Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-08-07
THE SCHOOLS.

Friend Zittle-I am of that honorable
profession to which Aristotle, Plato anu
Socrates belonged and TO which It Is sa!d
late King Of the French was at one time
exalted, though some would call 1t RE
buCKD. You have already Inferred, no
ddubt, that have a high opinion OF the
df1flffs of my craft and it is well that L
have, for precious little profit derive
from it and must console myself by tax
ING it out in HONOR. Its, therefore, with
q rather spiteful feeling that complain OF
the present school law Of our State when
appears to have been designed Tin Some
respects at least) for no other purpose than
that of depriving me and my c0-laDorers
of the chief remuneration for our severe
and vexatiOus duties which the Fates have
allotted to us poor MISUNDERSTANDING
self-respect and sense OF dignity. Inc
law makes yearly examination OF all
teachers the principal business OF the
County Superintendent. 1t matters not
if gets No. certificate this year, the
same next year and so on for hal1 NE
time, the law, as 1t now stands, contem-
plates the probability that the more teach
the less | may know and, every summer,
am obliged to take seat at the examl-
and sex, to be ''put through my faclngs
by somebody who may or may not be COM
petent to Judge ola man who has, Tor a
Quarter of a century, made teaching pro-
fessiOn. Last Thursday, there were eX-
amined at Charlestown some who have
been themselves County Superintendent
and have examined the very men who
NOW are THEIR judges. This looks very
much like mutual admiration affair or as
the old saying goes, scratch me and
will scratch you" 1t will be admitted
that this county has always had the good
fortune of having Superintendent who
were fully competent to discharge the
duties of their position and that the gen.
tlemen whose names are now before the
people for election are, all men OF polished
education and of the highest tone, but
who eau promise that this state OF things
will continue? Who can tell what the
sovereign people or, for that matter, the
GUINEA people may do in freak OF Gus
scdness!' 1t is not always the best man
that pleases the people best and, some DAY
or other, we may have for County Super
intendent some blockhead who could not
get No. certificate were he an appll-
cant for school himself. In view OF this
contingency then and because the present
law is an evident outrage on common
sense, l would suggest that, once teach
err gets No. l certificate the law should
exempt him from future examination UNI
less, indeed, he should for any consid-
cradle time, abandon the profession.
'Once 4 Priest forever a Priest Is a
maxim as applicable to the school room as
to the altar and in law or medicine we
never hear SECOND examination before
Circuit Judge or q SECOND diploma from
college of physicians. When l was not
yet of age to vote, received No. GER
tificate and now that, like John Anderson
of happy memory, ''my head is bald and
my locks are like the snow" | must,
yearly, undergo an examination with
Boys and girls smelling strongly of Board
ing School bread and butter whose fathers
and mothers have probably spanked" a
hundred times when the century was yet
young, and whose teachers / NAY have
examined in the capacity OF Superinten-
dent. Against this intolerable bore l
therefore enter my solemn protest and
hope that my voice may reach the ears OF
the 'tmOst potent, grave and reverend
Seigneurs" in the Legislature OF west Vlr-
ginia assembled.
Another count in my indictment against
from the office of Trustee. This office has
certain duties to perform such as employ
ing the teacher, &c, but the Board of Ed
ucatiOn has a Supervisory power over all
his acts and the law in this respect Is
like Paddy Miles will wherein the codicil
revoked the whole body Of the instru-
ment. If the Board of Education can
annul the acts of the Trustee why can
they not perform his duties themselves,
and dispense altogether with this fifth
wheel which adds nothing useful or or
namental to the wagon but very frequent
ly impedes its progress OIL account OF the
iealonsies and heart-burnings arising
from conflicts of authority.
will for the present, conclude by re-
ferring to the inequality in the time the
schools are kept open in the various town
ships. l see no good reason why child
in CharlestOwn should get ten months
schooling and one in Ilarper's Ferry only
four. The difference arises from tae levy
system and the poverty of some townships
as compared with others, ! believe tits
conceded that Free Schools are the main
props ofRepublican institutions aud keep
ing this in view, it would appear as If a
Republican Government founded on the
theory of the absolute equality of ALL be-
fore the law ought not to make such in
yidious distinctions as are made in the
case above quoted and others that could
be named. Ifall are really the same in
the eye of the law there should be such
an equalization of the school fund as
would give all an equal chance for en-
lightenment. Falling this the State can
not consistently NEEDLE in the matter In
any shape. fla town sinks well or puts
up pump it is EQUALLY for the good Of
all and no contingency can be imagined
which would give any one greater right
to enjoy its benefits than his neighbor.
The same principle think applies to the
fountain Of knowledge and it is to be
hoped that Messrs. Mason and Tanner our
able representatives will see that the above
abuses are remedied as well as others
which will be ventilated before the session
of the Legislature,
AN OLD hRAT-SIASHER.