The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 18, 1903, Page 6

6 R4 A2 D I PN ] 2 77 WOIIEN AEPFARYD IN FORCE, . & EDUCATION| " FOR SUCCESS. | By Sir John A. CocKkburn, K. C. M. G. THE SUNDAY OALL. JIE L IEN WERE 700 BUSY = T IN TR HARVEST FIELDS. k4 OPEKA, Kans, Oct. 12—The women of Kansas recently won thelr greatest political victory over their husbands, brothers, fathers and swecthearts, and the reports of the affray are reaching the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in the form of returns from the school district elections. These returns indicate that the women have elected a majority of the members of the country school boards in the two thousand districts of the State. The platiorm on which the women conducted. their campaign for control of the schools was kept a secret until the day of the balloting. It declared for wiping out the objectionable provisions of the teachers’ contracts which forbid the women teachers to receive attentions and calls from their gentlemen admirers during the school term and provide for forfeiture of a portion of their salaries if the women marry before the end of their terms. 5 The campaign which the women conducted for control of the schools was one of the most secret in the history of the State. For genuine “gum shoe” work it has no equal in political campaigns in Kansas, and there have been a number of very quiet ones in the State. When it became known three months ago that the country lchpol boards, which were then controlled by the men, would not make contracts with women tgachen 105 the coming year unless the contracts contained the provisions in regard to marrying, the women decided to gain control of the boards. They kept their intentions to’themselves and started a secret campaign. Every woman in the distficts affected by the new order was urged to come to the polls on the day of election in July or August and vote for three women for members of the district board. Only in a few of the districts did the fact become known that the women were aiter the offices, and in some of these the men made stubborn fights. 5 A majority of the elections were held in August. However, some were held in June and July. A majority of those held in July were won by the women because the men were too busy in the harvest fields to pay much atten- tion to public affairs. The August elections also found a majority of the men busy and the women won nearly all of them.. The women did not appear at the polls until the afternoon of the day of the voting, and then they came in force and carried the day before the men could rally their scattered strength. It was a carefully planned surprise and well execlited. The men could scarcely believe the stories they heard after the votes had been counted. Men who had served®on the district boards until they had come to be looked upon as owners of the school buildings wcraunsealcd by large majorities and found that the wife or daughter of some neighbor had been elected in their steal Every contract which has been let by the new board$ leaves the teacher free to receive calls from gentlemen friends and to get married before the end of the school term if she desires. In the districts where the women elected all three of the members of the boards they are even talking of depriving the male teacher of the privilege of smoking on pain of forfeiting a part of their monthly salaries. This action, would be taken only by way of retalia- tion for the action of the boards which have prohibited the women teachers from marrying. In nearly all of the districts where the women were successful the men have cheerfully given up their places and have announced their intention of making the next fight a harder one. In other places the men have threatened to carry the contest to the courts. They have declared that the women used illegal methods to influence voters and in conducting the campaign. Very few of these threals show signs of materializing. y : One report which has reached the State Superintendent is to the effect that force was necessary to obtain the places on the beard in a Morris County district. The women there had elected their candidates and all the men surrendered their places with the exception of W, T. Eckert, the chairman of the board, who has had the place for thirty years. The women made no demonstration u the day of the next board mieeting, when they gathered at the schoolhouse door and forcibly took the keys of the building from Eckert’s person andw-drove him away from the Yaseaz meeting. R L B R B i o i e L B > - L command success, but also go far toward forming a cultured and admirable E]_";“\ .H?LEI a(t: 'n"ccm kmcqmg .ol" bchatlf :‘m%::’::i character. Above all the active temperament is essential, for it is useless to DECESIES . AANEDe SpPYe OI 8 BN s $0 5 perceive the possibilities of a position without possessing the initiative neces- one said, “Sir, your son has a marvelous talent for engin- sary to grasp it. 3 ecring. Place him in the workshop of some great fi,',m and — The alliance of both culture and success with activity is destined to gro I warrant you that in time the world will hear of him.” The - more and more intimate. The truth of the saying that action and not father replied, “I wish my son to be a gentleman, not ‘a Senisraticn thought should be the aim of life is now universally admitted. In action stoker.” “He may be much worse than a stoker,” rejoined T knowledge is confirmed and doubt dispelled. The command of the ancient the other; “he may be a loafer.” The boy was sent to an gra_cle, “Know thyself,” can be best fulfilled by the modern injunction, expensive public school and later to the unive-sity, and when he grew up he the Find out what you can do.” But not only is well ordered and rightly di- did become a loafer, a barren tree in the orchard, a stumbling block in the rected activity the legitimate goal of knowledge, it is through action that path 4 knowledge enters the human mind. Activity stands therefore with regard to To aim at culture as an immediate goal is to invite defeat anbd to va;;e Negro’s knowledge both as cause and effect. the way to failure and disaster. In this respect culture is akin to beauty, the . pursuit of which as an end in itself always proved a sure sign of decadence Only “M\ISCIIIIQI' KnOWIedge' > in the arts of architecture and sculpture. Culture and beauty form atmos- .. The recognition of the important part played by the muscular system in pheres which cannot exist by themselves, but are the natural emanation from imbibing knoWledge has revolutionized the methods of education. Formerly honest and earnest work, and girdle with ambient grace the solid orb of use- Salvation the pupil was regarded as a passive recipient of information. The active ful arts and knowledge. The old-world opinion that usefulness is degrading mood was reserved for the teacher, who accounted himself happy if he was dies hard. Inherited from the sublime but inaccessible philosophy of the ggrmltl'ed W.lfll the minimum of resistance ‘to bombard the ears and eyes of Stoics, it tainted the teaching of the medieval schools and like a’ noxious e is pupils with spoken and written words. The true meaning of the word ap- weed still encumbers and renders fruitless many a seed-bed of education. The rehension was lost sight of. The memory was crammed with matter pitch- record of the fact that the greatest being who ever trod this earth was a orked at random without regard to the readiness of the active agents of the carpenter should for all time have dispelled so absurd a heresy from Chris- by mind to receive and arrange it in some sort of order. Had it not been for tendom. To the credit of the Hohenzollerns and some other dynasties be it the healthy playground art of forgetting indigestible and unsuitable material aid that the scions of royalty are invariably brought up to a trade or use- Bisho; the old type of school would have been a wholesale manufactory of confused ful calling. P in‘tiellects aand irremf}fit:i willls'. lMany children with feeble porver;rs :f resis:ance. . whose minds were filled with loose, unattached words, sha: the perplexity. Theory and Prnctice Ccmbnned. H. M. Turner | of poor Paul Dombey, to whom whether twenty Romuluses made a Remus, The unhappy divorce which until recent years separated knowledge from { or Hic Haec Hoc was a troy weight, or a verb always agreed with an ancient usefulness went far toward permitting the world to be filled with idle schol- Briton, were open questions. 5 > ars and ignorant workers. The demand for reform in educational methods %" TV All this has now been changed. Systematic hand and eye training have which is now reshaping the curriculum from the first step in the infant won a permanent place in the curriculum of every efficient school and have school to the topmost rung of the educational ladder in the university owes been found not only to strengthen the powers of observation and to promote its success to the fact that it is the resultant of forces converging from two neatness and dexterity, but also to quicken generally the power of intellect- different directions. It is urged on one side that the scholar, ignorant of ual apprehension, so that the faculty of acquiring information from books is practical methods, is unable to apply his knowledge and is unfitted for the greatly increased. When these new methods were first advocated it was real work of life, and on the other side that the worker who does not under- de——————3 claimed that the workshop might fairly be regarded as a useful adjunct to the T DI B R stand the scientific principles underlying his calling becomes a slave to rou- classroom, but so successful has the new departure proved that in some cases tine and is incapable of meeting the ever-varying requirements of progressive the school day is divided into two equal parts, half only. being spent in the trade and industry.- On the one hand there is a requirement for practical On this classroom and the remainder devoted to the workshop, laboratory and garden: On this work to counteract the school tendency to theory and on the other hand for The fear that over-pressure might result from the addition of these studies scientific instruction to enlighten practice. The educator of to-day endeav- has been dispelled; they form in reality a welcome relief from book work; they ors to reconcile these apparently conflicting, but in teality complementary, page are not so much new subjects as improved methods of dealing with all sub- page claims; he secks to forge the link between theory and practice, and by com- jects so that a skillful co-ordination of workshop and classroom does not ex- bining science and art trains youth to be both scholarly and skillful and next tend the field of study, but rather provides a deeper tilth of ground, already next unites the aims of the workshop and the school. occl:(picd but imperfectly cultivated. The lessons are not merely read, but marked, learned and inwardly digestad, and information thus acquired be- pro"'eSSive Universities. Sunday, comes thoroughly assimilated. Thus ;re satisfied the requirements of cul- Sunday. ]ThehA]lied Colonial Universities fC‘gir’xfem-nc}e!, held fienfly in London, re- ture no less than of success, and in this path both aims are reconciled. vealed the fact that the universities of cater Britain have adopted the view that the avenues to culture and success may be made identical. The principal R T 2 A General Training lndiqpensable. and vice chancellor of Magill University said that “the universities beyond the sea had long taken leave of the idea that a university can be held to dis- charge its whole duty if it keeps itself jealously apart from the practical inter- ests of life, and from the calls of the world’s work.” Both new and old universities are establishing departments of commerce, engineering and applied science, and are bent on adapting their teaching to every-day requirements. Birmingham disdains not to teach the science and art of wholesomely brewing the national beverage. Cambridge. has estab- lished a tripos in economics. The tide of affairs now surges within the very portals of the ancient seats of learning. The cloistered seclusion of colleges facing inward to a quadrangle is no longer in keeping with the altered rela- tionship between knowledge and business. The thoughts of men are uncon- sciously embodied in their architecture. In America a significant struc- tural change has taken place in the arrangement of college buildings. These are now turned outward and face the world as if typical of the manner in which the successful student steps directly from his Alma Mater into the workshop or counting-house. The close nexus which has been woven between the centers of learning and the practical affairs of life is attended with mutual advantage. Busi- ness is enriched by the accession of well-trained intelligence, and the basis of culture gains breadth and strength. Where all forms of knowledge are widely spread it is possible for gifted individuals to attain a higher degree of culture than where the general average of education is on a lower plane, just as the loftiest mountain peaks spring as a rule from a high range of sur- rounding country. In no direction has the influence of the age been more marked than in the increased estimation of commercial callings. Trade and commerce are the channels in which the bold and adventurous spirits of the modern world embark their energies; success in these callings demands high intellectual and moral qualities which have been enumerated by recognized authorities as follows: Extraordinary energy. good judgment, courage, resourcefulness, in- sight for the purpose of selecting suitable subordinates, vivid imagination and firm upright character. These are aptitudes which not only The training of the senses to appreciate the beautiful and of the will to choose the right are also essential conditions of culture, and these are in no other way fulfilled so well as by education through activity, which alone sat- isfies the desideratum of training of head, hand and heart. The road of gen- eral educanon.ior success may now be said to be fairly well defined and in most respects is found to be identical with that of true culture, but there are no short cuts to the goal of immediate utility. Too early speciadization stunts intellectual growth and unduly narrows the view. No matter what shape the, vessel is destined ultimately to assume, all the clay must alike un- dergo_ a pre'htmnal:y tempering and preparation. The technical school by its promise of immediate fruit must never be allowed to usurp the years which should be devoted to preliminary education. On a sound stock of general training the special aptitude for any particular calling can be readily en- grafted. The simultaneous and harmonious development through exercise of all the faculties of mind and body during the plastic years of youth consti- tutes the best possible guarantee for a successful and well spent life, but woe be to the educator who measures success by mere money making. This would be an infinitely more deplorable and fatal error than the old-fashioned view of education as the mere acquisition of knowledge. teacher is the gardener of humanity whose object should be to increase and strengthen the heart wood of the tree. Accretions, whether of facts in the head or gold in the pocket, are as lichens which engrust the bark but are not indicative of real growth, 3 In this respect it is well to call to mind the glowing words with which Mrs. Ewing concludes the story of “Jackanapes”: . “Very sweet are the uses of prosperity, the harvests of peace and prog- ress, the fostering sunshine of health and happiness and length of days in the land. But there be things * # * ‘the good of which and the use of which are beyond all calculation of worldly goods and earthly uses; things such as Love and Honor and the Soul of Man, which cannot be bought with a price, and which do not die with death. And they who would fain live ";lppl’l'y ever aiter should not leave these things out of the lessons of their ves. [ ] AR NS BT mlml ‘uuuumuummmmuunm‘uunmmmuu I ] Vjézw'ozczfizymoxm/mmoy . _» E LR PRRRSON A CHILD’S SAD DAYS. Fifth Talk by W. J. Shearer, A.M., Pd. D. | EARS ago, while passing along the street in New York, a young artist saw a beautiful child, in which hig*trained eye perceived more perfection than he had ever seen before in any human being. He could not pass it by. He gazed and gazed! The more he studied the little boy the more angelic his perfection seemed. “I must paint that child's picture,” he exclaimed. “I will never see such a child again.” He painted it; and, it is said, drew from it the inspiration which made him famous, for it filled him with the highest and noblest of thoughts. Because of his love for it, he refused fabulous offers. Those who had children of their own loved them better because of the sight of it. Those who had no children longed for them as they gazed upon the canvas Those who had lost their little ones seemed lifted nearer heaven as thew stood before it. The artist said: “If I can find a human being sufficlently hideous, I will paint it to show the contrast” Many years passed before his search was rewarded. Finally, in a foreign country, he found a hideous man, the personification of all that was vile and infamous. He lay upon the prison floor, clad in rags, with haggard face and bloodshot eyes, cursing God and man, while he waited for the summons to the gallows to pay the pen~ alty of one of his foul murders. The artist received permission to paint the picturt?. The contrast was something terrible in its completeness. Imaging if you can the dreadful shock to the artist when he discovered that he had piinted two pictures of the same person. The angelic child, because of tha xmpr%pq;l training received from his parents, had developed into the inhu~ man fiend, About this time of year many anxious parents are asking themselves asking such questions as: At what age should a child start to school, What about the kindergarten? Shall I send to public or private school? Since the future welfare of a child may largely depend upon the proper ane swers to these questions, they are of vital importance; for next to his homq his school home most powerfully influences each child’s develooment. Too many parents send their children to school for the purpose of gete ting rid of them. It is quite natural that the tired mother should feel dise posed to shift the responsibility to the shoulders of the teacher. However, 1s it not the parent’s duty to consider, not her own comfort, but rather the mental, moral and physical welfare of the child? Age of Entering School. The age at which children may be sent to the public school varies in the different States. Six admit at the age of four; nineteen at five, twentm at six. Some children develop more rapidly than others, but few. if aay, are sufficiently developed to be deprived of their mental and physical free- dom before they are five years old. Many who have reached the age of six should not be kept in school more than one-half a day, unless the work is imbued with the kindergarten spirit. The records prove that most chil- dren who enter at the age of seven or eight soon overtake and pass those who have entered at an earlier age. Worse than this, too often those enter- ing early become dwarfed mentally when they should be at their best. It ia important to remember that these first years are the time for physical growth. By their childish play and simple investigation they will learn more between the ages of three and six than they will ever learn at school in twice that time, The child who is sent to the kindergarten should be sent before the age of six. Better at the age of five. provided it is a kindergarten in fact and not merely in name. If the so-called kindergarten instills, in a pleasant way, habits of obedience, attention. truth, tidiness, order, courtesy and good manners in general, it is a good kindergarten. In too many most of these ends are not reached. If the teacher is well prepared and has the right spirit it is safe to trust your child’s interests to her. Otherwise, it is not. he right kind of a home will be far better than such a school. Private or Public Schools. Shall the child be sent to public or private school? This is a hard ques- tion to answer, unless it be answered by saying that he nho_uld be sent to the best school. Other things being equal, that school will be where is found the best teacher. Some private schools have certain advantages over the public schools of some localities. The convictions of some lead many to send to schools for that religious instruction which they feel is a necessity! Manv of these find it best to transfer to the public schools as soon as they can consciengously do =o. ° Where they are what they should be, it will generally be found that the best training is given in the public schools. Their equipment is generally far superior. The State requires a certain . definite pedagogical training of every teacher; while any one, without special preparation, can teach in a private sch ; g Too many parents send their children to private schools because. so long as the tuition is paid promptly. their children are permitted to do about as they please and study when and what they like. Thus they un- wittingly injure their chances for. the future. Before it is too late many discover the mistake and send to the public school, where they are treated > lm as they deserve to be, regardless of the homes from which they come. is y the best preparation for life.