But perhaps some experienced teacher, who knows from his own repeated difficulties with bad boys what sort of spirits the teacher of district schools has sometimes to deal with, may ask, as he reads this, "Do you expect that such a method as this will succeed in keeping your school in order?
Why there are boys in almost every school whom you would no more coax into obedience and order in this way than you would persuade the northeast wind to change its course by reasoning." I know there are.

And my readers are requested to bear in mind that my object is not to show how the whole government of the school may be secured, but how one important advantage may be gained, which will assist in accomplishing the object.

All I should expect or hope for, by such measures as these, is _to interest and gain over to our side the majority_.

What is to be done with those who can not be reached by such kinds of influence I shall endeavor presently to show.

The object now is simply to gain the _majority_--to awaken a general interest, which you can make effectual in promoting your plans, and thus to narrow the field of discipline by getting those right who can be got right by such measures.
Thus securing a majority to be on your side in the general administration of the school is absolutely indispensable to success.