The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-08-25

need of "this poorly paid class" but
very little material interest comes from
their prolessed sympathy.
The school teachers are, indeed, an ex-
ample of meekness. Ignorant legisla-
lures make laws enabling hungry authors
of books to raid on the school fund in
tended only for the payment Of teach hers,
and no audible complaint is made. Cur
tailments of their respective portion OF
the school fund are made for that purpose
and the teachers are coolly sent back to
collect the deficit, if they can, off their
subscribers and PROFESSIONALISM of
whom perhaps are either INDECENT or in
solvent, and bomb-proof against any at
tempt to get a cent out of them, and no
murmur is heard. Arbitrary laws are
made creating what are called institutes,
which, from the brevity of their sessions,
might be classed among the ephsmera-
and men dubbed proiessors-a title fast
becoming obnoxious to every body but
the owner, are imported into the county
to conduct them, in whose selection the
teachers have no more voice than so
many mummies, and which they are
compelled to attend and foot the bill of ex-
penses on pain of FORGETTING their certifca-
ties, and they come up as quietly as sheep,
slaughter And there is no doubt to the
in the world that if the existence of that law
hung on the ratification or rejection of
the Common School Teachers of Ky. they
would quickly vote it into those distant
regions of the neither world, where grav-
itation turns the other way 1t would be
strange if the futility of those institutes
were not apparent to every rejecting
mind, for how can it be expected that a
Jews days attendance at any place of i'm
struction will enable a person to make
any improvement satisfactory to himself
or visible to others? And | would say to
those young candidates for schools, who
may be sanguine OF having obtained the
master-key at an institute that will I'M
lock with ease, the hidden vaults and
darkest, deepest recesses of learning, like
the kings son who went to college, ex-
pecting to find royal road to geometry,
by which he might avoid the drudgery
OF ordinary study, that when the all-day
work Of the school room-when the So
luton of successive difficult problems in
arithmetic, and the analysis and parsing
ofdifficult sentences in grammer lessons
call for the utmost stretch of their knowl-
edge, the visionary conceits that may
now prompt them to cry eureka" in
imitation of Archimedes, like nights
swift dragons at the approach of day,
will cut the clouds full fast" and leave
them in the possession of their senses.
Attempts have been made to force a
uniformity of text>books upon the schools,
and teachers have been threatened by
august county boards Of education and
majestic School Commissioners, with the
consequences of noncompliance with
their mandate-in other words the for
fixture OF their school money. The law
has been proved to be imperative; teach-
ers have neglected it with impunity, and
nobody has been hurt. And | would say
just here, that though consider Butler
grammer an honor to the author, | would
deem the rejection of the Elementary
spelling book from the schools and the
introduction OF Buffers, an insult to the
shade of Noah Webster. The Elemental
ry spelling book is the best in America.
shall conclude by saying few words
on the subject of school examiners. 1t is
my opinion that those officers should be
decapitated so suddenly as scarcely tc
give them time to communicate with
their dearest friends. As il is the BUSH
ness and duty Of a trustee to hire teach
er for mis- district, it ought to be his priv,
iIege to exercise his right Of choice as to
whom he employed, just as though hc
employed man TO do any other kind o
work, but, it is objected, trustees are not
qualified to examine teachers. l contend
that great many trustees are qualified
to examine applicants for schools, anC
they would do the work just as well an,
great deal cheaper than those appoint
ed by law. If they are not highly educa
ted they can ascertain how the appli
cant has succeeded in his previous
schools. If the applicant is an entire
stranger, as is often the case, the trustee
would have to guess at his qualification
Just as school examiners do under simi
lar circumstances, though the examiner
might form more correct opinion with
regard to the extent of his education
they would be as ignorant as the trustee;
with regard to his ability to conduct ;
school and impart instructions; an iten
fully as important as education. An
there is another fact to be considered
that school examiners are by no mean
: perfect themselves, aud would be as EkeL
to .fM if they weHt before other eran'i"ia
, b0v,ts Jor certificates, as muy ordinar
, teachers. The truth is hsy ore their 0r
+ poiata,eat more Frequently TO .fdroritism ar
putiaEty than 70 arg obvious superiority
their qualifications. r. G..