Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-02

all. Very competent and thoroughly expert
enced gentlemen in this city have taken the
grade and class with class. after personal in
spection.) with the schools and teachers
abroad" and they assert that our schools
In solid seholarship,-the stan Of lite 10 an
educational system, are decidedly Ia advance
of most other cities, and the cases wherein our
classes in the same studies are tqudHed Is the
exception, and not the rule. Here is another
fact. would like TO name classe, and studies
with "Civ.s" if he would ..come to time" bat
fear, he like the Ohio orator, would when
called upon to make good his bold assertions,
be found "non est" as the courts say.
Now, MI Editor. am in favor OF ''High
and Normal School," and so are you, and so
are most of the best and t1ork1ng friends OF our
school system, ard Il is not necessary TO declare
our schools 10 be In ian inferior condition"
and falsify the record, in order 70 get 1t. But
The time tor this costly school Is not yet. Let
MS pay the teachers who are working up these
schools to their present useful condition. Let
us obtain credit with our coal men, our wood
merchants, our stove dealers, our carpenters
and our school sweeps. Let US take our dear
little children, that can'tg 60 to "High and Nor
NAL School," out of our filthy, unpaved alleys,
lined with wretched huts, ana corrupted
by the lowest morals and manners. Let as
the dirt, the sickening atmosphere, and the re.
pulsive shanties, and put them In good, wheie.
some school rooms, where light, air, health
and beauty will tighten and encourage their
infant efforts. In short, let us stop ''the MUIR
der of the innocents" that we say "shau 20 to
SCHOOL, For nv part until these little chill
dTen are properly taken care OF, would rejec.
with indignation, any proposition Tor s'High
and Normal School," so long as this class of
pupils remain in pest holes of physical disease
ana moral corruption. In my humble Judg-
ment, this whole legislation to take money FOR
any other purpose than 70 pay the teachers we
now employ, and to provide healthy and suit.
able accommodations for the pupils already
IN the public schools, is fagrantly wrong and
criminal, and proposed in utter recklessness
and ignorance of the fact, as now existing In
orr school system.
Now, sir, lust one word as to what teaching
is. Normal schools don't make teachers.
Written examinations and scholarly displays
don't make teachers. There is something liner,
more subtle than these, and the first, and above
all, is love of children. The party in charge
Of school that looks upon child as q KIND
of rare animal, 10 be stuffed q la "Dr. Blim.
Der, might make very good taxidermist, bat
a "Hgh and Normal SCHOOL, has stuffed into
him or her. Teaching is almost indeinable
therefore instead Of attempting q definition,
will adopt the language of a recent paragraph
from the New York Tribune, which seems to
get int , this peculiar and fine art better than
ship was not regarded as so important q quail.
fcatiou Of the teachers as tact aud energy We
say nothing of the energy except tnat as a
matter Of course, weak, indolent, dawdling
creature Will be good for nothing as te acher.
But the fine, natural ability for teaching, which
seems to Us distinct and lot over common
intellectual gift has heretofore been almost en-.
tirely disregarded in the selection OF teachers .
Not being much valued by committee men, in.
structors who in rare degree have tact for
teaching have resor'sd to private establish
ments, leaving the public schools, in too many
instances. TO the mercy OF those who clumsIly
govern by the coercion Of corporal punish
msnt." WAsHINGToNIAN