The sun., 1919-09-11
I'm THE TAR HEEL STATE.
Low Salaries for Teachers Of Whom
Much Is Asked.


To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir: As
I happen to exist where heartfelt
religion, good water. blackberries and
called ministers are exalted, and school
teachers are less esteemed, while you
have a being where "furriners' are In
evidence, permit me to advise you as to
the matter of rural education.
We regard a dog, especially good
'possum dog, as worth at least fifty poor
white men, but bow down and worship
any man who saves the State by running
for office. If a man has glass windows
In his domicile we call him captain; II
he rides a buzzwagon he is styled major,
and IL he owns a bird dog. store, a
cotton gin and has been to the Legis-
lature he is an honest to goodness Col
onel. You "furriners" decorate soldiers
with military titles, while weapply them
I'd politicians
Our teachers, II having a pull, are not
required to be more literary than our
boards of education and our county COM
missioners, and neither of these august
bodies are liable to have the charge
thrown into their faces that much
learning hath made them mad. II a
teacher Is not a pet of the charmed
political circle he never becomes pro-
ficient in his calling. A boy can emerge
from a lanyard, a farm or a factory; be
gone six months to a medical school and
live happily and be called doc ever
after. The farmer is regarded as the
vassal of ministers. merchants, doctors
and lawyers, and all are under tribute to
the politician. This scion of royalty
does not bother his brains about political
economy. but howls "agin" the threat
ened peril of ''nigger domernation." The
negro has been disfranchised for about
twenty years, and the ratio is about ~
TO in favor Of the lordly Caucasian. but
who knows when he will assert himself
and extinguish civilization?
We are positively and unalterably
"agin" too much school, and our officials
feel that the palladium of our liberties
has been invaded II teacher in the
rural schools is paid a stipend that
would pay board. clothe him decently
and leave anything for the proverbial
rainy day. Once doctor always a
doctor once a lawyer, always a lawyer,
and once a preacher, no looking back
after grasping the plough handles. anf
politicians seldom die and never resign.
But teacher must be regenerated every
two years or join the guild of the
ditchers unless he has a call to preach.
At biennial Institutes the teachers
are required tc pay town board, be on
hand from two to four weeks, buy books
written by city teachers in other States
and hear these books interpreted at $40
a day, as If these pedagogic homilies
were written in Sanscrit or Hebrew, and
two years hence hear book glorified
that is Numerically opposite from the
one you have Just mastered. We have
been told that word method is the
thing par excellence. then made to swear
reverently by phonics and adJured by
all that is high and holy never to teach
more than four words a day in a SPELL
ing lesson.
A teacher Is expected to be a minister
without salary, a Chesterfield without
his opportunities for polish and a Beau
Brummel without his wardrobe. He
must be a daring prize fighter to quell
insubordination, must be Jenny Lind
in vocal gymnastics. must be an evangel
of betterment conditions and sanitation,
and Hitherto has helped church. State,
Sunday school and sanitation for five
months at a salary ranging from s35 TO
S45 a month. Now we have a six
months term in prospect, and are prom
ised the munifcent stipend of s62.50
month. At prices of board and clothing.
what is to prevent his becoming
bloated bondholder? A brickmason gets
SIS a day, carpenter IS, and they have
a twelve months Job.
For thirty-five years I have heard
pampered teachers with a political pull
swear that the teacher was coming into
his own. and 1t is but fair to admit that
conditions are slowly improving.
Cleveland county has a population. ac-
cording TO the census OF 1910, of 29,494,
and more than 900 illiterates. With our
salubrious climate and our boast of be-
ing highest type of Caucasians on the
continent, what about such record?
SHELBY, n. c.. September Q, w.