\ 
1792: on schoolmaster’s salaries. 26m~ 
ty be removed,—though, like the poor laws establifhed in. 
England by Elisabeth, these distant effects are concealed- 
under a specious. appearance of humanity. Let_us, how- 
ever, be taught by the fatal experience which these poor 
laws afford, carefully to guard against the very beginning 
of this evil, and join with one voice in opposing a measure 
that is so fraught with the seeds of future mischief. J. 
therefore earnestly beseech my countrymen, now to attend 
.to these consequences with care, while they may be so 
easily obviated, Even schoolmasters themselves, who. 
could only receive a temporary benefit from it, but who. 
-would thus entail perhaps upon their own posterity, a load 
that would prove highly burdensome, fhould.not in pru- 
dence be. desirous of obtaining. relief by a mode that is 
so highly exceptionable ; and other men, who, from a prin- 
ciple of humanity, feel themselves disposed to befriend this 
_ lowest clafs of literary labourers, ought carefully to advert, 
that, fhould their present demand be complied with, it would 
greatly increase the very evil they intended to, remove; 
and therefore, while, from a principle of humanity, they 
refuse to yieldthe smallest aid zn the manner proposed, they. 
fhould set themselves to examine, if no other method, that 
is not liable to similar objections, could be devised for af- 
fording that relief which every likeral mind would . with 
to bestow. 
“The writer of the present paper, though he has, from-a 
sense of duty, thought it necefsary to expose the evil ten- 
dency of the present proposal, is sensible that the reve- 
nues of the schoolmasters in Scotland are in general low- 
-er than they ought, or he could with them to be; and 
would therefore most cheerfully concur in any mode that 
could be devised for augmenting them, which /hould not 
have a manifest tendency to prove hurtful to the community : 
_And though it may be difficult to devise a plan for this puy-. 
