Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-05-28
CoMPENsAvloN Of TEACHERS.

We give further extracts from the address
Of Supt. Kissell, before the County Su2erin>
tendcn,s' Convention. Speaking of the pay
Of teachers, he says:
A fruitful source Of poor teaching is inad>
equte compensation. The income Of many
teachers, after deducting their expenses is
less than that of common house servant.
1t has been said, "a We say what grade of
qualification We desire by the salaries we
pay" Nowwe know in business that noth-
ing demoralizes good workmen sooner than
uuder-pay. The same principle holds good
in teaching. For there IS law equivaen,
in the moral Us well Us the spiritual world,
which viii not be forced. II we disturb its
harmonies, we produce only discord and con.
fusion. 10 make the labor Of the head and
Of the hand equal is to do this. 1t is to de,
grade the master and exalt the servant. Men
of culture feel this. and naturally seek fields
Of labor where their abilities are recognized,
and their services remunerated. Our edu-
Gators are yearly leaving the ranks for remu.
Berative positions and their places are being
filed by those less competent, because, it is
said, we can'taiford to pay higher salar>
les" This narrow policy vextends to school
officers and district directors. The latterare
required TO perform school duties gra,ui,ous-
ly, and many Of the former at starving sala-
res. County Supervisors, Legislators, coun>
ty and State officers; consiables. jail keeper
are all literally compensated, but who ever
heard Of a salaricd school board? We pay
a street cleaner, and give perquisites TO the
man who keeps the pound, bu, to pay
school board-how absurd And SO through
all the range of school officers, first to last !;
they are pinched to actual penury.
DO the people think that the way to keep
a man honest is to keep him poor? to make
him work without wages? Will dishonesty
and bribery be any less temptation because
he owns nothing? Now what is our candi~
ton. as the result of this penny wise policy
which We have been practicing? Our schools
are not gaining in influence and their pro-
eress is constantly retarded. Their monied
interests are in q state of perpetual panic
for whatever be the financial condition OF
the country, with them it is always hard
times and crisis is forever impending.
Teaching has been driven from the business
area, and robbed of its professional characs
ter by making its labor unprof,able. This
has destroyed its stability. Now, the moment
you destroy its perinanency. you dismiss the
best and wisest workers, and open the voca-
ton 10 adventures Of every kind. More than
half Of our public schools-nurseries Of lib.
erty we are proud 10 call them-are to day
in the hands of noyices and inexperienced
young people. The majority Of our popu>
lation enjoy no other educational adyanta>
ges than those offered by the public schools;
and this business Of developing the mental
wealth ofthe nation, this work Of laying the
foundation Of our moral and religious pros
petty We have given over to unprincipled
boys and girls whom we would consider in-
competent for the common business trans>
actions OF life. What do they know about
that Invisible, intangible power they are set
10 work upon? How eau they discover the
secret springs of virtue or the covered aye>
nues where vice lurks? What ability have
they to perceive the characteristic through
which mind il 10 be reached !? The idea Of
the development of child's mind Is very
much like their idea of a bal. of butter
something to We pet,ed and squeezed and
and stamped, and got ready for use. But If
it be true that the foundation Of character is
chiefly laid in early fife, il the tastes, the af.
fections, are all shaped at that plant period,
il virtue can die and folly ripen even before
maturity, II tie seeds Of right thinking and
right living can only be successfully cultiva>
ted in childhood. what terrible waste is oil
this unskilied labor? Its results are every
where apparent in the incomplete character
and insufficient lives OF every one Of US.