, 1875-06-21

One Of the most abs,lrd and pucri'o n,eas-
uros ovor sought 10 be fofsted upon our
school system II tho resolution introduced In
tic Common Council by AID. H1LDnETn, aud
si'nilnr ono introduced In the Board of Ed
ucation, providing TINT teachers shnll not BE-
employed In tho public schools who do not
"live IN tho city," that il, who do not slt<p
In tho city. Will somo of tho wisoacrcs who
favor this unjust discrimination inform us
what difference 1t makes wlIoro n teacher
sleers, provided that teacher Is not absent
from his duties, ia on hand promptly every
morning, and is competent 10 tcacl, Ont Of
the whoso number Of teachers, there In prob
ably not 4alf dozen who sleep out in tho
suburbs becanse they eau keep ho1Ro OF boari
there moro chear'y than in the city. In Id.
slition to this, 1t affords them quiet nights
rest after tho days toll and worry, puro air,
md consequently better health, and
moro ground for them on which to
gardan, md their children to p1sy.
They aro still residents Of Cook County aud
tho stato of Illinois, and 10 all intents and
purposes they aro citizens Of Chicngo. They
spend the whole working dny In the city.
Their labor and means of living are in the
city. They spend their money iu tho city.
They buy their food aud clothing IN it. Their
transportation expenses go to city COM
panies. They employ city doctors when sick,
city lawyers whom in legal trouble, and
patronizc city amusements when they want
pleasure. In this respect they only imitato
tue example Of thousands OF our citizens who
want country mir, qniet, rest, and health.
any way, they initiate tho example of high
oiticials in tho employment Of tho city. The
Superintendent Of Police lives in Lake
View, but no oobjection is malc to him on this
nccount. The home of the Corporation
Counsel is in ottawa, but no effort
is mado to displaco him on thin
acconnt. There are other city officials who
sleep ont Of tho city, md no ono atopa to
fluid fault with 1t. People only want to know
whether they are doing their duty properly.
II they are, they can sleep where they please.
Why, then, should discrimination be ma1o
in the case Of school-teachors, whose labor is
ten-fold hardor md moro wearigome thau
TINT Of other city employees, aud who need
rest aud puro air more than they? II it can
bo shown that the suburban teachers aro not
competent to teach, then discharge them.
If they arc competent to tench, and can full
I'LL their dutioa with punctuality and dispatch,
let them sleep where they pleaso, ii it bo in
Oregon. What has that to do with school.
toaohiug? On the other hand, it these
narrow-mindod Councilmon arc detern,inot,
to dismiss this little handful Of teachers
who. for tho best Of reasons, DO not happen
to sleep in Chicago, then let the rule be
mado universal, aud disrnisa oil tho other
city oflcials and employees who sleep out Of
tho city. It will be tho rankcst injustice to
discharge these hartlworking people, who ara
more industrious and faithful md work for
smaller wages than any other clnss Of
city employees, md allow others 10 remain,
II mombers Of the Council aud tho Doard Of
Education have no moro impot knt matters
10 engage their attention than such small,
narrow, and moan Determinations % this.
tho most grateful act they could perform
would be to hand in thoir own designations
as speedily rs possible.