The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-18

sSon ma conts5but11, II u ~. ~
1 for any reason faif 10 nerxn the entire
| deslwnated tfme, total ioaa
| With the teacher playing proper
part upon the poIitfcAf stage. such
preposterons and unfair enactments
and conditions as the above. and
/ others similar. would soon disappear;
ana school legislation aiding and abet-
ting the course of public education
would take the place.
| Finally. some one may ask, What
, 10 the province of the teacher In poll
tics?" The answer liz plain We have
already said that he should neither
| seek nor accept ONCE for personal mo-
tives: that he should form no partisan
alliance or compromising entangie-
ments: that, in short. he should not
enter politics with aught in view than
the general good. Lobbying after leg
islative or representative bodies have
assembled for deliberative purposes,
is not the best policy for the teacher
to pursue In order to secure favor
able and desirable legislation. He must
be a practical student thoroughly
familiar with existing conditions and
possessed with a clear vision Of what
constitutes needed reforms and legis-
lation. He should also be a leader
in his own community and thus be
able to bring the patrons and other
citizens In harmony with such ,educa-
tional or other beneficial legislation
as may seem to him best Then the
prospective candidate must be before
election committed to a satisfactory
policy. The policy in question. being
therefore a part Of the platform on
which he was elected, the successful
popular representative would then
have every reason for advocating the
desired measure with zeal, and. at
the proper time. for defending 1t with
energy and enthusiasm.
We must not close this article with
out commenting upon the importance
OF the teachers leading the public to
a proper conception OF the supreme
dignity and of the sublime social ex-
altation inhereot in our profession.
The civic training impaired by the
profession of teaching ranks equal In
importance with that of the home
and of the church. In fact. now that
modern social and industrial condi-
tons are shifting such q large part OF
parental responsibilities to the
schools and since the teacher Of to-
day comes In contact with hts pupils
and most of his patrons oftener than
does the minister. we are bold enough
to rank our profession as the highest
in the scale Of social service. BY a
'hlAi hilhGIiHs III pOIitlCS, n tCdGuGt
possessing leadership and personality
becomes a strong vital force In his
community. and thus realizes a vaiu-
able opportunity to exalt in the popu-
lar estimation the genuine greatness
When the people as a whole learn to
appreciate the position OF the teacher
and succeed in grasping the true con-
ception of his inestimiable service to
society, then discipline. home coop
GRAFTON. mutual suspicious and an
tagonisms. and many other trouble
some problems incidental to school
administration will find a ready solu-
ton. The people will also be more
ready to assist the teacher In making
political leaders listen to the needs OF
schools and will also compel the A.
nanciers of our country see that ample
funds are ever available for the ade-
quate support of the greatest of all
work, the education of the masses for
citizenship and for future usefulness
How glorious then Is the teachers
opportunity In the field OF politics,
The whole body polite Of future
America 10 thus in his hands, He can
eventually eliminate from our national
life selfish commercialism. sordid ma
terialism, and their concomitant evils,
He can be instrumental in blessing
our country with wiser and better
legislation and thereby with a richer
and a broader system OF education.
He can do much towards purifying our
politics by eievating the conception
OF public ONCE and by the creation of
wiser and more enlightened citizen
ship. He can greatly facilitate the
labors of his co-workers by bringing
the masses to realization OF the so
cial worth of the teacher. The at
tainr1ent of such desirable ends can
be purchased only by mutual COL
liberation and united unselfsh CO.
operation among us teachers. who our
selves must be In all respects worthy
and we'll qualined to glorify and to
magnify our profession by personal
example as well as by theoretical pre-
cept. We must also persist more and
more in our united efforts TO convince
the public of our priceless worth 10
society Let us all pull together In
that each member OF the profession
do all he can to uplift his community
and to fit his pupils for useful ca
reers, Let our motto be, Learn TO
labor and do not wait for ono
another" Above all. let us be true
to ourselves by realizing and appre- !
ciating the Importance OF our own
professional growth. and OF our insep- !
arabic relation to social service in all /