The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1906-07-14


This is not quite six dollars a week
Now when three dollars and half are
taken out for board two and a half dol
lars are left. Two dollars and half and
board per week! What a salary! We
pay our cooks this, and sometimes
more. An unskilled, ignorant day lab
orer receives fifteen or twenty dollars
per month and board.
A young, timid, bright girl, refined
and trained goes out into some rural
district to teach. Accustomed to
different life she must now endure hard
ships for which she has had no prepare
ton. In sunshine and in rain she is
found at her post, performing without
a murmur the duties of mother, teacher
and often OF janitor She gives all the
strength she has of mind, soul and body
to the successful accomplishment OF
her task. And alas, too, frequently
she works and worries beyond her
strength, and her fral body breaks
down under the effort. So lSoken in
spirit and in health she becomes nerv-
Gus wreck at a time when life should
mean brightness and JOY and good
cheer and not sorrow and despair And
Tor this she gets the wages OF an ordi-
nary cook.
Shame on the manhood of Our boast
ed civilization to permit an injustice so
great. Let us remember. ladies and
gentlemen, that the most timid and re-
firing teacher that ever taught coun-
try school is just as much entitled to
Justice and to consideration as the rich
est man that walks the earth and the
consideration that she most needs and
will most keenly feel is an increase of
salary. Why should the teachers sal
airy be increased? There are many
reasons. Two parties are concerned
the State and the teacher. Notice first
from the standpoint of the latter. The
are greater than ever before She
must be thoroughly equipped for the
work, must be cultured in a high de-
read the literature OF her profession
increased cost of living considerably
more than she gets is required.
Then. too, teachers have no oppor-
tunity to make money outside OF their
profession Indeed their thoughts can
not be given to making money. 1t is
different with the business man. He is
planning. thinking, rejecting all the
time how to increase his income.
Therefore, as the teacher has to give
himself to consideration OF matters that
pertain to the advancement OF man
kind, men should in turn see that he is
not troubled by matters pertaining to
finance. From the very nature OF his
calling he cannot become rich. then he
should be made at least comfortable.
Ii he is constantly subjected to wor-
rieS oi financial nature due doubt
less to a small salary, his effectiveness
as a teacher is interiered with very
materially. He can not do his best
work. Some time ago received a
letter from a teacher. saying it was
impossible for him to come to a GER
tain meeting. because he could not
afford it, as his salary was already too
| small to support his family. No doubt
manv teachers would do much more in
the line OF attending various meetings,
il they were able to do so. Indeed the
more we study the situation the more
thoroughly convinced are we that the
greatest barrier to the progress OF edit
cation TODAY is the low salary paid to
teachers. This is the deadly drug that
is SO killing and so chilling to the en-
terpriSing spirit OF American men and
women.
The teacher gives himself. his per-
sonality, his mind, his soul, his whole
spiritual sell, to his work The nerv-
Gus strain is often tremendous. Then
pay him more! Pay him more to make
his lie worth living and his work more
enduring.
We are not artisans; we are artists
We work upon the subtle, invisible,
mysterious force called mind Than
which what is greater. what more pow
eriul. Allton's Satan in enduring the
fortunes OF an awful hell relied upon
| the strength OF his mind.
(Aitcr being cast out OF Heaven and
| resting upon the burning lake he says
| Is this the region, this the soil, the
cline that we must change for Heaven.
Be it SO since he who now is sover-
| eign, ctcD
The mind then is what we work upon
We should then be paid the wages of
| those who work upon the finer and
not the bascr metals
Now notice the question from the