which is usually acquired by the study of algebra. The teacher who has learned at least one language besides his own, and has compared the derivation of words and the structure of sentences in his own language with those of another, has by this means obtained a knowledge of general grammar, the science of language, which makes him better qualified to teach any grammar whatever. So it is in every science. It is very true, that the most profound scholar may be utterly incompetent to teach; and for this reason, the student who has just graduated

with the highest honors, ought to attend a normal school, and study the profession of teaching, before presuming to rank as a real teacher. On the other hand, a good education is absolutely essential to the good teacher; for no one can give to an other that which he does not possess himself.

A most common failing in the profession is ignorance. Notwithstanding the low standard required by most of the county examiners of Ohio, yet last year only one man in eighteen received a certificate to teach for two years, and only one woman in thirty-seven. For two years the State board of examiners invited candidates for the highest rank in the profession, they placed their programme of subjects not much beyond the curriculum of any country academy, they declared that scholarship was not the main consideration, and that professional ability and experience would be counted in place of scholarship to a certain extent; yet only fifteen persons of the twenty thousand teachers in the State ever asked for a certificate. Many teachers of high position gave as a reason for not applying, that the programme of subjects was too difficult, or that they were not prepared. Is there not reason to say, that a common failing in the profession is ignorance?

It is undoubtedly true that no other profession contains so many learned men and women, no other profession has so many who are distinguished for extensive and exact scholarship, no other profession has proportionally so few who deserve the title of ignoramus; but we can derive no consolation from such a comparison. It is our business to possess knowledge, because it is our business to give instruction.

Since the recruits in the ranks of our profession must come from the high schools and colleges, it is important, 1st. That the number of pupils in these higher institutions of learning should be increased; and 2d. That a larger portion of the graduates of these schools should become teachers.

The total number of pupils enrolled last year in all the colleges, seminaries, normal schools, academies, and high schools, was less than the thirty-second part of the number enrolled in all the schools of the State. Of all the children that attend the common schools of Ohio, not one in thirty ever goes far enough to enter any higher school. In many places the high schools are unpopular and regarded with a jealous eye, just on account of the small number who enter them. There are many places where the high schools are not yet firmly established. Every year we hear of some one where good teachers are allowed to depart, and cheaper ones are substituted, or the course of study is cut down. The classics are thrown out, or something else, according to the whim or the prejudice of ignorant boards of education. Sometimes the number of teachers is diminished, so that those remaining must stint their work; sometimes the high school itself is discontinued. There were not so many high schools in the State last year as there were six years ago. There ought to be twice as many.

This matter will come before you, perhaps, in discussing the subject of graded schools in rural districts. On this as well as some other things, we teachers of Ohio should be aggressive; we have rested long enough, we must take a step in advance,--we must move in order to show that we are alive.

The number of pupils in the high schools already existing, will grow with the growth of popular intelligence, and with the improvement of the schools them

selves. Each of these agencies will react upon the other. This is shown by the fact that the average number of pupils in each high school last year was sixty-three, being an increase of one-half over the average number six years before, when it was forty-two. This tends to strengthen the existing schools as well as to increase the number of persons in the State fit to teach.

Something may be done to expedite this desirable end of enlarging the number of students, particularly the number of good students in the higher institutions of learning. Let the policy of rewards for good scholarship and conduct be engrafted upon the school system. Every child in school is rewarded now, and those receive the highest rewards who show the best conduct, the greatest diligence, and the most intelligence. The reward consists in a better education. Let this natural plan be carried a step farther. Let every boy and girl who can achieve a certain degree of excellence in the high school be sent to college; and let them be helped to maintain themselves there so long as they continue to show extraordinary ability and industry. Let the State help to edu cate in her universities, every boy who may show in his high school that he is one whose thorough education would be a benefit to the State; and let similar institutions be founded or endowed for the education of girls of superior character and ability.

Such a system of rewards is in accordance with the school system itself. It rewards those who are worthy, and the rewards consist in the means of obtaining a better education. Such a system is nothing new. It has been tried for centuries in older countries, and has received the approval of ages of experience. It is now in operation to a certain extent in some of the colleges of this country.

All over the State of Ohio, there are youth of both sexes who have more than common natural ability, who are capable of receiving more than a common education, and who do not get it, but would gladly take it if they could receive a little help. These are the very ones who are to lead in after life, their education is a matter of importance to the State; the future advancement and welfare of the State depend very much upon these persons and upon their education.

If in the city of Cincinnati some benevolent men would give five thousand dollars a year to help support, while they attend the high school, those boys and girls who can show a record of honorable conduct and good scholarship in the school below, the benefit accruing to the city and to the cause of education would far surpass all the good that will be derived from the expenditure of thirty thousand dollars yearly in the salaries of professors and lecturers in a university.

Millions of dollars have been spent in this western country in founding colleges and in endowing professorships; a large portion of this money has been a mere waste. If one half of it had been expended in endowing scholarships for worthy and needy students, to be selected upon thorough examinations, there would be more students in all the colleges and higher grades of schools than there now are, and they would be of a superior class.

At present the educational interests of the State are not harmonious. The common schools and the seminaries and colleges are to a certain extent at cross purposes. This ought not to be and need not be. These rewards for scholar