Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-07-30
COMMUNICATED.
WHO Is TO BLAME?

Complaint has been made by some
persons in this community that have
never taken the trouble to investigate
the matter, aud know as little about
the labor of teaching as they do about
other kinds of labor, that teachers do
not earn the money paid them. The
smallness of the daily attendance is
given rs a reason for this assertion.
But whose fault is this smallness Of at
tendance? Is it the teachers? He Is
there promptly every day. ready and
willing to work the full time allotted to
the school day. Yea, more. He would
much rather have twenty-five pupils TO
teach than five. Ii Is no fault OF his
that they are not there. He even gives
prizes. bought with money from his own
monthly allowance, to induce the pu-
pills to attend regularly and promptly.
The school law very properly gives to
every teacher, of equal qualification. the
same pay whether he has few or many
pupils. Wersthis not so, evil disposed
persons in any sub-district would have
it in their power to break up the
school.
The law provides school houses and
equipments and teachers, but it does not
compel parents and guardians to send
their children and wards to school, SD
that they may get an adequate return
for the money, in the form OF taxes,
that the people are compelled to pay for
that purpose. Those who keep their
children from school, without just
cause, do not think that thereby they
are robbing the tax. payer of the amount
of taxes that he pays for school pur-
poses. This they have no more right to
do than 70 put their hands into his pock-
ct and take the money therefrom. The
principle is the same in both cases.
You are requiring the State to take
money from your neighbors upon false
pretences. You pretend that you want
this money to educate your children,
that you are not able to do without it,
and when you get it, you do not send
your children to school as you ought,
and should even sacrifice your own per-
sonal con yenience TO do.
The trustees, the officers in immediate
control of the schools, select persons
whom they regard as competent and
place them in charge of the schools, but
do nothing toward persuading and in
ducing those who reside in the district
to send their children to school regular
ly. Ought they not to call the attention
of the parents to the obligation that
they are under to the State and to their
neighbors to make use OF the facilities
afforded them for the education Of their
children? On the contrary, some Of said
officers not only keep their own chill .
dren from school, but also use all tn cir
persuasive powers to induce others to do
the same.
Thoughtless and dissatisfied persons
in the community seek every opportu-
nifty to injure teachers and schools in
order to crafty some wish Of their own
i'm reference to school matters. The ia
vorite string on which they play i. large
salaries and high taxes. They play on this
so constantly and long that they believe
that they are missionaries called to re-
lieve the burdens of the people and they
spare no effort to have the taxes re-
duceG. But how? Let us see. At the
May term Of our County Court, the tax
levy was made forty-five cents Oh the
one hundred dollars. At once arose the
cry, "we must economist, the taxes are
too high - AS usual, the reduction be-
gins and ends with the teachers sala-
ries and the building expenses. Moth
ing is said about reducing clerks fees,
commissioner fees. lawyers fees, and
a hundred other ways that expenses
might be reduced. The poor teacher
and public schools must be taxed to pay
other expenses, much Of which might
be avoided. This spirit Of economy
would be laughable affair, if it did not
fall SO heavily on a small class of per-
sons.
The cry Of school taxes must be re-
duced by reducing the teachers salaries
is circulated in the community, until
the school officers, whose duty il is to
make the school levy and fix the teach
ers' salaries, are brought to regard it
their Cuty to yield to the supposed popu-
lar breeze and thereby hinGer the Of
flciency of their schools and do injustice
to good teachers who have studied hard
and worked hard to gain a reputation,
advance their pupils and make their
school worthy Of the confidence and
patronage of the community. Teachers
should not be regarded as servants to
obey the will of their employers, or
mere employees to work so many days
in the month and receive the. wages
promised therefor. They have a noble
and responsible office, second only to
the sacred office of the ministry. The
conscientious and faithful teacher is
moral power in the community that can
not well be spared. His labors should
be heartily sustained as they will tell on
the rising generation for years to come.
He deserves the sympathy, cooperation
and encouragement of every father and
mother in the community.