The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-01-30
THURSDAY...JANUARY 30, 1902
Weather forecast for Fred
ericksburg and Vicinity:
Probably rain Thursday
DIR REAL Duty.

The time of the constitutional
Convention, for some time past, has
been occupied in discussion OF the
duty, OF the Commonwealth toward
the University of Virginia.
Men of prominence in the intellect
ual and political arenas of the State
have been using their best efforts to
have a provision made in our or
ganic law for an annual appropria-
ton OF not less than $4,000 to that
institution.
Many are glad that failure was the
result, not because they have aught
against the University, for every Vir-
ginian is proud OF that old seat OF
learning, but because they deem 1t
unwise to fix appropriations OF any
kiad by Constitutional enactment.
=, The chief argument offered in favor
of such an enactment was that legis-
lators, as rule, had to be put under
the whip OF a strong lobby in order
to secure an appropriation OF any
sort. If this be true, why is it so?
Those favoring the plan tell us it Is
because the denominational colleges
fight the University. This has been
denied by men of prominence in the
Convention-men who came to the
Convention from the halls of denomi-
national colleges.
1t would seem far better were the
members of the Constitutional Con-
vention devoting more time to de-
vising mean whereby our public
schools might be kept open for a
longer period each year and the
teachers OF these public schools re-
ceiving a compensation a leastcom-
mensurate with the work actually
performed.
Some of these very men who have
seemingly forgotten the public
schools. in their herculean efforts in
behalf of the University, are unwill-
ing to work more than 3 or 4 hours
a day for 81 and yet think thats the
Woodworking and hard-worked
school teacher in Virginia ought to
be satisfied with from $25 to $50 per
month, and labor from 9 a. m. to !
D. m. 1t must be remembered also
that many of the schools OF the State
are. because OF a lack OF funds, only
kept open from 4 to 6 months in a
year.
Virginia, when it speaks through
the orator, says it wants from the
public schools, intelligent, patriotic,
healthy and happy citizens. There is
no building or apparatus or system
that can turn out such a product
unless in connection with it there are
intelligent, patriotic, healthy and
happy teachers.
And how can the teacher supply
himself or herself with these fine
qualities unless we give him the
means.
The present discomfort with educa-
ton in this country, awakened by the
rise OF anarchism, is largely due to
the treatment OF our public school
teachers.
Good teachers are worthy OF a
neutrality-suspicious. bad teach
ers are worth less than nothing to
thepublic.
The lower your estimate on the
value of a teacher, the lower you
place the profession, and step by
step through the avenues ofdeteriora-
ton, the whole public school system
slides until at last you will awake
some day to find that the public
schools are farce and the teachers
! are teachers in name only.
\The jails of this country are tie
homes today of boys and girls
who might have been somebody III
this world had they been properly
taught. There is a vast difference
between "hearing" a lesson and
teaching it.
Some may say that these lines are
illogical, that what Virginia needs is
a higher standard for teachers, rather
than an increase in salaries. Agreed,
but how can we hope to put high
GRADE teachers in our school-rooms,
unless we are willingt to properly com
pensate them.
A trained horse is worth more than
an unstrained one. Is not a trained
teacher also worth more than an un-
trained one? Ability in every other
walk Of life has its value, why should
it not be so inthe profession ofteach-
ing2
Experience, as well as observation,
has long since taught many people
that poor pay nearly always means
poor work.
Let our Constitution builders, when
considering the educational features
OF their work, think well about these
things and prepare for the children
Of both rich and poor parentage a
public school system that shall be
- oil tho foundation for intelligence,