Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-03-04
COLUMBIAN CLUB HAD
FEDERATION PRESIDENT
Mrs. Eustace Brown and Mr.. e. v,
Hoffman Its Speakers.

1 ~~---S--A~f 49, AEf~e-ANAAe
= The Columbian Clubs annual op,
q meeting held at the home Of May,
. and Mrs. A. w. Rice last evening WI
y one OF the delightful club events
Y the winter. A score Of outside guesi
: were present including several frol
: Chapman and Enterprise. The pres
dent OF the state federation OF club
Mrs. Eustace H. Brown. Of Olath,
was guest also and gave an intel
esting address. It was a plea 70
honesty and sincerity in our publ
AFFAIRS and protest against sham.
Among other things she said: II
our attitude towards education an,
educators advancing with the ma
terial prosperity Of the common
wealth! theoretically this has al
ways been one Of respect and appre'
citation, but practically we have failed
in the evidence Of gratitude toward
those who instruct our children. We
should demand the best, and pay for
it; and when their days Of usefulness
are over pension the school teachers.
They certainly deserve 1t as much as
the servants Of royalty or the So
called retainers of dukes; for who
are more royal than Kansans, and
where is the duke whose income can
equal the value Of our farm products
alone?
"In one of the cities of this state,
in period not long past the negro
janitor received almost double the
salary of some of the teachers In the
school, and the fact was explained by
the law Of supply and demand; 1t was
much easier to get good teacher
than a good janitor.
'The excuse that is occasionally Of
fered, that the low salary is all they
are worth, is an affront to the intel
ligence and reflection on the char
acter of our people. Think of entrust-
ing the education Of our children to
men and women worth less in their
work than the most ignorant laborer.
Are certificates granted to such as
hese in our state? don't believe
I; surely our school boards look az
err the interests of childhood better
han the employment Of such would
ignify. No stock raiser In Kansas
would trust his best-bred animals to
he care of irresponsible help; and
vhen you can't get the right kind
ou probably go out and take care Of
hem yourselves.
"But the true dignity of the in
tructor, one who is prepared by
ears Of application, study and train
ng for his or her work, is not yet
slt or appreciated by the ordinary
.merican citizen, unless they have >
cached a chair in some college or I
and the salaries are not \
ften sufficient to make the vocation q
life choice, for the young man a
.
She told of the school for the deaf g.
/ olathe and how it is skimped by h
le state in its support: These chill :,
rem in the School for the Deaf are Il
lst as your rosy-cheeked little !
aughter or sturdy lad might be If =
morrow they should be seized with :,
arlet fever or spinal meningitis; h,
ey reed an education of the right .,
nd, even more than before; and the \,
ate should feel its obligation more =,
,enly to both the deaf and to the i,
ind than to the hearing child. Per- I,
ps 1t does; but want to make sure
at you do. And as, you do, so will ve
lpower your legislators, officials, h,
ards and superintendents to ~
IRE liberal policy. 81,
"a few years ago the test Of eff !,
'ncy in office in this state seemed -
be rigid economy; and a plea for IN
election was based upon the :.
count saved from appropriations 90
Ide by the legislature. OF course, -,
It spirit has died out with the dis =.
)earance of grasshoppers, droughts, !
Zones and mortgages. But until -,
just claims of the unfortunate -
ye all been met; so long as we have -,
ID Of philanthropies and reforms; ~,
long as we have children to edu- D.
q, the test should be not how -.
oh saved, but how well expended =
in state the value Of -,
ose agricultural products, includ- -
live stock, amounts in one year -,
ne to $463,s4S,6O6." ~.
Immet V. Hoffman, of Enterprise, =
, gave an interesting talk on
therhood, making a plea for -,
ignition OF our fellow mems ~
It's. He said: ~
There is but one divine thought 49,
hat thought is the Fatherhood Of ~
the hrotherhood of man. This