The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-02-18

tOOnS, no comment, no relief. One
County School Supt told me a few
days ago that the State School Supt.
wrote him stating that he need not
look for any funds to pay the teach
ers till late in December, Or probably
January. That's business, for you,
transacted by the State, the Empire
State of the South, Georgia, you
know!
What is the cause of such delay?
We have heard a whole lot of late
years of the dangers of illiteracy, of
ignorance and to combat these evils
we must educate, educated!
We have had to stand rigid ex-
aminations, the State has created the
Office of supervisors to instruct the
teachers, who it is presumed get we'll
paid and promptly, for their servi-
ces, but the privates in this great
army arrayed against ignorance are
paid in such manner and at such
uncertain times that enthusiasm in
their calling would indeed be Vir-
tue. Some Of our best teachers have
left and are leaving the State on this
account and locating in States that
do pay their teachers. Parents are
going out to get their children edu-
Gated in other States where the terms
are longer.
1t does seem reasonable that Geor-
gia could pay for short terms when
other States, not dignified by the
title Of Empire, do pay for longer
terms. An army of high salaried
officers may make outsiders think
there is something doing, but it is
the rank and file on the firing line
that is doing the work that counts.
If the generals, majors, captains,
ETC., get their pay, but the doors Of
the pay-masters office and then the
commissary are closed to the cor
porals, sergeants, privates, ETC., what
will be the consequence, but deser-
ton from the ranks and victory for
the enemy.
Roman Catholicism fights freedom
Of the press, sand is bitterly opposed
to the public schools. Is it possible
that the deferred payments to Geor-
gia teachers, is being brought about
by the Vaccinations and secret in
1uences of the Jesuits? Nothing can
so quickly destroy the public school
system as to fail or neglect to pay
the teachers. The manner in which
the teachers Of Georgia have been
treated in the matter Of pay, has
done very great damage to the sys-
tenn, to the parents of our children,
and worst of all, to the children for
whose benefit it was instituted.
These facts must be known to the
enemies of free schools, and Of
course must be gratifying to them,
more especially to the myrmidons of
Rome.
If Georgia is unable to meet her
obligations to her teachers she ought
to say so, and abolish the public
school system; if she is able, for her
honor's sake. she ought to come
across.
But although l have lots more to
say on this very important subject,
| must bring my remarks to close,
if you will bear with me a few mo-
ments longer.
A great many of our teachers are
young ladies who have a father and
mother and comfortable homes. They
teach to make pocket money which
they will spend as they please when
it comes, if it ever does. If it is
never paid, or is slow in coming, it
works but little hardship, if any, as
they have friends and home provided
with every comfort. But that is no
excuse. If they teach our children
they ought to. be paid promptly,
when a great and wealthy State is