The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-06-05

step at once into a comfortable living, GER
tainly assured, and in case of marriage their
salaries are at once increased. Who ever
heard of teacher having furnished house
ready for him, of his receiving donation,
or having his salary increased on account
of marriage? AS the matter stands now
the man who marries with no dependence
but a teachers salary ought to be indicted
for wiiful, deliberate attempt to commit
woman slaughter.
A book-keeper receives from $500 to
$500 year, yet you ask teacher to be
competent book keeper, an algebraist, a
geometrician, etc., etc., for $500 or $780,
When the State Board was making out a
list of studies in which teachers are to be
examined it is pity they didn't add astrol-
ogy and alchemy.
"But, says some one, "teaching is such
easy work. The people who make this
suggestion are the sort who send their bad
boys to school to get rid of them at home,
who are at loss what to do with the boys
when there is no school for them to 20 to.
There are few such people in Cecil.
The lawyer works little, dabbles in poll
tics, loafs considerably and makes money.
The preacher breaches a dull sermon on
Sunday to congregation, half Of whom
wish it over, or else 60 to sleep and forget
all about it, and during the week visits his
friends or invents other ways of killing his
time, and gets from 81 600 to So, 600 year,
furnished parsonage, etc. A teacher must
dress respectfully, must labor five days and
try to read enough to keep up with the
thought of his times for the wages of a
farm laborer or cook. Suppose salary
of $35, about the average think in Cecil,
board and washing costs from $15 to $50,
leaving SIS to $50 clear, about that of an
average farm hand. The laborer when his
days work is done can 60 to bed and sleep
the sleep of the just, without the conscious
ness that twenty-five mothers, all wiser
than he, are criticising him, and that the
School Board are watching to see that he
faithfully collects the book fee to the last
cent and ready to charge any failure against
his salary, and that the life-teacher is stand
ing ready to denounce him for degrading
the profession if he has any idea of not
teaching for life.
"The teacher must be student" says
some one. Yes, he can't be too thorough
ly student, yet he must be careful about
buying books. l can speak here from ex-
perience, as am in the habit of spending
in books about half of what should spend
in clothes, and yet never read publish
er'S catalogue without envying the fortu-
nate ones to whom new book does not
mean, that much taken from some more
pressing need, and to whom book costing
over $3.50, is not forbidden luxury. AS
to the easy work theory, l can only say
that l have cut cord wood and lead the
harvest field with the thermometer at 95o,
without feeling any more exhausted at
night than have often done after leaving
school.
This charge against non-professional
teachers is charge of dishonesty against
thousands who now fill the most RESPONSE
BILE positions, both in the State and nation,
from the Vice President down.
My ideal teacher is the one who always
tries conscientiously to do his or her duty
best, whether teaching for month or life
Hays character "who, whatever he tried
to do, he did his level best,' is my ideal of
true manhood or womanhood. Epaminon-
das, when appointed street scavenger, de-
clared that he would fill the Office in such
a manner as to make it honorable. The
same is true yet, no one is fit to clean the
streets who will not be ia earnest about it.
Give me teacher who labors to do his
duty, and l can ask nothing more, no mat
ter whether he teaches for life or not. If
for life, all l have to say is that he is will
ing to worker harder, and bear more abuse
and ridicule for his wages than any other
class of citizens.
Those are who laboring for a profession,
giving, as many of them do, the best years
of their life for such poor pay, deserve a
vote of thanks rather than censure from
education, as without them large part of
the schools would be closed and the reign
of ignorance restored.
Is there in Cecil any teacher under thir-
ty-tive who has soberly and seriously made
up his or her mind to teach for life if they
can help it? If there is, Barnum needs
him. Can he be found? doubt it. Most
of them would 60 to the Legislature or
accept place in the Custom House with
alacrity. l have in my possession note
from one of Cecil's oldest teachers, one
whose active life has really been spent in
the schools, closing with" Yours in haste
and mortal hate of teaching" Yet she
has lectured me for trying to make teach
ing stepping stone to something better.
1 congratulate the professional teachers.
If they cannot save money there is an
asylum for them at Cherry Hill when they
get too old to teach or their places are filled
with younger men or women. If they hap
pen to be men the county will even take
them to all elections free of charge, provid-
ing they vote the right ticket. If women,
of course they can never be expected to
to have brains enough to vote.
In the name of the vast army who now
sit in Congress, who are serving with honor
as doctors, lawyers, ministers, who fill our
judicial benches-of those who are recog-
nized among our most reliable citizens,
whom we meet daily as farmers or mer-
chants-as fathers and as mothers, who
have taught school and passed from thence
without stain, enter my protest against
this treatment of non professional teachers.
l will close with what Congressman call a
personal explanation. Ientered the schools
at twenty one without any special prepara-
ton, and an Indifferent education, gained
l hardly know how. People, who, like
myself have been the charity scholar in
the public schools-the oldest child of a
family not at times above want-who never
went to school consecutively but four months
and graduated at fourteen, can understand
my position. l have tried just as conscien-