Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-06

reversal q third; but this has happened
only about once in ten years.
Some ears ago q SON OF mine be-
came big enough 10 20 to my school.
He had been there but short time
when he questioned the justice Of one
Of my decisions. IL explained Ia him
very careb how Just 1t was. but did
not succeed in c1nviicing him. and was
decidedly startled a hearing him say,
Papa, can | appeal did not think
he knew anything about that part of
our machinery OF 0uld appreciate II.
i)l course could tidshirk the issue, so
I told him to pies sit his man. and
! picked ousmiffS ifhosc t,vUsen0sc h
third, and father and son thus stood on
footing of perfect equality before this
improvised tribtual. They decided in
my favor on that occasion, but Phil has
since then ben sometimes more sue
cessml.
Some OF thse decisions have seemed
TO me so strmge that have afterward
inquired HOY the judges could possibly
come TO any such conclusion, aud have
in this way ascertained that they had
sources oflnformeticr .hGt wore liz
accessible to teachers, and which
changed ntirely the nature of the
! case.
Sometnes boy has concluded to be
the champion OF his fellows, and has
sacriiiee his conscience to win their
favor b, always deciding against the
teacher, but little quiet observation
! will usRlly bring sufficient evidence to
authoIze one TO decline having him
for iuge, and he may be entirely de-
bard from holding that honorable po-
sitio.
| lis very desirable thing to have a
DO exposed 10 these various tempta-
| tihs while he is young, aud in such a
ystrieted sphere, where detection and
IS consequent medicine will. The should
yield TO temptation, pretty surely cure
him, so as to prevent his attempting
any such thing in the large school out
side
There is another part Of our machin-
cry for self-government that has worked
very well, 1t is what we call our Stand
ing Committee.
All who teach are obliged TO meet the
question What is TO bo done in cases
OF hazins' Y, After considerable OBJ
servation and thought, it seemed best
TO intrust the cure OF this to the boys
tiOifi-Ct,,s. They Wetc requested ~
vote for three Of their number who
should take chaIgc of all such eases. II
a boy complains 10 q teacher he is
called 4 tell-tale, and IS disgraced. Per-
haps he Is thrashed or sent 10 Coventry
If he complains 90 another boy no such
disastrous consequences follow. The
BOYS thus chosen are usually among the
oldest and strongest in the school, and
therefore able to bring to reason any
refractory subject.
Sometimes nothing is known by the
teacher about these cases until he Is
requested by the Committee TO direct
that certain pupil shall be detained
after school for certain time, or eN-
cluded from the play-room, or mudi-
cined in some other way. If at any
time boy does not care TO submit to
the decision OF the Committee he always
has his right of appeal, which of course
makes the whole affair public. II, also,
any boy should object to our entire
plan of self-government he can at any
time dispense with il and become M
ordinary schoolboy and be treated as
such. This, however, almost never
happens.
Sometimes symptoms of bullying arC
perceived by the teacher, and the At
tention of the Standing Committe,
called to them. An investigation theI
takes place altogether apart from tbs
teacher, and the affair is usually sooI
disposed of.
Among the grave cases investigated
by this Committee was one OF theft
The Library Committee found that thei
money-box had been visited. and som'
of its contents abstrHcted This none.
was paid by those who chose to use tn,
library, consisting of some five hundre'
volumes, at the rate of five cents pc
week. II was painful to think that an
of our boys should stoop TO stealing
but il was necessary TO find him out
we could. The Committee reported tina
their suspicious rested on my erran
boy. and requested permission to watch
and also to bore two gimlet holes through
a certain door. This was granted, am
the necessary keys were given to them
lnc Watchers ueAeNltu bno culpIil. ull
he was quietly dismissed, with a friend
ly warning. We all, Of course, fel
much relieved on finding that none of on
scholars were involved in such an affair
Very recently the efficiency of on
Standing Committee was quite we
illustrated. We had moved into larg
corner building, the other stories {
which were occupied for other pun
poses. A colored man employed b
one of the other occupants complaine
OF some obscene writ. .ng and figures o
the wall OF the stairway. The Stand
ing Committee were requested to inve'
tigate; and, after some time. repOrte
that it was done by an outsider who's
name had been told TO them on thei
promising not to tell It 10 any OF tn