The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-05-21
d For tbs Dispatch.
Low-EsTtcRd Teacssara.

whoever - s.. S., of Marion, Smyth
c0unty Va.,H Is, his communication II, The
expansion and criticism Of g Hugby,s Far
ticie leads any attentive mind TO the cosicIs,.
sion that he believes In having tI,frgs done.
for nothing. His idea Of 4 traiTed. tisoronoh
teacher, and the salary he Is TO recaiye.
sounds like tie ring Of the metal found in
oid-feld schools Rugby, Ia liberal.
evidently knows what a teacher should be {
ana reels that we want system above ten
penny considerations, and entirely Of Viz
glnIa growth. j. $. s.. If we are not vision
Less, desires to begin in WY which will
make the asystem Of free schools more
hateful TO Virginians than ever il has been.
Wherever ne may have come from, or what
/ ever may have, been his views heretofore.
we say this: No "northern system" WiIf
suit Virginia, for the reason that northern
plants receive no nutrition from our soil
unless they change the rose of New York
blooms not here Us our fragrant white rose,
nor exhales its sweetness upon the morning
air 80 delightfully."-. Mr.. Ruftner recognizes
this when he speaks in his report Of leaving
out unsettled questions and only intro
ducing those things that long experience
mas proved and approved in other States
and countries. We think his report able,
with this exception 1T has not enough of
boldness about it. BE says nothing about
teachers, the Constitution leaving 1t as the
work of the General Assembly, the pre- para
ton Of va uniform system of public free
schools, and for its gradual, equal, and full
introduction into all the counties Of the
State by the year 1876, Or as murh earlier
as practicable" We cannot expect this to
be done at once, and so must wait.
But Of the living, immortal part Of this
machinery what is the important part ? We
answer, food teaehers-men who have Vir-
ginla blood In their veins, OF who are willing
to fall in with her old ideas under the new
order. But shall we employ men who have
not spent one hundred dollars on their el'l-
cation9 .l ~ :.
Who have never traced out the workings
OF their own minds know nothing of the
instrument upon WHICH they have to play !?
Think Of an immortal mind-we care not
how. poor or degraded it may be-with all
It's chords to be attuned either for WOO or
bliss, for time or etcrlity, irtrusteG1 to one
who has no more knowledge of it than the
eoai-digger has of the exquisite works of q
superior watch. How many young men
are being educated in Virginia for teaching,
/ and as soon as their educations are tinished
seek other States, because teaching is nom
paying heres These must be called back,
put to work In our primary schools, placed
I over normal institutions, and thus become
able co-workers OF Mr.. Rufiin. But will
fifteen or twenty dollars per month DO thiss
we say no, Says I. 9. s.; "m hiring
teac9ers we should ask ourselves, not chow
much we ought to pay them,' but what Is
ones for, amply qualified" We affirm, not
for fifteen dollars per month; and, more
over, we defy him to show us good teach-
| er who is willing to take school Of ltYsep
boys even for such q sNm lie is not the
only one who knows something about the
System: We have studied it; seen 1t work
seen It's scholars; seen some of its teach
ers and have taught ourselyes-and do moi
believe grinding, parsimonious treatment
OF teachers like j. s. S. recommends will de
ianything other than ill our scAoohhouses
with incompetents and cerruptors OF on
youth, -
Skiiful and respectable labor can only b.
obtained by paying well for it. The gooG
nachinist must have liberal salary, thu
Iexpert clerk sufficiency, and the tried Ia
borer ON the farm must have more leuIune
ration than the slow, papeless son of Adam
who fools no interest in himself or bis EN-
ployer's profits,
If this is true Of other vocations, why no
of teaching! II the farmer finds that it j,
to his interest to pay double the wages to
careful, intelligent laborer, who does no
smash-np wagons, break implements, ant
disarrange his work. IS it not of the highes
interest to the State to have careful, intelli
gent trainers and cultiyators of her s. Youns
IDEAS" though she pay high for their ser
vices. than to have the poor, miserabl,
shapes of men that would otherwise tax,
charge Of her younger citizens9 Hi,
Let us have corps of good teachers Il
our primary schools, and pay them for thei
services,
| The Idea of changing from male to female
Teachers in the same school and in the sam,
session Is-a~neto idea sure. How q 10,
would enjoy such thing. getting rid o
manly discipline to come undefs female gov
Iernment We never had but one fefaasal
teacher, and the mostwe learned under hel
was to jump, 2'a
81. S, S.,n with false views of economy
has, in our opinion, erred, and we count i
as one Of the head, not of the heart.
II f# , a