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Here, take your pittance! we give to you
One-half the wage to your brother due;
Your work's as well, yes! better done,
But we scorn your prayer for equal pay,
For penniless women daily come,
Eager for labor; they beg and pray,
With children to clothe, and bread to buy,
'Tis a question of work, work hard or die.

This the reply the whole world gives,
No reck who suffers, dies or lives;

How firmly clenched Starvation's hand!
"Right" has no power with them. They cry,
We all deal justly by you; "The demand
Will more than equal the supply."

Woman, wash, sew or teach! these for you;
All else of earthly labor man will do.

Teachers by thousands throng the way,
Asking, not more, but equal pay;

If women now are paid so well, 'tis right
Most strange to still pay women least.
(Blush ye to whisper of the shameful mite
Flung unto her sister in the East.

Blush ye to see Injustice stalk, not lurk!)
We challenge man to show his better work.

Teachers, as well as gardeners, know
How long it takes good seed to grow.
This seed of equal pay, tho' crushed
And trodden on, springs up again,
And yet in time will bear its fruit; for just,
Indeed, it seems to all just men,

Labor should have no pets; its wage should tell
Not who has done the work, but done how well.

Women are cowards, yet are strangely brave;
Fainting at shadows, they will face the grave.
They face the world, so fearful hard to fight!
Oft conquered, yet again they come.
We ask no favors; give us but our right;
The right to be well paid for work well done;
The right to toil at all that we can do,
And with no asking leave, oh World! of you.

The name you give us is right, yet wrong-
A name of honor bestowed in scorn.
"Woman's rights' women!". -a monstrous thing;
"Strong-minded women!"-we hide the face;
For still as the vine to the oak we cling,
Weak-minded still! our sore disgrace.
But sad to say, what we sometimes call
An oak-is a bean-stalk, after all!

Not man alone must bear the blame;
Woman herself takes half the shame.
Weak-minded? Yes! content to be
To father, husband, but a crooked vine-
A mistletoe upon his sturdy tree;

No wish to grow, and be, but twine.

'Tis such who laugh, fling all their little slights, And point their feeble sneers at "Woman's rights."

Oh, sisters! lest our cause be crushed,

Asking for justice, be more just

Call man not tyrant-brother! For we rail
Too much of tyrants, and a wrong

Is hardly worth the righting, if we fail
To blame where blame does most belong.

Among them we our bravest champions know;
Among them, can we find our fiercest foe?

The mainspring in these troubled wheels
Of life, is One who knows all woman feels,
And feels with her. We sorely toil
To raise fair grain among the cruel tares,
And see our good seed perish in the soil,
Our own feet stumble in the snares.

We faint, we turn and cry, "Oh, Father! throw
The gates wide open; let the waters flow."

NORMAL SCHOOLS.

BY DR. W. T. LUCKY, PRINCIPAL STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.

[As Dr. Lucky's address was entirely extemporaneous, and as he has not found time to write it out for this report, we select from the Alta the following meagre report :]

Dr. Lucky commenced by saying that he did not, on account of the pressing business before the Institute, propose to deliver an address upon "Normal Schools," as announced, but would present a few thoughts in reference to our own Normal School. He briefly referred to its early history, paying merited compliments to its founders and former teachers. When it was established, the standard for admission and for graduation was necessarily low, in order to meet the urgent demand for teachers. Gradually the standard has been raised, until now the school will compare favorably with other State Normal Schools.

The last Legislature had changed the location of the school from San Francisco to San José. While the question of location was under discussion, the friends of the school might reasonably entertain diverse opinions, but, as that question is now settled, let all true friends of education. forgetting past differences of opinion, unite in a generous and whole-souled support of the institution. He complimented the City Board of Education for its fostering care of the school during its infancy.

The new Normal School law contained some important changes that would be of great advantage. The annual examination of applicants for admission in the counties in which they reside will secure a better class of pupils, and will improve the country schools by awakening a generous emulation among teachers whose pupils will attend this competitive examination. The success of this plan will depend very much upon the interest manifested by County Superintendents. The successful candidates in these county examinations will acquire a reputation that will enable them, when their normal course is completed, to secure situations at home; thus avoiding the evil of those frequent changes that are necessarily connected with the employment of strangers.

The provision for the admission of pupils from the adjoining States and Territories, it is hoped, will be attended with the happiest results. Lastly, the appointment of a Board of Trustees, whose members hold office for ten years, thus saving the school from the fluctuations so fre

quent in the politics of this Stato, is a change the wisdom of which will be appreciated by all.

The object of the Normal School is to prepare thorough teachers for the public schools of this coast; not experts in some one branch, but persons familiar with all the branches taught. Teachers should be thoroughly and perfectly balanced men and women. Some advise us to give special attention to arithmetic; some say let grammar be the important study; others recommend object lessons as the sine qua non; and so on, through the whole range of studies. We believe the well qualified teacher must study all these branches. The experienced dentist is not necessarily a competent physician; the most scientific oculist may know nothing of the science of medicine; so a man may be thoroughly versed in one branch, arithmetic, grammar, penmanship or any other, and be a very poor teacher of an ungraded school. As it is patriotism, and not the mere knowledge of tactics, that makes the true and fearless soldier, so it is the conscientious conviction of duty and earnest enthusiasm, and not a mere knowledge of methods of instruction, that will make the live, the successful teacher.

The prospective importance of this coast should impress teachers with a sense of the responsibilities resting upon them. Nature has done much for us. We have the finest climate, the richest mines, the loftiest mountains, the most varied scenery, the most wonderful waterfall and the grandest development of vegetable life to be found in this country. Shall the coming generation of men and women be suited to the works of nature around them? Shall they be fitted for the wonderful era in which they are to become actors? Let the teachers of California consider these questions. Let them think of their responsibility to their pupils, to their patrons, to their country and to their God. Let them go into their schools to be living examples to those who are soon to be the sovereigns of this western empire. Let them feel that they have a higher mission than simply to impart the information contained in text books. Let them go forth trusting in the promised aid of the Great Teacher above. Then will the places where they labor blossom as the rose, and noble men and women will rise up and call them blessed. May the graduates of the Normal School always be of this class.

In conclusion, I ask, in the name of my associates. the encouragement and generous support of teachers throughout the State. You can do much to aid us in our earnest efforts to send forth good teachers. Our interests are inseparable from yours. If we fail to meet your reasonable expectations, or become indifferent to the great trust committed to us, ask the Trustees to remove us and give our places to those better fitted to fill them.

The doctor closed by returning thanks for the attention given to his remarks.

STATE EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY.

ADDRESS OF BERNHARD MARKS, PRESIDENT.

Members of the California Educational Society-Ladies and Gentlemen: Although this society is a close corporation, and in accordance with the usages of all strictly professional associations has heretofore always held its meetings with closed doors, it has been deemed proper, for reasons which will appear hereafter, to hold one open meeting in the presence of our fellow teachers assembled in convention.

OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY.

The name assumed by the society is a fair index of the comprehensiveness of its purposes. It embraces objects which would not be cognizable by a mere teachers' society. Whatever pertains to the subject of education, however remotely connected with it, becomes a legitimate object for its consideration. It takes cognizance of every branch of each science, and of every art to which each science gives rise, whenever they are known to have the least perceptible connection with or influence upon educational matters. It deals alike with the instrument in the teacher's hand and with the most remote principles that contributed to its construction. This feature gave rise to that section of the Constitution that admits to honorary membership any person eminent for literary attainments or for successful service in the cause of education.

Although this feature ranks as the noblest of which the society can boast, and although it is the capital circumstance upon which the society must depend to attract the attention and acquire the respect of the thinking public, yet it must be confessed that its more immediate value is to be attributed to aims of a much more restricted nature, and to results of a much less lofty character. To take the arbitrament in matters educational out of the hands of outsiders, and make the teacher the sole judge and arbiter of his own affairs; to compel pretenders to leave the ranks, and set the seal of capability upon those whose brows are broad enough to wear it; to furnish a head to the body of teachers, that it may cause itself to be respected as a living thing and to be no longer contemned as a lifeless carcass incapable of effectually helping itself; to so surround itself by a circumvallation of requirements and tests as to greatly

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