Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-11-01

coming election, it means that every
teacher will suffer financial loss,
that every board of education will
be financially handicapped more
seriously than ever before, that the
schools will lose many, If not all
their best teachers-in short, that
you cannot afford to follow the
teaching profession in Morgan coun-
ty il the candidates who are opposed
to the school law, Mr.. Strong and
Mr.. Finley, carry into effect the poll
cies which they are promising the
people for their votes. l am in
pretty close touch with the state
department toward the move in this
county to repudiate the school law.
The salaries OF the teachers are de-
pendent upon state aid which we
shall continue to receive so long as
we are guided by the school law. and
work in harmony with the state de-
partment of education. It would be
foolish for us to expect that we
would receive state funds with
which to repudiate the state law and
to tear down the school system in
nished thousands of dollars to help
build up. If state aid is cut off
teachers salaries will be reduced to
500 month in the eight months
schools; and furthermore, since a
law passed last winter prevents
boards of education from creating
any new Indebtedness for operating
expenses, the schools would have to
be discontinued when the local
funds are exhausted.
Moreover, these 1len who are Op-
posed to the school law have made a
direct attack upon the teachers.
Those questions, which a correspon-
dent of one of the county papers in
| cluded in his items a few weeks ago
! for candidates for members of the
county board of education to an
swer, were framed for the purpose
Of securing votes for his candidates
Both Mr.. Strong and Mr.. Finley has
| tened to answer the questions and
they answered them in the same
way. The correspondent in whose
items the questions appeared is
working night and day for these
men. One of the questions was
| teachers for what they know rather
than where they have been?" Both
Mr.. Finley and Mr.. Strong answer
/ ed, Il do" This is an. insult to ev-
/ cry teacher in Morgan county. 1t is
/ an attempt to belittle the ability oi
the present teachers. It is an at
tempt to contrast unfavorably the
teachers of today with those of the
past. What can we hope for from
men whose reactiOnary policie!
would set the schools back 80 OF
40 years? These men are offering
us nothing in the way of cOnstruc
tive policy for our schools. In fact
it would be impossible for them tG
do so. If you have not Gone so reaC
the article in the county paper.
over the signature of L. B. Strons
under the date of Oct. 4, and the
one over the signature of E. r. Fin
ley under date OF Oct. II.
/ Those who are working for the
election of Mr.. Strong and Mr.. Fin
ley are inviting the voters to go tt
the auditors office and see what
the schools are costing and promis.
| ing reduction of taxes if they are
successful, and are calling attention
| to the enormous salaries the teach
ers are receiving. There can be nc
reduction of school taxes until the
cost of operating the schools is re-
duced more than $65,000, the
amount which the state is furnish
ing annually as state aid. Thi.
could mean nothing else than the
! reduction of teachers salaries Al
least $40O each. And this might be
done; for, contrary to general opin-
ion, there is no minimum salary
law for teachers in Ohio. These
men are ignoring the interests az
| well as the vote and influence oi
the teachers of Morgan county.
Fellow teachers, are we going tC
be like sheep driven to the
slaughter; or are we going to be
fearless. self respecting men and
women and present a solid front tC
the enemy? Are we going to permit
these men. without our protest, tC
make US the "goat" in their attempt
to secure control of the schools oi
this county? Let us prove that we
believe in the schools ana the work
we are doing In the schools, by see
ing to 1t tFthat all our friends under
stand what is at stake in this cleo
ton, having them to be sure to GO
to the polls and cast their votes for
DIR. Lee Humphrey and Mr.. Hiram
Hart for members Of the county
board Of education.
Very truly yours,
F. A. DAVIS.
P. S.-The first quarterly exami-
nations will be given Nov. 1st and
I'd, one week late. They could not
be arranged sooner because Mr..
Morris of the state department of
education was mere all last week
which prevented us from preparing
the questions.
f. A. DAVIS.