The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-11-08

= longer time of service, we must vindicete
} our claim to these considerations by i'm
pressing the people with just and proper
sense of the dignity and Importance OF
} our work.
l do not hesitate to affirm that there Is
} no class of people under the sun whose
services are so indispensably necessary to
the very existence of our form of gov
} eminent, and to the preservation OF
? our civil and religious freedom, and
| whose compensation is so outrsgeously
, disproporiOnate to the value of those
, services, as the teachers of our country.
If am correctly advised the lowest
salary received in any of our state de-
partments is not less than $50 per month,
or 5000 year.
A fitst-class teacher is limited by law
to $75 per month. In few communities
do the schools last longer than five and
one-half months, perhaps not so long.
The first class teacher accordingly re-
csives from the state treasury the prince y
sum of $412. so year, or $373712 per
month. l make no omparison as to the
difference in intellect, scholarship and
character between these two classes of
men, nor in regard to the value of their
res pective services to the state. Why the
state should manifest so much generosity
| toward one and behave so niggardly to-
ward the other, is something that can
not quite comprehend. If this condition
of our school affairs is permitted to con-
tinue the logical result must be that our
best teachers will be forced to leave the
country and seek employment in the
towns and cities where the term of service
is longer and the pay better,
or they must seek other more
remunerative, if not more congenial
fields of labor. The laborer is worthy of
his hire. The teacher must be something
more than mere beast of burden to be
reviled, prosecuted, Knocked and spit upon.
He must claim something more than the
privilege of mere existence; he must live.
He asks no more than a fair equivalent
for his time, talent and labor; he should
not receive less.
We are told that in some of the European
countries the teachers calling is one of
the most honored and dignified to which a
man can devote his energies; and that
when he becomes disqualified by age and
its inirmities from discharging his du-
ties, a grateful government recognizing
the high value of his services, bestows
upon him yearly pension that his de-
clining years may be free from penury
and want. Is the profession of teaching,
as exemplified in this country, universally
regarded as one of honor and dignity? Is
the teacher treated here with that distin-
guished consideration to which his work,
character and intelligence entities him?
And when he has grown gray and feeble
| in the most necessary service man can
| render to his fellCwman, does an appre-
ciative government, as a mark of its high
estimation of his work and as testi-
monial to his worth, place him in honor
able retirement on salary adequate to
all ordinary emergencies? I blush to say
that it does not.
feel it incumbent upon me to remind
| you of some errors into which we are in
danger of falling and against which we
must be constantly guarded.
We err when we fail to attend the meet
ings of this institute. The moral effect
of regular attendance is invaluable in
keeping alive keen interest in the work
of the institute. Let every member feel
as if the responsibility of failure or sue
cess rests upon him alone. Let him re-
solve to do his whole and full duty. This
is one of the conditions of success.
We err when we fail to take our APP
pointed parts in the programme. This
failure if it happen too often, is in
variably followed by the most disastrous
results. Nothing is 80 paralyziug in a
good cause as spirit of indifference.
We err when we let Others do all the
talking. A light should not be hid under
a bushel.
We err when we speak slightingly of the
institute end its work. If any element of
success be lacking let us rather seek to
supply it. Fault-fnders are almost with
out: exception Failures in whatever they
undertake. A repining spirit is not the
one of which to expect anything except
much repining.
There are greater possibilities in
teachers institutes than many have
dreamed of. They are fast becoming
one of the recognized agencies for the
improvement of our great body of teach
ers. Protest against them as you may,
argue against them as you can, l here
proclaim before you that they are here to
stay, and they will pass away only when
the public school system of which they
form necessary and vital part, passes
away. An intelligent public opinion
stands behind the teachers institute just
as it stands behind the public schools,
and for the same reason, let Us then
align ourselves with this new popular
movement, otherwise, so irresistible is its
momentum, if we oppose it it will grind
Us to powder.