The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-26
sAS ISrxcTsARLE ASSAULT"
Upon our PabiIe schools and ThsiI
Teaehers-"A siAnderous Tirade."


Upon our PabIIe schools and Their
TeAehers-aA sIAndeFOus Tirhde'"
A representative Of the ISTE1LioEScEH
was hailed on the street Thursday by the
principal Of one Of the ward schools with
the query, "Did you read that slanderouS
TRADE In the Register to-dayT The repor-
ter had read it, and at once knew which
article was referred to. Itwas an editorial
in the RegiRer on the subject Of Brutality
in our Public Schools" which starts out
With the remark that "Ii common report
eau be relied upon, there Is greater need
Of reform in some Of the public schools Of
this city than there ever has been osre.
form in any public Jail or work.houSe in
the county or State" This sentence IT.
self Is rather startling, but compared to
what follows, II pAles into insignitcance.
The Principal referred oconld not express
his indignation too strongly. He said the
article was an outrageous libel on the
schools OF the city, without reasonable
foundation In fact. Superintendent Her
vey, he said, had compelled the Rtgtaer 70
acknowledge that the article was based
upon street Fumors OF an isolated case, or
two cases, Of alleged excessive punishment.
Yet II contains such general expressions
Us this:
"Unless common report Is greatly ex.
aggeraled there Is more inhumAnity and
even brutality perpetrated In our public
schools by big muscled, bucolic Isle. teach.
ers (?) upon the bodies Of little children
than has ever been complained OF against
inmates Of our public prisons"
"Such statement as that, II true, indi-
Gates terrible state OF affairs In our
schools, and 4 criminal negligence on the
mart Of the Board Of EduCation," said q
bystander.
"And II untrue?" we asked.
"Then It indicates malicious and ma
lignant disposition on the part Of the au.
thor which units him TO mlngle In refined
society, Let alone WELD the chief editorial
pen on daily newspaper"
A reporter met member oil the
Board Of Education at Mt. De Chantal
Thursday, and he called the reporters ut.
tentiOn to the article, aud went on TO
characterize itas an outrageous talsehCod,
which the author would be compelled TO
retract.
Another member was also indignant at
the charges. He said 30 far Us his knowl.
edge went the schools were singularly free
from the slightest incidents Of the kind al.
eyed, and the statementin the article that
ut Is becoming intolerablY disagreea.
ole for perSns 10 live In the near neigh.
OOrhood OF one OF the public school build
ngs OF this city In consequence OF the al
most constant shrieks and crying OF little
children under the strokes OF bad temper.
I'd and brutal Latured teachers" was sim.
oily a base ialsehoOd.
DR.. Pipes, OF the Eigth ward, had not
read the article, but II II was rs 1t had
been represented 10 him by those who
mad, 1t deserved the severest reprobAtion
aud.rebuke.
Another Commissioner from the same
district was not surprised at the article. II
cas- only in keeping with the Legider't
general course.
A distinguished Ohio educator, formerly
engaged In school work III this city, said
last night that the article was scurrilous,
and inexCuSable even II 1t were not wholly
false. A lady teacher standing by said
| - " Uni u bChIluhluuhG ~ lGAAGSko GihulAy
upon all OF uS."
'"Yes," assented another, "aud know
there has not been sufficient justification
TOR that attack In any Of our schools.
"SufIicient Justification There couldn't
be sufficient justification. The article ia
plainly actuated by malice, and its spirit
Is without shadow Of excuse II even Its
matter is not"
"Isn't this terrible name to give our
city school" one OF the ladies continued,
reading from the editorial, which she had
clipped from the paper: There Is not a
more despicable creature above the ground
than the man or woman who goes about
with ierule and gratitles q savage dispo.
sition by torturing little children. We
feel justified In saying there are such in
the schools OF this city, and the women,
where they are savage, are the worst.
we do not know by what means they
get into the position OF teachers. We
don't know how It Is that they manage 10
be retained after they get there, and PEN
citrate these oulrages.
There isnot man worthy OF the name,
who would notiknock down or otherwise
chastise any savage who had maliciously
beat and injured bis defenceless child.
And yet, there must be parents In this
city who know that their children are, day
by day, being subjected 10 brutal dogg.
ings by ill-tempered, incompetent, I'm.
civilized monsters, who call themselves
teAchera.' "
"or this" another put In, continuing
the reading: The practice is destroying
our public schools. It is robbing intelli.
gent and humane parents OF their money
TO keep them up, while they are preclud.
ed from having the benefit Of them.
NO sensible man would have horse
or a dog trained under such masters. They
crush all manhood out Of the child. They
break its spirit. They make the school
room the most unpleasant place on earth.
They make books repugnaht TO the sight
Of the child. They destroy every princi-
ple Of ambition. They thwart the very
methods that lead out and inspire desire
for knowledge In The child. Only brute
would expect mental discipline or growth
as the result Of such brutality
Expressions similar 70 the aboye In re.
gard to thp editorial were heard on all
hands Thursday anl yesterday. Prof.
Heryey had not time 10 talk Gbout the
mattOF at any length, but he did say that
he did not Gonalaer the foundation the
writer OF the article based II on as at all
sufficient justification for On ATTACK Of
that nature.
Several Of the members Of the Board Of
Education were OF the opinion that an &C.
ton for libel would lie as defense Of the
good name OF the public schools Of this
city, which had been 50 ruthlessly and