Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-03-21
Before commanding esec=

School Teachers and School Teaching
If. Ed;tor:-
Before commencing sec
ondly' must enter my protest against the
printers devil, or some other equally law
less parsonage, taking quite SO much liber-
ty with my vocabulary as he did in nv
last. For instance, when | would speak OF
'mercenary motives | am made to say
4, necessary motives and again, instead of
/ permitting me 10 say whining, he coins the
word 'tg|a[I2y' FOR my use, and instead OF
/ allowing me to say 'moiety received he in-
slSts on having it merit received
OF the 'Pauses' ! dou't know that [
ought to say anything, for it is very cyi-
dent that the supply at the case vas rath-
or short, otherwise it would net have been
amiss TO place period alter the sentence
! 'j'et the associations and conventions an
sWeT and certainly had he followed the
/ golden rule he would have granted us sew
/ eral more breathing stations towards the
cl Sc Of the article, 10 say nothing Of
/ quotation marx or two or three parcnthet-
G marks that might have been used to very
good advantage.
Nov, Mr. Editor, submit if ali this is
not discouragi04 10 appreciated YET as
pistng teaching talent il so, IS il not
. your oE.jrjo' dirty to bring that devil to
: task Agd 10 Jya, Nj Devil, ! submit
! the proPyiety Of conioing your operations
+ to some Jess sensitive and less prosecuted
! class, But secondly
+ in speaking Of school tcaching do not
propose a dissertation upon school room dis
cipline. bat simply to consider the subject
as an occupation There are in this State
| alone according 10 late official resarus. no
less than 1905 teachers who have receiY-
ed duriag the past -car from the Common
wealth the sum Of 1911, ,672 SO.
This state Of things proves and IN fact
the free school law presupposes certain
present worldly relations which this army
Of teachers hold to society, inasmuch as
that law is based upon the principle that
the progress and happiness Of human soci-
ETY., and the justice and perpetuity of the
government even, are dependent upon the
Intelligence Of the masses in temporal mat
tiers.
The subject has already been sufficiently
cuiogIZed Us q profession, as a ealing, as
TO speak Ct il as a business, as an occupa-
ton, engaged in by men and women pcs
sessed Of the same aspiration, the same
traities that belong to other men and 9th
cr women vino engage IN the Thousand and
one activities pertaining to society We
would divest the subject of ali It's phiIan- /
throPic charms, and bring it right down to
plain matter-ot-tact everyday position
and inasmuch as the duties Of to-day DO
not include those Of tomorrow or Of the !
next day, or Of any day or space of time
to come, and inasmuch - the present is all !
we have or can have to deal with, we must /
insist that this occupation pertains prjma- |
rily to this world and not to the next that /
it has It's necessity and Immediate devel- |
opment here with US 'po5r worms Of the /
dust and not with sanity natures in dis /
tant realms Of bliss. Don't let us be un-
derstood as denying a future, or as under
rating the Influence Of the present upon |
that future, but simply asserting the long /
admitted and automatic principle that to- |
day properly improved prepares Is for TO- /
morrow; that this life, rightly lived, is our
best preparation for the life to come. and, |
consequently, that our main business in !
this world is with the present, postponing |.
the duties Of heaven until we get there. !
He have to deal with things as they are, !
not as they 5eW be Our business is with /
men and things here, and with children that I
are to be subject first Of all to the trials and |
perplexities Of the present life. Moreover |
1t is not our province to act as universal |
expounders Of everything pertaining to ex-
istence, or to attempt TO supply specifics |
for every emergency Of the future. There |
are agencies in the various stages of mans |
development that are not legitimately with
IN the public school teachers sphere, and |
for Us to attempt to use them all, for US to /
attempt the whole work Of all mankind. is
simply to throw away what little strength
we do possess.
1t is for US to act as other men act. If |
We would succeed in the world, conformity
to the laws of society must be observed
As the merchant, who would succeed, must
study the law OF supply and demand and
practice in accordance with them: or as the
lawyer, who would convince the jury, must
understand the principles of his profession;
or as the clergyman, who would be heard,
must know and be able to work upon that
nice vein of human nature, the judicous
management of which is so essential to
his success, SO must the teacher understand
his true relations to society and act accor-
dinghy. Success in teaching, as in other
matters, depends upon principles which are
to be known and practiced, and not solely
upon Providence. Suppose a bookseller
brings to an over-stocked market supply
of Bibles, would the sacredness Of his
or his trust in Providence,
insure him from loss ? Suppose minis-
ter harangues q critical and already dissat-