Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-25

The teaching gift Is Unborn mer
and women of the highest mental
endowments are found exercising
this function In spite OF the mosl
trying discOuragements. II Is theIT
vocation they accept ii, and are
happy. The law that conjOins du.
ty with delight asserts itself in
their experience, and In the sub
| jective benefits, as well as the OBJ
jective results, OF their work they
find compensation for what is too
often denied them by shortsight-
ed and parjimonious policy on the
part of their patrons. These bene-
factors of humanity, unrecognized
and unrewarded, so far as money IL
concerned, shall not lose the richer
reward that always crowns faithful
service. They fight a good fight,
and win in the end.
But there are others who prefer
to work on some other basis than
that of martyrdom. Feeling that
they are the peers of their fellows
who are making their thousands i'm
other callings, they are not content
with making hundreds, or nothing
at all, in work that is so often as
thankless as it is ODerOus. They
drop out of the ranks, and enter
other callings where the outlook Is
brighter and the possibilities great
er. Who can blame them for so
doing? Deplore as we may the
causes that drive first-class ability
from the most important of all Sc
cular callings, it cannot be prevent
ed so long as those causes continue
to exist. When the time comes
that a teachers emolument and
reputation shall be prOportioned to
the quality and quantity of his
work, better day will dawn.
There are two obstacles to this at
present.
First, education is cheapened and
degraded by the competition of a
herd of rivals for the public patron
age, who, in the spirit of hucksters
rather than educators, are offering |
not the best but the cheapest educa-
ton. Good men are forced into
this mean rivalry who deSpise |
themselves for it. They must stoOp |
to conquer, or leave the field be-
cause t
Second, the people are strangely |
Obtuse in this matter. Their first |
question is, not who is the best ed
ucatOr, but who is the cheapest. |
What they want for their children
is not education, but diplomas.
They offer premiums for humbug-
gerry, and get what they bargain
for. Charlatans trade on this ig.
norance and stinginess. College
often Outlie epitaphs.
Their Faculties are men in buck
ram. Their curricula are almost as
purely works OF tho imagination as
GulliVer's Travels. The people
love to have it so, and so 1t is. They
pay their money, and take their
choice.
The remedy is not to be found by
any appeals to the consciences Of
these unworthy members who have
obtruded themselves into the noble
of educators. 1t is unless
TO appeal to what does not exist.
They will turn upon and rend any
who might venture to offer them
counsel or reprOof. Mendacity is
an overmatch for modest merit so
long as the people are too blind to
see, or too busy to reflect.
Pretenders will flourish as long
a. parents care more for tho cost
Ihan the quality of the education
for their children. There
will be feebleness and failure as
Ong as schools are planned and To-
cated merely as business specula-
ions. To furnish employment to
In adventurer who has nothing 10
10, or to initiate somebody's town {
OTIS does not furnish solid basis
or a good school. Keen discrimi-
nation should be exercised in the {
,hoice of teachers, and good people
must be willing to pay good price
or good work In the schOol-roOm.
rhe best talent and the nOblest ell {
ments of moral character are de-
handed in the education of our
and the enlightened liber-
lity of the public ought to offer /
dequate inducements TO attract
nd hold the best men and women i
D this service. The best is the 7
heapest. Let that truism be re-
eated until it has burnt its way
through the hard shell of stupidity, +
nd melted the ice of stinginess. p