Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-05-12

EXAMINATIONS or get little lift from Il
friend on tough questions; teach only
for the money there is in it. expecting
to quit as soon as you can get better
position, or, perhaps, when you are i'm
portuned too much by some young per-
son you get married. l will say that if
you can answer the first lot of ques-
tions asked, in the affirmative, with
perhaps thousand more that might
be asked you, the public will have no
cause to complain, it will be satisfied
with your work. 1t does not expect
you to give its children new brains but
it does expect you to direct and culti-
vate those the children already have.
Directors and members of the various
school boards, do you make wise selec-
tions of teachers? Do you choose with
and unbiased mind, from local influ-
ences and prejudice? Do you keep an
inferior teacher in school simply be-
cause he happens to be friend of you,
or do you dismiss the true and tried
teacher who is doing far more for your
children than new teacher because
he has taught one term already in that
district? You must remember that it
is you whom the public haye chosen to
see that this 100000 is wisely spent. Do
you exercise the same care in getting
teachers that a banker OF a merchant
would have in handling the same
amount of money? We may have COM
petent teachers and directors, yet that
will not be all that is necessary, for last
but not least comes the patron of the
school. How largely they can make
school by taking interest in the school,
by encouraging their children, by CIV
ing them to understand that it is their
duty to attend school regularly, and
not get there after nine o'clock in the
morning, OF on the other hand how
easily they can undo the good work of
the teacher, by fault-1inding,b by grumb-
ling, by allowing their childeen to find
fault with the teacher, to tell every
thing they hear at school, thus laying
the foundation of becoming good (?)
practical teachers.
After we have competent teachers,
directors and proper school facilities.
are we doing our whole duty by the
children? Should we not go one step
farther and supply them with school
books? We boast Of our public school
system and it may we'll be our pride as
it grows and develops. We furnish the
teachers, buildings and furniture free,
and say boastingly, whatsoever will
may have a good common school educa-
tion." Is this the case? Why not make
it free in deed, as we'll as in name.
Why not furnish the books to the chill
dren free of cost? Is there any valid
reason why we should not do this?
How many fathers and mothers have
kept their children home for a while
because they hadn't the money to buy
books? How many schools in the coun-
ty OF Cavalier are handicapped today
because of the inextricable jumble of
books, no two children having the
same kind of books, perhaps those they
have are old and practically worthless,
some have none and must borrow. Yet
the teacher is supposed to smile Sc
renely and go on and do as good work
as if she were provided with the latest
and most practical text books. School
books are enormously high. By buying
them in large quantities we could get
them cheaper, do away with middle
mems profit, have uniform text books
and the latest and best of each kind.
They would be changed all over the
state at the same time and uniform
system of grades maintained. But
says one, 1--WE have all the taxes we can
pay now, why add to our burden?'
| Would the burden of taxation be fell
as much as the burden of buying books
is now felt, besides it has this merit, il
would compel the rich and able to beal
the burden. The old saying is as true
now as it ever was, 'that the poor mar
has the large family 1t being thu
case that the poor have the large fam
lilies is an additional argument in favol
of an absolutely free common scheo
education. Every good citizen is in
terested IN not only the welfare of hi.
own children but also of his neighbor'.
children when it comes to getting al
education. The man who is unable tx
read or write can cast vote that vii
count for just as much as the vote O.
the best educated man in tho commun
ity. If by depriving any child of tn
means of education we unfit him TO-
his duties as a citizen, we are in 1
measure responsible for it. By tn
public furnishing the books we woult
place the burden where it belongs. Th
rich corporations,t the non-residents, ,th
wealthy of all classes and last but no