Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-01

places at one third the price. but
would any sane person advocate such
proposition? The country would be
cursed to have the services of such per
sons for nothing. You could fill the
halls of Congress at a dollar day.
You could get 20,000,000 of men to be
President of the United States at $1,000
per annum. No, let us not apply the
law of supply and demand in securing
or retaining the services of our teachers,
but rather let as pay them aceord5ng 10
the Ual1te Of tie services. Their work IS
the most important, and therefore the
most dignifed, in which any class of
society is engaged. To guard the
health, to train the minds and to form
the character of the peoplei Is there,
can there be any earthly thing of more
consequence than that?
THE WRITER FOR THE PRESS
Is supposed, and rightly supposed, to
occupy a highly responsible post. He
puts forth his articles III cold type;
some read them, many do not. He has
not personal contact with those whom
he desires to impress; he has not the
authority arising from acquaintance
ship, from friendship, from habltual
trust and affection: nor does he address
tender and impressionable minds. No
doubt he is something of a conserver of
public morals no doubt he is some
thing of factor in the formation of
public opinion; but more generally the
utmost that he can assume to be IS that
he is an exponent of the public thought
and sentiment; a mere bubble floating
on its surface and serving to indicate its
drift.
Alb OF THE PULPIT.
The pulpit, when it we'll and worthily
fulfills its sacred functions, is indeed
the coadjutor of the school, 1t is for
the pulpit to teach in one special branch
of education; to build a superstructure
of creed and theology upon the great
plane of honesty, integrity, and per-
sonaI purity prepared by the school.
There can be no contrast here, no an
tagonism; the pulpit and the school are
cO-operators And the private school
and the pulpit may have their work
still more intimately blended; but the
State school, belonging to all the citi-
zens, being supported by persons of all
without violating those maxims of even
handed justice and fair dealing which
are specially inculcated by the doctrines
of Christ, engage in teaching any par
ticular creed or system of theology.
That must be left to the Sunday School
and to the pulpit.
JUDGES AND LEGISLATORS.
The tribunals of Justice present to
us an aspect of grave and reverend dig
nifty. Few things in this life are, either
to the eye or to the imagination, more
imposing. In their hands are liberty
and property; with them are the issues
of life and death! But while witness
ing their solemn operations | have yet
reflected that, after all, the property
about which they were so solicitOus
was evanescent, ephemeral; it was that
wealth which taketh wings to itself and
flies away! And when they are adiudi-
eating a human life, it is after all but
the life of this world; vapor at best
which but appeareth for moment and
then fadeth away. / have gazed into
the faces of grave and reverend Sena-
tors in the halls of Congress or of our
State Legislature, and have watched
their deliberations as they made and
unmade the very laws under which we
live; the laws by which we acquire and
hold our wealth; the laws by which our
lives and persons are secure. 1t is a
sight to fill the behOlder with ave.
These men have been freely selected
from out the body of the people and
charged with these high functions; the
oretically they are our wisest and best;
practically they are so in the main
But while rejecting upon the work [
have said to mysef-as in the case of
the judiciary-great and important as
are your labors, they are yet but for
time. The records of your deeds are
written in the sand; soon both you and
your deeds will be forgOttenl How diff
ferent the reflections that come over the
mind in looking at
AN AssEMBLAGE OF TEACHERS.
What do these people do? They are
mpretentious in their appearance, mod
est in their bearing. They do not com
municate with each other through Black
Rod; they do not send solemn and
pOmpOus messages with knOckings at
doors and escortings by Sergeants-at-
Arms, and with all pomp and circum-
stance: nor yet are they furred and
wrapped IN ermine, nor seated aloft on
conspicuous thrones, overshadowed by
gilded canopies. No, there is nothing
striking in their appearance, but rather
the oppOsite-a band of modest women,
and Of almost equally modest meu, con
tent to pursue the even tenor Of their
ways along the cool, sequestered vale of
duty, not expecting, not DESTROYS of
beng conspicuous. But what is their
work? Their work is with body, mind,
and soul! their work is for this world
and for the next; the results of their
work never die. And this whether the
work is well done or badly done. The
impulses of their labOrs 90 on, on, on
forever The ideas of right and wrong
which they shall instill into indestruct- !
ible human souls; the capacities for
logical thinking which they shall educe !
from human but immortal intellects will |
be in full force and efficacy when the |
stellar universe shall long have dis
solved into thin air, leaving not a wreck |
behind What is
THE WORK OF THESE PEOPLE?
They are fashioning the future citizens
of the Republic. Soon their pupils will |
be our judges, our Senators and our
Tomorrow the results of |
their labors Will be felt in every depart |
ment of life. The principles which |
they shall have mculcated the capaci- |
ties which they shall have trained, and |
the information which they shall have |
impaired will be the grand factors of |
human existence. In gazing at leach |
ers' Institute have said here indeed is !
real dignity, because here is the reposi- |
tory of real power and Of unlimited re
sponsibility. Then the dignity of the
Bench, the Forum, and the Senate
Chamber have faded away from my
recollection along with the memory of
their pageantry.
THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
Often in travelling 1 see near the road
side a lonely little district school house
| never do so without a feeling OF great
There, say | to myself, Is the
scene of the labors of real but Hire
Quilted merit. Doubtless there sits some
lonesome little schoolmarm enthroned
amid her subjects, real potentate. L
can imagine her light footsteps brushing
the dew from the grass that borders the
HIGHWAY on Soma Lrirbt California