The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-18

are many such ladies WHO would be glad OIL
such employment 1T Sl5 month.
OLD soLDIERs-w1LL OUR YOUNG MEN POINT
TIE FINGER OF scoRN AT TI1EMo
The School Commissioner Is, we believe the
only candidate for election TO any Office, who
has had an nnliind word 10 say of any com
pctjtor In this campuign. Hc had something
to say at AleWine's Mill of Mr.. C0wans adj
tmlnistraion OF the schools, and at Due West
he said 1--WE don't want old soldiers in office
no matter how vnlient they may have been
in waraif they have failed at everything
else" The natural inference IS, that lie
meant s.ur Mt his competition, who is not an
orator, but who on entering the Office of
School Commissioners, ordered the schools to
be run about twice as long as his predecessor
| kept them open.
On The other hand, the people will not forget
| I hat Mr. Hodges greatly reduced tho length OF
! the school term.
We predict tho people will see that this
old battle Scared vctcran-Capt. Cowan, of
whom Mr.. Hodges speaks so disparagingly-
will, If elected. give them more educational
advantages than they have ever had. This old
soldier has wounds which lie received In
battle while Mr.. Hodges was yet IL lad. VIII
young men, who have grown up since the
war, point The finger of Scorn Mt old soldiers
who daily suffer from their wounds? is that
| tho reward To which their vaOr entities
thom Even the Yankees have never failed
| to award 10 The Confederate soldier full credit
for his vdlor.
40 GOOD TEACHER SHOULD BECOME SCHOOL
COMMISSIONER.
| There Is no blotting ont the fact that Cap.
| tain Cowan gave us longer schools than Mr..
| Hodges gave us this year.
! There Is no denying another fact: our candi-
dates for the Legislature have promised
every reduction In their power. 1t is certain
| pay Of teachers to Sl5.
Under the present management the pay Of
teachers is increased, and the term Of service
| Mr.. Hodges thinks q successful teacher
should be at the head of the schools. We be-
! licye VIC can name Two good reasons, either
ona Cf which should prevent any good tcach-
II from holding the Office Of School COmmis-
quit his profession to accept temporarily an
elective oiDcc. =. AZ rule, teachers when In
power are too apt 10 think OF the teacher
more than the children. The people should
have q man in the Office who Is Interested
more In the children than In raising the
teachers salary.
TEACHERS INSTITUTES MAY DE USEFUL or
THEY NAY NOT.
Teachers Institutes. theoretically and prac-
ticaliy, may lie Of great public good II the bus
mess Of teaching should occupy their time
and attention. But If II is to be Il sort of
trades union 'o devise ways and means by
which the teachers may secure the public
money for the least work, then we think the
teachers institute an actual und positive i'll
Jury to the children, TO say nothing Of the
principle of taking their money for the inSti-
lute itself. II our readers have read the ac-
counts OF ilicir proceedings they know that
tho matter Of salary has not been entirely
overlooked. There seems To be sympathy
between teachers that docs not exist else
where, and the bond Is between them and not
between the teacher and the children. Ihclr
financial interests arc diumctrically opposed
TO each other.
TIE WAY TIE SCHOOL TERM WAS REDUCED
Mr.. Hodges gave some reasons for the short
cning of the school term, but it really seems
Ia us that ho entirely overlooked the actual,
real and only reason for shortening the school
term, namely: the increased pay OF teachers.
Ii We are not mistaken the standard or Schol-
nrShip required of public school teacllerS was
greatly rrdnced ut the recent annual cXami-
nation. The questions were easily answered,
and, under the operations Of this plan, large
per cent. OF those teachers who held second
grade certificates were advanced to first grade,
and In like manner nearly every third grade
teacher WAS advanced To second or first grade.
With The grade Of teacher advanced, and with
the pay largely advanced. is there any won
der that The schools were closed much earlier
than formerly?
Let us see how the plan Of lowering the
standard of education required of tho teacher,
aud the raising of his pay, effects the schools
| Under Captain Cowan the pay was SO, Sl5 and
80. Under Mr.. Hodges 1t Is $40, SlS and SD
Now. if third grade teacher Is raised to II
second grade, the pay Is nearly doublcd-say
from SO to SIS. Ii II second grade teacher IS
raised TO first grade the pay is S25, instead of
vanccd to second grade and with the second
grade advanced to first grade, it will be readi-
| ~ understood how the school term was re-
duced TO about nnc-half of what 1t was under
Capt. Cowan'S administration.
With Capt. Cowan restored to Office, and
with the pay Of teachers reduced to $40, Sl2
and Sl5, the term of every school will be
lcngthrncd. while some of them will no doubt
be kept open during the whole scholastic
year.
Where is tho sense of dividing out the pub
lie money except on thorough business prin-
cipleS? 10 VIC all not know that many teach
crS have worked at reduced pay after the pub
lie fund his been exhausted? If they will
work for individuals for less, why not work
for the government At tho same reduced rate?