The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-12-28

must reclte. LStlmhte the actual
cost In dollars and cents of school
of this kind. The amount expened-
ed is enormous, you can never esti-
mate the cost to the mind of your
child, TO the state and to huma nifty.
BY consolidating our schools,
grading them, establishing county
supervision, and employing only
competent teachers, we will gain
an adequate return for our money.
Only think Of twelve.hundred-
thousand pupils educated at an ex-
pense OF fourteen millions Of dollars
per annum and not twenty per.
cent capable Of intelligently voting
on the simplest questions that
arise. No wonder our people are
tossed to and fro on the waves Of
a political campaign. Such a con-
dition is a travvrsty on our dem)
cratic institutions.
The children living at distance
would have to be taken to, and from
school at public expense, this hack
line could also answer the purpose
of mail route, when we get rural
mail delivery for which we are all
80 ardently working. The weekly
n Il n l,,,
relegated to the rear with the moss.
back farmer.
Some opp Sc the hack linc, they
srem to think it better for the
children to wade through mud and
snow, sit all day with wet feet and
lay the foundations for catarrh.
bronchial troubles, etc. etc. cd IN.
.fnitum. Such persons evident
~ crow with delight when they
hear a physician assert that "ill
health is the normal condition of
the nineteenth century woman"
1t seems scarcely necessary to
m' n,iop the advantages of a grad
ed school, in an intelligent audience
like this. II Is so evident that each
child would find its own class and
would push forward to promotion
so soon as prep red, that healthy
rivalry would arouse pupils to
greater effJrt, and that systematic
work would result, that they need
only he noticed.
When we diminish the number
of schools aud increase the quality,
we may then have libraries. 1t is
impossible for ii child to gain an
education without books. In them
he finds the ch0isest gems Of all
time, truths that men have delved,
in sore pain, to wrcst from nature,
The pupil must have these, lis text
book is merely a skeleton, which
must be beautifully clothed and
hcdeckcd with tbs most seintlllnt-
in. gems.
More attention should b. given
TO saritsry arrangements Of cur
school rooms.
cannot leave you without enter.
ing my most earnest protest
against q mode Of punishment,
which | understand /. quite preva-
lent in this section. | refer to strik
isg The child about herd and ears
1t il most criminal and bnrbnruus,
and | ain shocked that the eve Of
the twentieth century we have
teachers so far lost to decency as to
wreak q petty spite on an organ
God has fashioned 50 beautifully.
cannot uudel stand what motive
a parent can have in sending his
child to such teacher.
One item of prime Importance ia
u, will be the sup 'riorily of our
teachers. The present system
places the Inexperienced youth,
and the experienced nuisance on
the same salary with the cultured
teacher. This l. an Iu.jus.ice To tbs.
TEACHER and 10 the. pupils. Oar
good teachers ure bat human, they
pee that tn|y hfe not iion,rr0 and
they soon enter other professions
" here rromotinn Is a,t4ined
as one merits il. Thus We are
th'u-ting from us those who are
"ur mHiuStay. The progressive
teacher shon'd hr paid a salary
sufficient to support him and I"
give him means of culture. This il
IA sonnd business proposition. Our
children are invitators. 70 the m
the teacher stands asan ideal being
IL Is cur duty TO see that their ideal
men and women, are noble. A
man hns just so much energy AT his
disposal. ana if he uses il To gain
living by manuel labor, his fitness
for teaching Is diminished. We
should pry eur teachers, living
wages and then demand of them aH
ad'qrate return.
There j. a wide difference be,
tWppD tho Sphnnl k,4n,,nr and ,I.