Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-12-26
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT
SCHOOLING.

queries on school discipline. We
would say to "Young Teacher
that we examined our manuscript
and found that we used the word
preventive" but the young prin-
ter, not having the fear of Noah
Webster and other photographers
before his eyes, by epenthesis in
serted sta" in the body of the
word, which made the sound grand,
but rendered the word not so COM
prehensive.
1t seems a little trouble to Young
Teacher to understand when to in
flict corporal punishment. The
teacher must be the judge of that,
and like all other judges he will
prosper or decline in his efforts and
influence in proportion to his acts.
He must sail clear of both Scylla
and Charybdis, or The effort will
be fatal. For example, the youth
he mentions who told him that his
mother swore, must be taught at
school that he must not swear, even
if his great-great-grandma and pa
did it. Teach him that he is un-
der the authority OF the teacher
from the time he leaves home in
the morning to come to school till
he returns, and that the teacher is
paid for enforcing good morals, and
that he is bound to be master of
the situation under all circum-
stances. l cannot say what sort of
treatment patient ofthat charac-
ter should have unless | saw him.
If the boy looked like he wished
to do better, but from the force of
habit he should 60 astray occsion-
ally, he might be brought to by a
little moral suasion; but, if he be-
come defiant, | would say with
the old Bard: "Lay on McDuff,
and damned be he who first cried
hold! enough"
1t may be necessary to bring to
terms a few who say they won't,
like the old lady l once read of,
whose husband thought he would
get the bake oven repaired. Said
he-"Dear wife, / am going to
have my bake oven repaired. y
Wife says to husband-"Say our
bake-oven." Husband says-"My
bake oven." Wife-'I say, sa y
our bake oven.' Husband says
My bake oven," and wife flies fol
the poker, and every time she
brings poker down upon husband
she exclaims, Tour bake house y
Husband retreats under the bed,
and in so doing knocks off his hat
All is still as midnight, when
Husband looks out from among the
curtains, innocently. and says
"Wife, please mann hand
me or hat" She could we'll ex.
claim with Caesar, "Veni, vidi
vici z"
Ii would be we'll for teachers also
at the end of their terms to say, 81
come, l saw, l conquered" i
from what few hints we have
thrown out Young Teacher can
Gull any ideas about teaching, thai
will prove useful to him, as he
tugs along the tortuous way of the
pedagogue. we shall look back
with pleasure upon the few mo-
ments spent in jotting these crude
ideas, for we have joulneyed by
the way, and seen the picture.
There should be general inter,
est manifested by all ia TIT
public school instruction of oul
State, together with the Who'll,
Union. Theideas that we we often
hear advanced-and very lam,
ones, indeed-that there is beins
too much education among tn,
masses, that all will be educated
that they will not work, that they
will become sharpers and cheats
certainly show that the parties
need more education themselves
they may have education, but moi
of the right kind. This is where
the trouble lies this is where Sc
many are deceived as to what ed
ucation really Is, and will be-
Wonld not the Indians ofour coun
try be a prosperous and hare
working people If illiteracy wa
not the agency; the Hotentots and
HoanghOs would swell and apply
steam and sail through the
air. Where there are indolen
habits and wickedness i
is mate, or a defec
i'm education either at home a
at school. The objec. OF educa
ton is still to remedy the defects
in education. Our common schoo
system itself only prepares ii
youths for the ordinary duties oi
life, thet they may perform those
duties better and make strong tht
foundation.of our great social anc
political fabric. IF there be defec
in this foundation upon which al
our moral, social political and re