Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-02-17
THE SCHOOL TEACHER.
sermon Tells Of His Place in So
ciety.

general interest in the sermon Of
Rev. Fry, the Methodist minister, de-
livered last evening at Sanders hall.
on the subject OF the influence OF the
school teacher upon society:
"The principal nations OF the world
have Joined hands on the matter OF
compulsory education. Not Of the
favored class only. but the children
of the common people. All agree that
1t is unsafe to raise ignorant men.
Therefore for the sake of the COM
monwealth we declare that it is best
to educate the children from the high
est to the lowest everywhere. Bet
ter that the fields go untitled, that
mnies should go unwrought than that
the children go uneducated. Our sub
iect is such broad one that we must
content ourselves to discuss but one
phase of 1t, the public Instructor en-
ployed by the state. Great advance
ment has been made in things intel
lectual, and to ask by what road man
has passed from the lowest to the
highest is question that would sug-
gest many answers. But one road
of absolute certainty may be defined
as that OF the public school. One OF
the greatest instructors of England
said The boy is the nations chief
asset. The school determines very
largely whether the boy shall be a
divine paying asset, or whether he
will make assessments upon the COM
munity. Who can determine the diff
ference in value OF the 100 boys who
fill the Offices of state with credit to
themselves and profit to the nation
and the 100 who fill our penitentiar-
les, board at the public crib and de-
bauch the young manhood OF the
land.
DR., Busby. for many years the head
master OF Rugby school, used to say
that he controlled the whole King
dom of Great Britain. When asked
to explain he would answer In this
wise: Well, you see, am head mas
ter Of Rugby school, and have under
my instruction a large number of
boys from the principal homes Of the
realm. These lads govern their mo-
theirs who in turn govern their hus-
bands, who are the peers, members
; of parliament and control the affairs
of the kingdom After making due
allowance for the harmless egotism,
there is still much to suggest the In.
fluence Of the teacher upon society
True respect for ones calling is esr
sential to success in that calling
Your choice of associates, manner of
conversation in and out of the sch0uE.
habits. attire. win go long way I'm
determining the value of the teacher
upon society. Perhaps no profession
is in danger of suffering from the i'm
trusion OF unworthy members more
than that OF teaching. A great many
seek it, not because they love Il. but
to make 1t menas to an end. Mem
in all other professions have worked
their way through college at the ex-
peEse Of your profession.
''We demand more Of those who
teach our children than we do, Of
those who make our laws. We are
at fault here, not that we should de-
mand more of those who teach, our
children than we do of those who
make our laws. We are at fauluhere,
mot that we should demand less Of our
teachers, but that we should demand
more Of those who make our laws
Look at that big, fat nsEn with
plenty of leisure time on his hands
He can drink more beer, smoke more
cigars, shake hands with more moth
ers. kiss more pretty babies. tell
moze fuzzy stories-some of them
without a Sunday school moral-in
one day than any other man in the
community can in month. In this
way he becomes so well known that
we send him down to Boise to make
laws for the state. After the first
year we send him back again to get
rich on the laws he previously made
Honorable exceptions did you ask
oh yes. thiry-three and one-third per
cent.
"The nation can never repay the
teacher for the service rendered II
that teacher is worthy of the pos
ition she holds. For the most part
the salaries of teachers are shame
fully low. hope that the day is
not far distant when teachers az this
city win be paid as literally as those
Of the leading cities of the land
But let me urge you in the meantime
. 1 -.