The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-11


: uslIy ordered by the Legislature. 90
!. oood people, like the poor laborerof th
.lfsble Who called on death 70 help him b.
picking no his burden Tor him, on secon
thought concluded not to give up incl
free schools. 80 the convention In re
modelling the Constitution let the school
stand untouched. The first Legislature
under the new Constitution, however
remembering the original design OF tn
people to do away with the public schools
instead ofcomplying the requirement
; OF the Constitution, gave to the people I'M
privilege OF accepting or rejecting th'
Tree schools at pleasure every year or TWO
Now public school system In its very ma
lture REQUIRES positive tax-notano option
| al contribution, and no system eau be
either "thoroueh" or efficient" that Is ex
posed at least once In two years to destrac'
lion so not only is the clause unconstitu'
uonal. but It's supporters are necessarily
srrayed against the free schools as adver'
saries.
TIE Twenty-Five PER CENT CLAUSE.
Now comes the question, what right had
the Legislature, when there was already a
provision for dismissiug teacher for any
possible cause, to pass law to dismiss
any one without cause-ior such plainly
| is the sole intent Of the law in question.
Now II teacher may be dismissed "at
any time for incompetency, neglect OF
duty, intemperance, profanity; cruelty or
immorality," can any other canse be
foundP dYes,n answer the upLolders Of
this per cent clause, Dismiss him for q
matter that may be beyond his control"
Dr.. Truuklin said that an idle reason
lessons the weight OF any good ones that
NAV have proceeded Ii. This Is not, in.
deed, a parallel case, for no good reason
has been given for this law. us would.6
defenders take 1t out entirely In idle
reasons" Thus they say II IS polite
way to get rid Of an unsuccessful teacher,
without the iracas Of formal trial. This
so.called argument Is fragrant insult to
the professors; for every freeman demands
Investigation instead OF shrinking from
IT, and by being put into this de-
grading position teachers as q class
lose that Independence by which public
school teachers are distinguished from
the unfortunate pedagogue situated where
there are no free schools. Again, II is
claimed 10 be "mild form OF acompulso-
nv law, making 1t the teachers study TO
keep 10 the attendance OF his school, as
II a good teacher needed any such compul.
sion! And 1t il certainly o mild form
TO let man who deprlves his children OF
their schooling by keeping them at home,
20 entirely free aud punish the teacher
who has no control over him! To be con-
sistent, they should have framed the stat
ute against murder SO as to hang the sher-
itfinstead OF the culprit for not being able
to prevent the crime. Again, who would
accept the position OF sheriff II that officer,
being responsible under heavy penalties
for the taxes due the county and State, had
no legal power to collect them, but had 70
depend on the generosity oil the people?
In the absence OF any argument tof the
existence OF this iniquitous law, they iall
back on another pretext that ID, at least,
harmless, "ior," they say, there Is a saw
ing clause which says, unless otherwise
directed by the Board Of Education.
Ia other words, board with any hon.
or or honesty will treat the law as adesd
letter, as did the board in my own district
last winter, In passing general order for,
bidding Trustees TO dismiss teacher ex'
cept on some legal charge substantially
proven, so that no teacher was dismissed
hecaused come families moved away, or
sickness broke outin the neigbborhood, or
the majority OF the patrons were too tTil.
ling to send or had some personal grudge
against the teacher. Now let, us suppose
one more parallel case. Let the Legisla-
ture enact law making it the duty Of the
magistrate in each district TO fine or i'm.
prison any person taken sick In his juris
diction, unless otherwise directed by the
County court. rWhatlP says the objec
tor, "commit q imam for mere misfortuneH"
"0hlr replies the advocate OF the law, "it
will have q wholesome sanitary elect to
make people more careful OF their health"
well, il 1t applied only to those who
abuse themselves by wanton dissipation,
it would not be so bad, but there is no dis
tinCtion made in favor Of those afflicted by
extraneous causes. "0h, there the saw
ing clause, they can appeal to the County
Court" Its an axiom in economies oil
all kinds, that whatever may have evil Ell
ieCts and ia productive OF no good that Is
not already provided fer, Is to be treated
as nuisance 10 be abated. Thus some
eminent medical men say that alec.
holic drinks, which work great deal
OF evil In the world, are super
tluous for any useful purpose, there being
no application OF them in medicine or
other arts, for which there Ia not some
good substitute. II we admit these prem
ises to be true, the conclusion inevitably
follows that the manufacture OF spirits
should be totally suppressed; which prin-
ciple calls for the repeal Of this law, which,
while potent for evil, is powerless, or, to
say the very least, supetauous, for good.
It is generally understood that the Teach.
ers' Association OF West Virginia, like all
other educational associations, has for ils
object the elevation oil the professional
standard OF teachers and the improvement
Of the school system in general. So We
should naturally look Tor an indignant
protest from this body against this unjust
law, instead OF which We find them, In
their session OF 1873, more than endorsing
It by resolving that 1t Ia the sense
of this Association that the school
law should be so amended that the teach.
er's salary shall in some degree depend
upon a fair average attendance;" so, for
sooth, an ill.treated or unfortunate teach.
er must lose not only his school but part
OF his pay for whRthe has donel Now,
until this suicidal resolution is expunged,
and the resolution Of the Summers county
teachers, OF Numerically opposite import,
adopted, this Association, Substituted,
stands false TO It's assumed position In adj
yocacy OF the free school system Finally,
how can the advocate OF this resolution,
or the law on which 1t was based, with
any show Of reason claim to be friend to
the teachers profession or the free school
sYstemH