The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-06
OUR CITY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Hon. L. A. Wilt presented on Wednesday
The memorial Of the school-teachers of New
Orleans, representing, on behalf of d body of
400 members, tina. they have carefully and
faithfully discharged their duties, that they
deserve regular monthly payment, but that
for the last four months in 1874 and the last
six months in 1875 they have not been paid.
THIS has been to them cause of great dis
tress and embarrassm ant, by their being
obliged to sell their certificates to brokers'
We quote this passage Of the memorial:
The pecuniary embarrassment resulting
from the suspension OF payment has compelled
the teachers 10 have recourse to brokers and
other money-lenders, who are ever ready to
speculate upon the necessities OF their fellow
beings, buy uo the certificates of the teachers
at the lowest rates, sometimes at a loss OF
seventy five per cent or ninety per cent to the
teacher, and they often reject those certif.
Gates which offer not sufficient security.
They represent that the teachers are princi-
palIy ladies, many OF whom have large fami-
lies dependant for support on the salaries re-
ceived, and they conclude
Through all these difficulties the teachers
have displayed uneX implied patience and de-
votion true to their charge, they have
always been found at their post want and
privation have found them unsbaken. But
this they can no longer endure. The teachers
therefore appeal to you with the confident
trust that you will sympathze with their SUI
ferings aud devise some means Tor their re-
lief. Surely these upon whom rests SO great
responsibility as the successful training
of <ha f1iT, Oft nf
have great and lasting claim upon the
generosity and justice of the Legislature OF
Louisiana
With comparatively few exceptions, the
teachers of our pubic schools are laborlous,
competent, faithful and zsalous. They earn
their salaries, and they ought to be rewarded
for the efficient discharge Of their extremely
important functions. They are entitled to
the respect and gratitude Of all parents who
either know the value or feel the want Of edu
cation. They are the representatives OF an
institution identified with the best interests
of the commonwealth, an institution founded
on the axiom that "ths intelligence of the
of political liberty" The friend of morality
is the friend of education. The friend Of con,
stitutional government by the people, or by
those whom the people call to represent
them, is the friend of popular education.
The friend of firmly established repre-
sentative government is the friend and pro-
moter Of that intelligence which representa-
tives need, and which those who select such
representatives must have. All intelligent
men know that it is cultivated intelligence
and talent tina. bear sway; and they all know
that justice to all native talent requires that it
should have a chance to be cultivated. Eju-
cation, up to certain extent, is the birth
right of every child in this Republic who is
able and willing to be taught, and therefore it
is that the education of all is assumed, by
common consent, to be the duty Of the peo-
pie Of the State in which they ara embodied
and Of the authorities which act for them
The commonwealth which has not provided
means of tuition for its children is by long
interval in the rear of the advancing column
of civilization. And for these reasons the
memorial of the four hundred teachers in
the public schools of this city deserves the
very respectful consideration of the General
Assembly.
This paper may be taken as very strong