Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-13
THE TEACHER.


Cured in the columns of your valuable
paper of the Esd inst, piece headed
1.-The Teacher" You will confer
favor by allowing space sufficient for
few remarks from another source, this
week mot meant as reply to the wor-
thy experienced "W. F. W.."but mere
ly the views of great number of
teachers in this county and throughout
the state of Missouri.
Yes, no ono will doubt that the re-
sponsibilities of the teacher are many
and trying, and often these trying
places will arouse the temper, and
plans are resorted to which are iniuri-
Gus to the teacher, to the unframed
minds of the pupils and to the public
at large. We do not come forth to
uphold the british acts, nor to defend
the teacher who treats the young uncul-
tured mind as if it were a brute, but to
defend the one who uses the "hazel
switch" when it is necessary. What
man can suggest some better plan at
this late date? Who can show by his
own good works that there is way
more desirable and more certain to
produce the desired effect than the old
plan of governing schools of which
the using of the hazel switch is one Of
the most prominent. don't mean the
rod that flashes around in the school
room promiscously, lashing those OH
the right and those on the left, nor do
mean the t'hedge sprout' that would
raise whelps aud cause much suffering
at each stroke, but do mean the using
of the switch in kind, gentle manner
when convinced of its necessity and the
effect it will produce.
Who can govern school with from
80 to 80 pupils without a switch?
When the child under its parents care
can hardly grow into man or woman
hood without its introduction. And
the teacher who goes into his school
room day after day without any sign
of this weapon is about 1000 years
ahead of times, and must certainly be-
lieve in the signs of the moon. In
this country that man would be called
one of the would-be cattle drivers in
the back prairies of Texas where they
don't use whips, but nothing but
shepherd dogs and need some one to
keep a continued yell to keep coward
ed down. Obi what will people come
to after while, to think that now a man
in this glorious old county Of Lafayette
has gone wild OH public school man
agement and wants to abandon the
principle which brought our great
men Hendricks, Garfield, Bayard,
Clay and the father of our country
from their boyhood to the high posi-
ton which they have held, and now
those have passed from this world
can rise up in their graves with their
pale faces among the white marble
tombs aud thank God and man for
that orderly old school room in the
back woods where some teacher stood
over them with the determination of
having order 80 that those that wanted
! to study could do it, and make those
who were inclined to shirk. If you
| would cast this old "fogy" thou ght
away there would be more good
school teachers in this goodly land.
| You cannot please every one, no mat
ter how you control your school. If
that man lives who can teach school
and please every one, his name would
enlighten the pages of every paper of
the day and be the topic of conversation
| in every family and around every fire
side more than that great evangelist
Sam Jones, or even the president of
the United States, and you know how
we all love him.
In closing l would like TO ask a
question or two, where can you find
school district where the patrons
will come III and vote the abandonment
of the switch, no where in this county,
we can answer with pride, they are
| people of too much good common
sense to take away all privileges from
their hired servants, which is worse to
stand delicate or strong child either
on the floor for half day on one foot
tip toed or with its thumb tied to a
| hanging string, also to be kept in all
day, and after the roll is called in the
evening to be drawn up before the
whole school and made stand before
husky old face and abused to every
thing that is rough and made believe
she or he is worse than a murderer
Who is willing for his little daughter
to be kept in all day made stand on the
floor, take this awful rebuke, and then
the worst Of all to be kept an hour or
two after school is dismissed and then
have to travel a mile or so through the
dismal swamp, and over the hills
through the lofty forests to their bones
and reach it as the sun is sinking be-
hind the western horizon3 No, but
after the awful darkness has draped
her black mantle over this earthly
home, is not the mother in deep dis
tress over the absence OF the one she
has so fondly nourished and 80 dearly
loves. Oh! horrible thought, to
think mortal man can be so cruel,
would it not be much better to intro
duce the s'hazer' in mild manner and
then all would be over. Then we
would have happy teachers, joyful
children and loving parents.
You may call this old "togyism" but
my friend your belief will drive you to
a land Of "dudes, politicians and
theorists" And then Pm afraid dis
grace will be reflected on the profess
sion. What a glorious time it will be
when all those now engaged in this
profession shall see their duties and
| execute them. A TEACHER.
SCHOOL DIRECTORS.