Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-05-14
A SORRY SCRAMBLE.
School Teachers Degraded by Alleged
Newspaper Enterprise.

Newspaper Enterprise.
From the New York Evening Post, May 3.
A daily journal in large Western
city is at present endeavoring to increase
it's revenues by a scheme which, from
it's connection with the schools of that
city, deserves more than a passing
notice, because it shows SO clearly the
present tendency to subordinate every
thing to money-gettlng. and the ease
with which minds usually sane may be
swept away by an artIfcially created
current of excitement and enthusiasm.
The newspaper has offered two
months trip to Europe to the two most
popular lady teachers" of the city,
the popularity to be decided by
votes. "Official" ballots are printed
in every number, and Of course can
be procured only by buying the paper.
This official ballot is, however, the only
restriction, for any person anywhere can
vote on the question, if he can procure
| a copy of the paper. and as many times
! as he chooses to buy copies. The price
| of vote is thus cents, but reduction
is made on taking quantity, SO that the
purchase of l 600 copies OF the paper
conveys the privilege of voting thou
sand times for Sc. melted by the ex-
ample of this journalistic enterprise, a
| dry goods firm in this city will present
| the two successful benefciaries with any
garment they may select, or will make
for them elegant steamer wraps" the
agent Of local life insurance company
will give each of them $5, 900 lite in
surance policy, good Jor a year," and
iewelry firm offers to the third teacher
In the race "a splendid gold watch and
chain, valued at $500"
1t might be taken for granted that
members of learned professionalism
ms ructors OF children In taste and
morals and the best of all that is til ought
| and said in the wordsworth look with
disgust upon these proposals, and at any
rate that they would refrain rom taking
any part in competitiCn like this.
| But in fact, such reserve and self-respect
seem to be entirely wanting, and the
| teachers are ''all agog to dash through
| thick and thin," adopting almost all
| imaginable methods of electioneering.
Since the voting is not limited to the in
| habItants of their city, the way is open
| to solicit votes from any friends or &C.
| Quaintances, even thousands of miles
away, and these solicitations are now be-
ing carried by mail to all parts OF the
country, some OF them now
y,ndg on our hnvino Inc Wntes
|
| bv thousands and laying them away to
| be produced at the last moment of the
canvass. Even principals of the schools
are thus engaged, appealing to parents
| and friends of their pupils and employ
| ing the familiar methods of ward poll.
| tics to increase their chances OF success;
| using official influence over their sub
ordinates and the servants of the schools,
| and organizing bands oil workers to
| bring them in at the head of the poll.
| And meanwhile, of course, their proper
business is neglected, the work OF IN
struction is practically at standstill,
and the whole school system is given
over to a feverish scramble after these
petty prizes, which in the end can be
| gained only by two or three persons.
All this seems incredible, but is liter
ally true. And what spectacle it is for
any intelligent observer! We hear a
great deal about the public schools be-
| ing the ''bulwark of our national life"
| The expression has grown stale, so Oft
en- has it been heard in the resolutions
of teachers associations, generally re-
ported as Educators in Council" At
the last meeting OF superintendent in
| this city, the usual resolution began as
| follows: Resolved, That we regard
| the American common school, as estab-
lisLed by our fathers, to be the chief
| source OF our civilization, and the strong
| bulwark of religious and civil freedom.
| and that we pledge ourselves to do all
in our power to aid in promoting the
| firm and permanent establishment of
the common-school system in ali sec
tons of the republic, with
| view to overcome illiteracv and to
make loyalty and intelligence univer-
| sal national blessing" In view of the
Sol, ND lrro of ant
raging among the thousands of the
teachers in the schools OF one of our
! largest cities, with all the influences of
| all the corrupt practices of the worst
| kind of politics" the words above
| quoted have not the force which was in
| tended to put into them. On the con-
trary, thoughtful citizens may we'll
begin to consider the power for evil
which lnay be eXerted through the
| public schools all over the land. More
over, it is to be observed that, in view
| woman suffrage based on the assertion
that.it would purify our elections. tails
| to the ground-as the French would say
| -'stiff dead"
| Then there is the question of the in
fiuence of the daily press, which, as we
| have lately seen in our own city, is not
| averse to using the great combined force
of the public school teachers for its own
ends. Here is a newspaper which, to
| increase its own circulation and adver-
tisements, that is, sim ply to gain money,
does not scruple to urge the teachers of
the schools to put themselves in a
ridiculous and humiliating position be-
| fore the world-which, in fact, changes
| its supposed business Of conveying in
teliigence and generally advancing the
| causes of uprightness and morality, into
sort of private lottery scheme. The
paper, like the Louisiana Lottery, is sure
to win most of the money in the end.
All the votes cast for the thoufands who
are not elected signify just SO much
money thrown into the cash box, and,
really, even the most successful candi-
dates might as well have gone round
begging their friends and acquaintances
directly for money to help them to 60 to
Europe, as to solicit votes. A vast
amount of money will have been paid to
the paper, and it would have been much
cheaper for the citizens to establish
prize OF two trips to Europe than to set