The San Francisco call., 1905-08-27
GOOD JUDGMENT
ROAD TO SUCCESS
ONE time ago a supervisor held

G ONE time ago a supervisor held an
\adamantine rule over the schools of
an Eastern city. So known and
feared was she that the very street
arabs whispered in awed tones to one
another as she passed: There goes the
Board of Education"
1t was my fortune, at one time, to hear
her ca woman of rare business and good
sense, if of dreaded austerityy of manne r.
! address an assembly of teachers. says M.
M Atwater in the Chicago Tribune. her
theme was discretion, and her words were
direct and to the point.
! Remember that the street car is not
the proper forum for the discussion of
school questions. 1t is not the proper
place to discuss, for instance-the super
visor's wig
pin falling in that room at that mo-
ment would have been heard. The breath
of the educators was suspended as she
went on.
1.-The state demands of the teachers dis
cretion almost as much education. 1
commend it to you as a safeguard, and
as mark of efficiency. / have seen
many models of this yirtue-and a few
striking instances of its lack"
Prattling about the failures and de-
ficiencies of his pupils is the vice of a
school teacher. At lie dinner table of a
certain college number of the faculty
and students met daily during the sum-
mer quarter. The fact was noted that
there was but one professor in the whole
lot who did not prate of absent students,
clubbing this one "a downright liar and
that one "a sluggard." Nevertheless
when the trustees of the college met to
elect a new president, it was also noted
that not one of these talkatiye men, how
ever brilliant, was named for the presi-
dency but man of unimpeachable dis
cretion and of marked Judgment was
chosen.
Making the street car the stage of in
discreet conversation has marked the
downfall of more than one public servant
who has recklessly betrayed the dignity
of his office
Less than a year ago an officer of the
State Department was chance listener
to the following dialogue between two
young men on a street car In Washing
ton:
wish me luck I'm off for the State
Department to take an examination for
$4,000 consulship.'
Pretty sure you'll pass then, eh?''
Il should say so. Both the Senators
and half the Representatives from my
| State are backing me; and I guess it
would be pretty hard not to pass under
the circumstances. The exam. is only a
bluff
/ OHCie kodfu uiu Itol ScHu tLiS CHdltcTDOk
to any government abroad, for across
this candidates application blank was
written: mot sufficiently discreet-too
| liable to discuss private affairs publicly
| Thus the influence of Senators and
Representatives was not sufficiently po-
tent to float one SO conspicuously lacking
| in common sense as to talk state affairs
on the street cars.
| Quite recently the German ambassador,
Baron Speck Won Sternburg. said in reply
to an inconsiderate interviewer;
J "It is excellent rule Of conduct for
an ambassador to avoid talking about the
! affairs of other nations. The less he talks
about those of his own the better his
superiors like it, except, of course, when
it is a case of correcting false impress
| sion or of explaining a matter on which
! his ruler desires the people of that coun-
! try to be enlightened"
! The incumbents of any public post, the
employees of any corporation, the servants
j of any household in whatever capacity
| employed, should lay it to heart that any
! unseemly talkativeness in public works
| passing injustice to the dignity of
! labor as a whole and a permanent in
! jury to the chatterbox concerned
| Any position of however small import
! ance tacitly demands certain reticence.
certain loyalty to the trust given. In
! the highest positions discretion cannot be
| verbally asked for, as the asking itself
would imply its want; and, in truth, many
matters are too subtle. too refined. to