10
UNIVERSITY COURIER.
ers is of pre-eminent importance. It is by it that the people are, or, at least, should be protected from the imposition of worthless aspirants.
There seems to be an inherent insatiate craving among a very large class of persons of very ordinary calibre for pedagogical lionors. This keeps the teachers ranks continually over crowded with a very inferior element. Of all the faculties, on which the average American prides himself, the ability to advise and instruct others, certainly stands first. Thus is to be found a multitude of teachers destitute of everything except ambition and conceit. It is within the province of the State to protect the people from such an infliction and to see that the schools are in more deserving hands.
To the teacher, too, such a law is a sort of "revenue for protection." We hear a continual complaint that examinations are too strict, that requirements from teachers are excessive. With the same breath comes the demand for higher wages. Then above the tumult is hard that sad, yet continuous wail from our sisters in tribulation for an equality of wages. This is but a huge contradiction. The demand and supply always governs the prices and teachers' wages are, in no manner, an exception to the rule. It is the height of folly to expect an advance in wages as long as there are twice as many applicants as positions. This is obviously true in other matters, why not in this? For the same reason, to a great extent, is there such a difference between the amount commanded by male and female teachers. Statistics show that there are double the number of female that there are of male teachers. Grant that women and their services are equal in all respects to the other sex—which, however, is still doubted by a few old fogies"and this fact alone is sufficient to cause the discrimination. This is proven by the fact that in States where the greatest difference in the number of teachers exists, there is to be found the widest variation in their wages. Take, for example, the States of Massachusetts and Indiana. In the former there are 1,133 male and 7,462 female teachers, who receive $67 and $30 respectively, as their monthly wages. The latter State, giving employment to 7,800 male and 5,700 female teachers, pays them at the rate of $37 and $35 respectively. Further comment is unnecessary.
As all know, the effect of the law passed in 1880, in this State, which cut off a large number of those depending on the rod and ferrule for their board and wedding clothes, has been very salutary. All over the State wages have risen very considerably. The average pedagogue has been compelled to get down his old "Ray" and "Harvey" and "brush up," or a change of business only would have saved him from the doom he had so long been fearing-starvation. There has consequent on the scarcity of teachers, been a general awakening of the people, as well as school officers, on school matters. People are beginning to see that a shoddy schoolmaster is the shoddiest of all shoddy, while persons of real talent are turning their attention to educational pursuits in the hopes that, with a continuance of the present improvement they may become remunerative.
This State now has a school system admitted to be superior to all others, and we may well be poud of it. But "growth is better than permanence" even. May it continue to grow better in all respects, and requirements from teachers still more increased, until the
people, the teachers,and, above all,the children all have justice. O.T.
EXCHANGE.
As the literary editors persisted in encroaching upon our territory in our holiday issue, we had not the pleasure of extending a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our exchanges and friends, yet we hope at this late day it will not be too late to extend to them our sincere regret that vacation lasts but two short and fleeting weeks. We hope that the good spirit that has existed between the college papers during the year just gone, will be continued and that prosperity may be the common heritage of them all.
Beta Theta Pi is getting full benefit of the Occident's anti-frat battery at present. If the Occident's statement be true that the Omega Chapter of this individual fraternity is composed of men of good morals and high character," and "as a fraternity they have stood, and now stand, head and shoulders above the others," that fatal "black" list of twenty per cent. on the Faculty's books, according to the Occident, will slightly conflict with the previous statements. No chapter of any fraternity composed of "men of high character" will have one-fourth of its members on the books of the Faculty.
The Baldwin Index, published by the literary sorcieties and Faculty of Baker University, an institution with high school instruction, sends out its holiday issue with four—yes, four separate articles on the Courier and K. S. U. This Faculty—propped, run-away-from-sin sort of a paper is very solicitous concerning the "sons and daughters of Christian parents" attending K. S. U. The Faculty editorial in speaking of Col. Ingersoll's probable lecture before the literary societies here, says: "However, their sons are not so much endangered by being brought in contact with the 'apostle' himself as by being continually under the influences which lead to his invitation, and constantly breathing an atmosphere tainted by his doctrines." Such a statement coming either from a student, or a member of the Baker Faculty, reveals stupidity quite in harmony with the tone of the institution. The writer of the article betrays the fact that he has seldom been away from home, but if he will take the time to leave his old ruts and come up here, we will take pleasure in showing him something that will astonish him—that Lawrence has not a statue of Ingersoll on every street corner where students are accustomed to pay homage with the Faculty. Would you believe it, there are churches here with actual ministers of the gospel, and would you survive if we told you that the Y. M. C. A. is the most flourishing in the State, and of the eighteen members of the Faculty not one is an unbeliever? Besides, Col. Ingersoll has not as yet accepted the invitation extended to him, but if perchance he does, we will attempt on the strength of our position to inform him of the susceptibility of our neighboring high school friends and urge upon him to omit such portions as would be most likely to lead them astray. Come up, anyhow, for your presence may prove a sort of talisman—a religious disinfectant for the untruths that Col. Ingersoll in his ignorance might allude to. We will see that you will not return home as some of your friends did a short time ago, with protruding bottles in their pockets, whose contents was of such a character as