The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-19
Quackcry in Schools.

The schoolmaster has always been con-
sidered fair game from the days of Horace
down to the present time. Almost every
author has had fling at him, almost every
satirist has ridiculed him, all, no doubt,
hoping to avenge themselves for their suffer-
ings in early days. This much abused profess
sion, however, has more than held it's own,
and to-day fourishes among us like the famous
''green bay tree" While the old fashioned,
Woodworking teachers barely make pittance,
the new schoolmasters prosper and lay up
money.
Although we bear the greatest respect for
the profession, so useful and in the main so
deserving of praise as it is, we wish to enter
our protest against some of the abuses that
have crept into it, AS nation we are will
ing victim to all kinds of quackery. Patent
medicines warranted to cure all the ills that
human flesh is heir to flood the land; we have
quack lawyers, who are forever tinkering
at our constitutions, State and national;
quack judges, who are ever engaged in up
setting old presidents quack doctors by the
hundred; and now quack schoolmasters have
Joined the crowd, who propose to teach every
thing in no time at all, and who have COM
pletely revolutionized the old methods of
teaching the young idea to shoot. They
almost rival the corn doctors in dstri-
buting flaming prospectuses. With the
enterprising ardor of the tract distributors
they force their little books into every Office
and dwelling house. These little books TEEN
with long lists of present and past pupils, re-
inforced with fictitious names if needed; with
long columns of credentials signed by promi-
nent people. In fact, the testimony of inte-
rested parties as to the number and condition
of pupils who have been made presentable,
and who have been endowed with any amount
of information, is very much like that which
generally accompanies the notice of some
new bitters or other nostrum, or is like the
wonderful reforms effected by enterpris-
ing temperance lecturers. They tell us in
what fearful condition the patient was and
how strong and healthy he now is--in fact,
according to their statements the only way to
ever get well is to get some frightfu disease
and then undergo a course of the special treat
to go to Professor Blanks great institute in a
most deplorable state of ignorance, and in a
short time you will figure among his wonderful
cures.
They are forever developing some new fea-
ture, and are always engaged in enlarging
their bills and in increasing the number of
''isms" they profess to teach. We forever find
them standing in the shade Of some fashion
able clergyman. There are such things as cleri-
cal quacks, who pat them on the back and
give them lots of moral support. The school
master in turn fills the pews with his pupils,
and is prominent member of the vestry; is
always foremost in voting funds to allow the
pastor to go to Europe for his health. In fact,
the two constitute q mutual admiration society
for each others benefit.
The wonder Of it all is that the public don't
see through it. But no, the dear people send
their children and cheerfully pay the enormous
bills, and at every fantastical caper the peda-
gogue cuts a little knot cheer and encourage
him. And what becomes of the pupils in all
this? Well they are taught everything and learn
little or nothing moral suasion is employed to
cram knowledge into their unwilling brains; 80
vulgar thing as Hogging is not to be thought
of and so the lazy or stupid boy rolls from
school to school, learning nothing and doing
nothing; secure from the only punishment he
really breads, he grows up with slight smat-
tering of q multitude of things and takes his
place in the world utterly unfit to do any
thing. The clever boy is kept as a show
piece for receptions and prize distributions,
and the clergyman and schoolmaster trot him |
out on every possible opportunity and COM
placently sit back and call on every one to look
at their work. This sort of work ought to |
cease, for Of all uncomfortable things quackcry
In education Is the worst.