National Republican., 1877-11-10
ie Corner.
A Word on the Other Side.


Nov NBERb 1877.
Certain minds in this community seem to bs
in state of intermittent ebulition upon VA
riots school questions, ever and anon bubbliug
up and boiling over In little newspaper para
graphs all of which, no matter how diverse
the thcmo Of complaint agree In the opinion
that tho fault must lie with the teacher.
Docs the last straw break the camel's back, aud
refractory pupil whose continued insolence
and general characterization, all other reno
dies having failed to conquer, at last ro-
ceive his just desert in the shape Of n castiga-
tion; straightway some one as ignorant Of the
facts rs he is of tho nature OF the teachers
work seizes his facile pen aud the public b
promptly Informed that the o0ense was tri-
vial, the punishment inquisitorial, and the
teacher while administering Il In the
WHITE HEAT
Of passion. Teachers never do simply be-
cause they never can, infict corporal punish
ment unless first worked up to the Aforesaid
whitehead condition. Now, parents manage
this thing better. Their self-c0ntrol 10 soms-
thing marvellous, their ability to govern
well, on the average, equally astonishing.
II some could bo induced to give our teachers
the benefit Of their wider knowledge, what
sweet boon II would prove to the inpatient
unreasonable, tyHnnical white-heated sister
hood The latest grievance, however, Is nos
physical but mental torture in the school,
room. Ono correspondent alleges that cram-
ming the youthful mind Is a disease fright
fully cpedemic In the profession here. AID i'm
plies that the teachers Of Wallach building
have got II In Its most malignant and Agzrs-
vated form, finishing with the fcrvent hops
that they (tho W. b. IT, continue to be peltcd
with these paper bullets until they reform
Now, my dear sir or madam, Io class of peo-
pie would more unanimously second your
motion than the teachers themselves. Why,
were the matter put to vote, all Of them, 70
woman, would hold up both hands for IL. Il
possibly has meyer occurred 10 Sea that, los
a'i this "cramming" and extraordinary home
study. they may not be responsible; tbss
there may be
POWER BEHIND THEM
continually urging them on to the attainment
Of certain limit fixed by law, to reach which
demands inccssant instruction aud explanation
and repetition Of these and that this work
cannot possibly be harder on the puNls than q
Is on the teachers Such is the daily work
done by our Washington teachers, all talk of
hardly hearing recitations" to the contrary
notwithstanding. Let those, then, clamororls
for reform In this direction, demand 1t from
the powers that fix the limit Of each study for the
several grades, and cease these senselcss and un-
Just attacks upon the teacher who in assigning
home studies" does SO in obedience TO .
printed rule she dare not disregard. II skep-
tical on this point let them obtain copy AZ
the printed rules and course Of study. Ii stin
increduous, let them visit the rooms In Wal-
lach building and listen to whatever recItatioa
may bo in progress. If yet inclined to think
1t "all hearing recitations and no teaching
let them exchange seats with some Of the
teachers for just ono day, and venture the
prediction that they will vacato them pretty
thoroughly reconstructed as to some Of thois
ideas on the subject Of school reform.
ONE WHO KNOWA