The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-10-02
For The Cecil Wins
EDUCATIONAL NOTES.

Shall the teachers Of this county select a
ticket for County Commissioners, and re-
commend it to voters favorable to the Pub
lie Schools? AS against the proposition l
have heard but one suggestion, and that is
that ticket SO selected is not certain to be
elected. This argument, if indeed it may
be called an argument, is both old and
contemplate. If every one who projected
something new because he thought it was
right, should sit with folded hands until he
could measure his way to success by rule
and compass, the progress of the world
would indeed be slow. Ruskin says: "Snce
the time of Cervantes the purest impulses
and the noblest purposes have perhaps been
oftener stayed by the Devil, under the name
of Quixotisn,, than under any other base
name or false allegation. Quixotism, or
Utopiansm: that is another of the DEVILS
pet words. l believe the quiet admission
which we are all of us so ready to make,
that, because things have been long wrong,
it is impossible they should ever be right, is
one Of the most fatal sources of misery and
crime from which this world suffers. When
ever you hear a man dissuading you from
attempting to do we'll, ON the ground that
perfection is Utopian, beware of that man.
Cast the word out of your dictionary alto.
gether. There is no need for it. Things
are possible or impossible-you can easily
determine which, in any given state of
science. If the thing is impossible, you
need not trouble yourselves about it; if
possible, try for it. 1t is very Utopian to
hope for the entire doing away with drunk
enness and misery out of the Canongate;
but the Utopianism is not our business
the cork is. 1t is Utopiau to hope to give
every child in this kingdom knowledge of
God from its youth; but the Utopiansm is
not our business-the aoork is" We, as
teachers, may make this work ours. Shall
We not do it? 1t is our duty and our privi
lcge. 1t will elevate us in the opinion of
others. 1t is time we should have shown
those around us, that the race of fawning,
trucking, time serving, backboneless men
and women who have disgraced and de-
graded the occupation of teaching in time
past, is extinct, Or nearly so. The profess
sion, if may so call it, has heretofore con-
Idlueu LOO uduy llluSGTdtlOuS VI IOpe
lines:
For in dies thus in souls find
What lacks in blood and spirits sweled with wind"
1t is now time we should show that teach
ers possess more blood and spirits than they
generally get credit for. How can we bet
ter do it than by taking prompt action in
this matter? The people are ever more
ready to support schools that are worthy of
support-and schools are ever what the
teachers make them. If we succeed in |
showing that teachers have some energy
and independence, we shall have made
point, whether we have any other success
or not. But we may have other success. |
The only obstacle in the way is politics.
the now universal resort of interested trick
sters,-and the very curse of American local
government. But if three of the men who |
are nominated for Commissioners, are in |
favor of giving the Public Schools SUBJ
stantial support, and will say so land why |
should they mott, there are scores of men |
who will vote for them in preference to
sacrificing substantial interest, to mere |
meaningless political connection. Now is |
the time to avoid the mistake made two |
years ago, of introducing into the Board of
County Commissioners a bitter enemy of
the Public Schools. Teachers who are |
favorable to the movement are cordially in !
vited to correspond with the Principal of
Elkton School.