The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-04-10
TEACHERS PAST AND PRESENT
Some Of His Disadvantages and Some
ofHis Compensntions.

Some Of His Disadvantages and Some
orHis Compensntions.
"Ichabod Crane" says Southern
Education, taught school in Sleepy
Hollow, but he was forced to give
singing lessons and board around will,
his pupils in order to keep from stary-
ing. In a community in Lincoln
county, North Carolina, i'll the early
lO's the public school trustees had Il
custom OF advertising the need OF a
teacher and also informing the public
1T the same time that the school
would be let OUT" on certain day
TO the lowest bidder For several
years the teacher Of that school
received eight dollars per month and
boarded himself. His qualifications,
us stated by himself, were ability to
read and write and Ito cipher to the
Rule OF Two in Eowlcr's arithmetic. y
Crates OF Mallos taught grammar
at Rome. Indeed, he was the very
first teacher on that subject in that
city, II we are to believe the records.
This man had the misfortune TO break
his leg by fallin, into sewer. From
tlat time on he was considered good
for nothing else but To bc a -tcachcr
Nero, the Roman emperor, had
Thrasca put TO death because he had
Il sour cast OF countenaucc and rcSem-
blcd a school teacher In the early
days Of America the school teachers
always had some other Uccupa tiUn.
They were grave diggcrs, or horse
traders or farmers, as well us teachers.
In the south the preacher was often Il
teacher and was thereby Il person Of
more Importance than the teacher in
other sections OF the country
But how is III now? The teacher
of rural school, ii he is u man, is
looked OH more than otherwise with
pity and contempt, especially il lie is
along toward middle or old age. lf
he is a young man, lie is likely pre-
pairing to lie Il lawyer or u doctor or Il
preacher. | the teacher is a young
woman She is ready to forsalic her
work the moment Il desirable offer or
marriage is adc to her. Too often
the public does not respect The teach
ers' calling, and the teachers look
upon their work in much the same
light.
| I'm many communities the teacher
does not have much social standing,
neither has he any financial standing.
lie is not usually noted Tor great in-
tellcctual and moral qualities. There
is not enough remuneration in the
work TO attract the men and the wo-
men OF the best brains. Such persons
enter other callingS. Even in tile
southern cities, where the rcnuncra-
tion is better, teachers are often the
footballs Of politicians, and their ten
urc OF Office is uncertain. Only the
best cdn stand up in the face OF such
blighting Influences and retain their
manincss and self respect. In addi-
tion to all these things, the average
Intelligent citizen looks patronizingly
upon teachers. In fact, teachers would
not be teachers, in their eye, if they
could possibly be anything else. And,
then, oftcnCimes the very highest
teachers position in the state, the
Office oi the state superintendent, is
given away to some politician or in
competent teacher because he has
some pull"
The Great Teacher was despised
and rejected of men, but the best men
and women nowadays will not sulr.r
themselves TO be SO dcSpiscd and re-
Jectcd while other vocaLionS as honor
able stand open to them. In the
spirit OF the missionary and the
matyr. some may give their lives to
teaching. But what man, real, man
wants his children doomed to ascetic-
ism, cclibacy and social degradation?
Men and woman who are The chill
drcn's social equals ought to be their
teachers virile men and strong wo-
men whom parents "ould like to meet
often.
The teacher who lacks ambition,
red blood, manly strength, social
standing, cannot be a real teacher and
a real leader. Mere goodness, the
political pull the badge of charity
must disrcgardcd and the selection Of
the children's models and leaders put
ON il professional basis, il we are to
have Il democracy realizing the highest
and best development Of the race"
n Good Plan.