The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-07-26
s. oIiINKsCAIEs & LLANGsTO L { 81 ~

s & GSTO On:
examination, what does that establish as
to his or her fitness to teach. The best
lawyer ever knew never made 8 speech
in the courtroom. He was aEmaster Of
the science, and ne used to abide his
judgments on intricate Questions with
perfect faith, but he could never over
cone his nervous timidity. Nathaniel
Macon ranked all his cotemporaries in
the United States Senate. He was pre-:
eminently its counselor and guide, but
he never made speech in his congress-
ional life Of thirty -four years.
We are ALA bundle of prejudices, j
know, and ne old people are inordinately
attached to the customs that prevailed
from our youth to over maturity, and
hence j: am modest about; obtruding my
opinions, but I*must confess that 7 am
not yet in love with the modern system
.of public schools. The teachers are too
independent of their patrons. Direct
responsibility between the employer and.
the employed lis betterst than to have mid.
die men: or brokers. In the olden times
the teacher was required to board around
among his principal patrons sometimes
q week, or two weeks, or a month-and
so they became acquainted with him-
intimately acquainted. They knew his.
social and Ihis.worth as well as his schol.
5arship. Of course this plan would not
be agreeable now, but the intent was
good, and in that day had good results.
Bit in any system, old or new, the
success Of the school depends almost en-:
tirely upon the qualifications of the
teachers. Beeman made reputation and
Skept,it; SO did Richard Malcolm John.
ston so did Fource and George and:
Longstreet. These educators paid special
attention to; the morals and good behav..
ior Of their pupils. In 8 later day Bing-:
ham took: the lead and DR.. Haygood aud
sDr. Battle and General d. 81. Hill
franklin college once had it through
such eminent teachers as Waddell and
DIR. Church, but somehow shs lost some
of her good repute and Oxford and Mer.
cer;came to the front. The will power.
ofthe principals worth as much IS bis
scholarship-tbat power that controls
the pupils and gives tone to their ambi.
tion, their pride, their morals. I have.
known boys;to go through college and
receive 8: diploma, who did not know q
sine from tanget nor 9 circle from an
.esllipse nor why December is the twelfth
month instead Of the tenth, nor what
causes an eclipse of thesun or change.
sof the moon, nor what was the Latin
for dog or the French for butter, nor who.
wrote Shakespeare, nor whether the deluge
came before or after the flood. Such
colleges might as well advertise and say,
diplomas made easy 8 s.:
The old field school Of the olden time.
was d little kingdom Of its own. The
patrons, &c is true, constituted q king Of.
parliament TO employ q teacher but when
once employed and installed in Office
they had no control Owe: him and could
not turn him out: at their pleasure. BE:
could remain as long as he had pupils,
and his control over them was supreme.
he was king and master and the only
way to getsrid Of him was to withdraw
the scholars OF let them combine to run
him off The parents rarely 81 inteffered
with his control. over their children. If
he punished them it was all right: and all
the presnmptiyes were in his favor, in
deed . strict disciplinarian was much
more popular than an easy going meek
tempered man, who permitted his pupils.
TO; do pretty much as they pleased. The
rod was conside San essential part Of;
the school furniture. i was no great
crime for q: boy! to resist and fight back,
but if the teacher failed to subdue him
and whip the fght, be suddeuly lost his;
prestige and was laughed at as 9 failure.
so besides q competent knowledge of
books successful teacher bad to: be for.
tilted with will power ! and muscular
power and the conduct of the boy outside
the school was q part of the curriculum.
Seventy years ago, my father was
teacher in Liberty county, and ] have
heard him tellwith much humor Of the
struggles that he had in aubduing the
larger boys, those parents we're rich and
proud, How on one occasion the biggest
boy in school refuse to make the nshal.
bowas: he retired from the school room
at recees and he gave; msthree days Of
grace in which TO bow as the other pupils
did, or to take q whipping or leave: the
school, and he IsWore that he would do
neither, and how the collision came and
the door was locked and they fought for
ten minutes all over the benches and
desks, while the other scholars, both girls
and boys, were outside peeping through
the cracks Of the log school house with
intense interest to see the result of the
contest. 1t was regular seruga battle,
but the teacher whipped it, and that get.
tied his dominion for good. THAT yank
can fight" they said, "aud be amt afraid
to do it," and this ensured him the re.
spect Of both patrons audi n..iIs.
The times have wonderfully changed
since ne patriarchs we're boys and went
to the old fashioned schools to learn the
rudiments. began u.$Work on the
old blue back spelling Sbook ksythat had