The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-28

than ever that all administrative policies
will come more second handed than ever
If Mark cannot play star engagement
upon the Presidential boards the country
will find that he is an all right prompter.
Although we have seen but one or two
papers that favored Mr.. Mcclure bill,
popularity known as the anti flirting bill,
and even such paper as the Washington
Post should see fit to make light of it,
we are none the less of our first opinion
that the bill is good one. Nearly every
paper throughout the country has taken
notice of the bill, but the trouble has
been at it offered such excellent oppor-
tunities for little pleasantries and witt
cisms that editors could not resist the
temptation 10 treat it in light vein, aud
for this reason 10 serious thought has
ever been given it. AS we have said be-
fore, the ones most nearly interested in
il are the pre- sidents of female schools,
and the mere fact that they have been
ain osG unanimously in favor of it should
aJ least insure it some consideration
When the Post says that it is 'ready to
lay reasonably stiff wager that if any
rowdies III olest them Uhe girls) the Vir-
ginia fathers and brothers know how to
suppress the outrage without calling on
the police for help" it shows - miscon-
ception of the real purpose of the bill.
In our day schools, where fathers aud
brothers are at hand TO protect the daugh-
ter and sister from npertinences of shall
lcw-rated youths. there is no danger of
any annoyance, but in our large boarding
schools, the ones to suffer most, there is
no brother near to whom to appeal, and
1t is left to those in charge of the schools
to protect the young ladies under them
from annoyance. With such a measure
as this, the matter is easy in accomplish.
ment; without it. it is almost impossible
College presidents are usually accredited
with an average amount of common
sense, and there is little danger that such
"A law would suffer abuse at their hands.
but il is only fair that they should at
least have some recourse where imperti-
nences and rowdyism become unbearable
through much repetition. To say that
the ladies themselves lave it in their
power to check all such unprovoked sd.
vances is not in keeping with the facts.
These are our views on this subject and
we believe their correctness will be vindi-
Gated by the action of the legislature.
--
| Some disgruutled public school patron
of Baltimore has been giving vent to he T
feelings through the columns Of the Bal.
timore News. The burden of her COM
plant seems to be that the public school
teachers Of our land get paid for doing
nothing. 1t Is the same old story of dense
ignorance on the part of so many who
imagine that a teachers duties consist in
observing national holidays, takino three
months Gf enforced) vacation inss..the
summer, and drawing prince'y salaries
each month. One of Baltmorc's "school
MAINS" undertakes TO reply to this irate
patrons TRADE against the edo nothing.
ness" of the profession, and what
she has to say, in the parlauce of the
world of slang, ''is plenty We think
| circulation. "Do you know" SAYS She,
what the teachers in our primary school,
do for the munilicent pay of $50 II month
1t Is all laid down in the rules. Many Of
the children, in spite Of home missions,
hear the Lords prayer for the first time
in our Iublic schools. Those who do not
know that there are national songs and a
flag to live for and fight or and die for
| i'm bibe their fist lesson in patriotism
| through this medium from their teachers.
The book of rules says nothing of the ex.
ira time duty before school begins; of
yard duty: of basement duty: of com posi-
tons and slate work to he examined and
records kept and balanced; Of individual
struggles with dull pupils; of examina-
tions; of fruitless results after countless
efforts; of suspicious throats to he exam
ined: of each separate eye to be tested and
results submitted to superior officers
nothing of the mental strain: nothing of
the moral obligation; nothing Of the hou.
sand and one things never Gieamed of in
a superficial observer philosophy" The
truth of the matter is that only those
who have once tried it can form any con
ception of the great strain, physical and
mental. that is placed upon the public
school teacher, and especially those Of the
primary departments. No occupation
whatever is more trying, and we have
repeatedly seen strong, healthy ladies
turned into nhNSical wrecks frnn, its