The record-union., 1899-12-28

teacher must suffer If the incentives
of industry and integrity are to be re-
moved and the teachers are mace TO
feel that they are to have no reward
there must be a bad result. The teach
ers themselves should aim for natural
selection for fitness and the elevation OF
the profession. The teacher whose ldol
Is the politician cannot MAINTAIN ms
self-respect, and if he cannot do SO ne
is unfit TO teach the children or direct
them. He believed that the reason po-
ncemen are regarded as low in the So
cial scale was because 1t is generally
understood that their positions are OBJ
tanned by political pull. If teachers
depend on it, their influence will be
gone, for the children will soon come
to hear and understand it, and they are
sharp.
The influence on the community at
large is bad There ought to be some
places where civil service reform
should rule and the educational ones
should be of them. The people should
feel that it so prevails in the schools
that any advancement is on account OF
merit alone. He was glad that the uni
versity was not in politics and that
President Wheeler had stipulated be-
fore he would accept the position that
he should be perfectly free and untram-
meled in managing it upon the best
educational lines.
A REMEDIAL MEASURE.
President Bergerot of the San Fran
cisco Board of Education spoke on
decentralization of the School Systems,
State and Federal, as Remedial
Measure"
He said it was an important ques-
ton as to how the evils of political in
reference in school matters can be at
least minimized. The first thing to as
certain are the causes of the evil. These
he thought were the election of School
Directors by popular vote; the certifica-
ton of teachers by examination by
county and city boards, without con-
troll by higher power; the lack of
proper legislation; the lack of uni
formity; the disparity in the tenure of
office of teachers and the lack of PEN
sion law for teachers of all classes.
The remedy he proposed was the ma
tiOnaliZation of the educational system,
to give it a stable and uniform charac-
ter; the establishment of a National
Educational Department at Washing
ton and the division of the country into
nine districts, with a council consisting
of college Presidents, holding office for
nine years, no one to hold office for
longer than two terms, and the estab-
lishment of National University hav-
ing all power over certification and cleo
ton of teachers into the department.
SOME REFORM MEASURES.
Frank H. Short of Fresno spoke on
Some Reform Measures" He was of
the opinion that no reform would ever
come by doing the same old thing in the
same old way. He did not believe IN
changing the system, but by putting
the system right. If everything was
blotted from the law but the ten COM
mandments of Moses we would have
all left that is necessary, and all we
know of right and wrong. The only
thing to do is to educate, educate. Bring
up the boys and girls to abhor the
wrong and elevate public sentiment. We
are on trial for all time in this mat
ter. Are we equal to the duty?
PRESIDENT WHEELER TALKS.
President Wheeler was next intro
duced and received a most f1attering re-
ception, the applause continuing While
he attempted to begin his remarks.
His address was to be on Some
General Considerations and he said
it was not a good time to talk about
general considerations at the end of
discussion, but what was he to do if he
had nothing else TO talk about? He
should say some simple things, so SIM
pie that he wondered if they would be
of any use. There is no doubt that
we have politics among US, and are
likely TO have it for some time.
He believed he had heard nothing but
condemnation of politics in this discus
sion- He was sorry they all thought
they would like to be practical poiti-
clans. He thought all should be poll
tfcians He had, ever since he was
boy, believed in politics and politicians.
When this Government was institut-
ed, the fundamental scheme was
founded on distrust. The colonies
had been hardly dealt with by George
the Third and wanted no more of it,
and therefore scheme was evolved
that was full of checks. A few years
of trial showed that a change was need
ed and that a scheme of political pro-
cedure must be organized and it was
done.
I. The plan of electing a President and
Vice President by electors was carried
out, the best man to be President and
the next best to be Vice President, but
in a few decades it became obsolete
but traces Of it remain that will some
time become dangerous.
In order to transact business it was
found necessary for the different
branches of the Government to act in
harmony, not in distrust, and the eff
feet has been that a great body of cit
liens hold that party organizations are
unfit for good citizens and they are
stunned by many good citizens
Whether we like party lines or not
politics or not, they are facts and we
are governed by them. There is no
sin in politics or in being a politician
The only sin is in mixing up things
and trying to do things that cannot be
attended to in that way. Our condi-
ton has been very much more COM
plicated than was intended. The in
itiative of the town meeting Is not good
now, as it once was. The voice of the
people is not the voice of God all the
time
The people make big plumbers when
they are called on to pass on things
they know nothing of. The old Mas
sachusetts people knew something of
all things and did everything for them
selves and knew all they voted about
and the men they voted for, and do now
They could, therefore, vote intelli-
gibly. but the people of New York City
could not do so Give fba America n