St. Landry democrat., 1890-11-15

Our Public Schools

From IL thousand or DlOle papels that
have come to me within the past two
Years. learn that II il the practice ia
most states for those Immediately inter
"StCG to have some voice in selecting
those WHO arc intrusted With the deli
cate and highly responsible office If III
etructing thel children. Thar haTmn-
htoUs and kindly relations should OBJ
!ain between parents aud teachers as
wei! as between teachers and pHpjis. is
Il proposition that may safely he sub
mittcd without argument. Thai it is
Impossible to maintain hHrmOnIona Ia-
i"tioUs when teachers arc appointed
without III" consent OF tie Interested
parties, and are resrcuaihlc 10 no one
Tor the manner in which they discharge
their dnties-Or f1ilurc 10 discharge
tiiem-is equally evident
tIOm time to time We read APPEALS 10
good citizens to assist IN enforcing the
laws; Gut when those IN authority place
the mailed hce! Of their contempt upon
lis III this and mauy other matters. il
"an scarcely he expected that good citi-
ltps should display much zeal in their
projects. OF course We comprehend
perfectly that, d school board il ap-
pointed to protect lis from imposition,
hnt | bayo never heard Of any mum Der
Ut the school board going among the
people to ascertain their status is re-
CARDS Intelligence or The want Of it..
their ASPIRATIONS and desires. It may
':c tine that we are too ignorant 10 be
judges OF what we want: if so, the more
reason that some degree Of sympathy be
manifested in our behalf. If the gen
tIenlen have Kindly taken it upon them
selves to "protect" us and to stimulate
lis to yea! and activity in our own be-
half we arc duly apprccative of the
fact; but as DIR. Johnson says. mo man
is vel! pleased TO have his ALI. neglect
I'd, be that all ever so little.
OF course | know the old chestnut of
a want Of funds precludes any effort in
tho direction banned. But we are called
upon to bold elections, to work on the
public highways and perform multi
fude OF other services without pay.
Besides, If that be valid excuse, why
not permit us to perform this little ser
vice for ourseives7 We do not ask to
be protected nor TO DO interfcIed with
in any manner. This question Of educa
lion is one Of vital Importance to us
and to you for that matter. Because
although there arc a few men in our
midst, 9 very few, J am rejoiced to
know, yNio think the common people
ought to be kept in ignorance of their
rights, they cannot be thus kept in ig-
uorance without having very foggy
notions of right and wrong and under /
such circumstances contract a perverae |
habit Of going wrong.
My neighbors have often solicited mo |
TO take school in this locality, but it is !
difficult-impossible-to Obtain enough /
money 10y subscription to pay q noder- !
alto salary. interviewed q member of
tho school board and was informed that !
there are five hundred applicants ahead
Of me, as ii that had anything to do !
with the question. bad an idea that il |
found competent, the circumstance that ,
I had children of my own to teach and
my neighbors being anxious that I
should teach, would have weight. But
not at all. This gentleman conflded to
me that the more competent the appli-
cant, the smaller his chances for getting
Il certificate. The class of questions
asked, such as the length OF rivers, the
population OF towns, Sc, being such az
a person Of mcagre attainments could
readily answer, But a person of a high
IT order OF culture WOnld scarcely de-
vote the powers Of his mind to memo
'izing simple facts that might be easily
ascertainod by reference to map. i
Ny impression il. that no questions
'onm. In fact, the rules of the circum-
oeution oitice-the rnie of how not to
10 it--seemed to be in force To give
Ill idea of how the applicant might he
1nzzlcd-l learned that thia question
vas put: 'If a man 10 standing on the
forth pole at II o'cIoci; on The 10Th of J
June, in what direction will hia shadow .
lointe" Thus taken by surprise, very I
CIV applicants, eTen though perfectly
would be ready to answer, j
All points arc south oil the north pole
me cannot move without going in the ,
direction OF the south pole.n But the ::
question itself betrays the fact that no
eal effort is made to select good mate {
ial. The method has the favor of the 7
aucus D. c. DAVID,
Vile Plate, In. 8