The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1876-02-26


four callinss for which 1t is ordin-
arily believed and said no man can
be too good. No combination of
mental powers and moral excel
lence is. in popular opinion. thought
sufficient to raise a man above the
position Of an instructor. A first
rate man may be unfit for it, but
he cannot be superior to it. The
literature ofthe day, moral, politi-
cal, and.rcligious, IL indeed full Of
magnification Of the teachers Of
flee. and OF comment on its awful
sacrcdness and Importance. Now,
it is remarkable fact, in view Of
all this. that there il the grcatest
reluctance 10 apply to II the stand
ard by which the value Of nearly
everything else is estimatcd--thc
money standard. A teacher can
not get in school OF college, any
where in the country, moro than
the pay Of o clerk in a store or
countinS-room. In tho very high
est places in his calling be seldom
receives the pay ofa good book
keeper in q commercial house Of
moderate prctcnsions, and his
salary is fixed, ON the whole, in
accordance with the popular view
Of fitness and cxpcdiency. The
estimate is arrived ut in two ways.
Under one view. he ought not to
get any moro money, because his
place can always be filed at that
rate. According to another, he
ought not to wish for more, and
more would be injurious to him
morally. Ills work Is Of sv.ch
lofty character that, II he Is worthy
Of II, he will not care about
money; II he does care about II, II
shows he 10 not tho man for his
place. Tho answer to all 0bjcc-
tions to these views usually is: II
teaching be underpaid. how does
It happen that there src SO many
teachers IN the markct9 Then,
many people arc satisfcd that It is
good for teachers and professors
and people OF that class to be eco
nomical. Economy is not ordin-
arily agreeable; few persons prac-
iisc It themselves II they can avoid
II, and, indeed, life to most per-
sons in The United Statesls passed
in an arduous strugglc 10 escape
the necessity Of it. But everybody,
while disliking 1t himself, thinks it
would be good for his ncighbor,
and likes to SEQ his ncighbor prac-
tising 1t, and all, or nearly all, arc
agreed that, whatever doubt there
may be about its usefulness In
other cases, nll schoolmnstcrs and
professors nre tho better for II, and
would be seriously injured by be.
ing enabled to avoid it. A mod
crate anxiety about the food and
clothing Of his family is, in fact,
considered by large proportion
Of the public kind Of wholesome
and indispensable stimulus to the
scholar. 1t is thought injurious
to the lawyer, doctor, or merchant,
but somehow it puritics and clc.
Yates a minister or college pro.
fessor.
Now, the effect Of money on the
character of the teacher is some.
thing we do not mean to discuss
but we think it is desirable tc
point out one way in which tho
teaching profession IS seriously
damaged by the prevailing opinion
that its pay ought to be low. 1t Il
not possible IN these times to sci
apart any profession, class or call
ing as one needing a special regi
men, nor is It possible to preven,
the prevailing desire for none,
from reaching any class or calling
You may refuse TO give its mem
bcrs money, but you cannot pre-
vent their wishing to get 1t. Thu
ascctic spirit Is comparatively dcat
among us. We have various way
Of using money, but We oil wan
to use it. The man who woult
scorn to spend it In horses. Of
wine, or fine cookery, or furniture
would like to spend it in books, O
pictures, or travel, or charity. Il
fact, everybody secretly feels tina
he would be improved morally b!
beng rich, and that there arc ccf
tain noble traits of character II
! him which nothing short Of o mil
lion would bring out prominently
Tho ministers and teachers an'
professors cherish these convic
tions, in varying degrees o
strength, as well us the merchant
and mn manufacturers. aud the wOrs