Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-11-23
Educational Address.


PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF MUsoATINE
County
Permi. me to address you in behalf Of the
County Teachers Association. lyon us
devolves the duty of educating the children
of our county; of guiding them through the !
stages of childhood and youth, to manhood |
to citizenship. The question, How shalt this
duty be performed? comes nome with force
to ali of US, and great resp visibility rests
upon us for the acts which will ie ts |
answer. Who can foretell the grand results |
that will follow if We all perform our duty |
| faithfully what hlessisgs to our country, |
our State, and the world? If We can awake
and keep alive in the young minds around
Us a love for the investigation of the great
truths Of science which lie hidden in the
deep mines md broad fields Of ih0ught-if
We can generate that germ which every mind
possesses Of love for the contemplation
and coApanionship Of the works Of God,
which with varied beauty and sublmity are
spread out before US in ''Nature's great un-
written voiume"-if we succeed in planting
the see Is Of Liberty and Truth, and in cul
tlvating the springing plants till they bear
tie fruits Of patriotism and purity of life
what rays OF mental and moral illumination
will radiate from us towards the less favor
ed portions of our common brotherhood?
On the other hand, should we fail to per
form this duty should the children of to-
day grow mp with the idea that "money
makes the man. should they despise the
rugged paths of learning End care nothing
for the virtues necessary to true manhood
and womanhood, it takes no seer to predict
for Us II future sad to be contemplated.
Considering that our influence effects not
merely those Immediately surrounding US
but through them extended and re-extended
far and wiIo-that it is felt not only for q
day or a year, but reaches to eternity--and
that it is extended to aperiod when the mind
is most easily modelled into shapes of beauty
or deiormity - who does not shrink from
the responsibilities of such position
Parents are your precepts and examples
such as your children ought to follow Do
you make home attractive so that they need
not 90 abroad for pleasures ? Is your book
case filled with interesting and instructive
ard periodicals Is your school-house com
fortably seated, well warmed and vantillat edo
Is it furnished with blackhoards, charts and
good apparatus for illustrating the branches
your children are pursuing Is your school
yard well shaded and neatly fenced, thus
help ng to make the school house a
pleasant place where your children will love
to linger? And having done all these, dc
you place in the school-room as teacher, one
whom your children can love, one who viii
cad them safely along the sometimes rocky
edge ~ ltyOu can answer, Yes, it is well
If you think that Improvement might be
made let your actions show your feelings "
Teachers, are We qualified to I'LL the
stations we have assumed for the coming
5 winter Are we physically and morally
;, models for our pupils to initiate Have We
the mental discipline which will enable US
to train properly the variously tempered
mind that cluster around us Do we I'M
: derstand toe principles, the foundation Of
o the branches which we teach? De we pay
for and read a standard educational Journal
and attend Teacher Institutes and Associ
& atcns It any do not, would it not be well
. to send i dollar to c. C. Nesteroie, Upton
10 VA, and receive in return the I0eca In
Sh'uct0r; also to be on hand at every Insti-
tutc that is held in the county, and as many
+ meetings Of the Association rs possible BY
so doing VIC may become acquainte with our
q alow-toachers, learn their methods of teach
INC, and receive instructions from teachers
in the foremost ranks Of our protession.-
, Remember that the car of education moves
, onward, and if we DO not keep up with the
, times it will shove US from the track.
know it is inconyenient for many teach
+ er5 to attend the Teachers meetings in
MGscatine, but they need not on this account
De ueprifeu ot all tue DEMENT'S Vi assOctate
effort Let the teachers of each township
organize al Association in which the bust
ness of sohool-tcaohing, in all branc hes,
may be fully discussed. Such Associations,
properly conducted, are of great utility, ele-
waiting the standard Of qualifications among
the teachers, and thus 5eneftng the chill
dren and the community at large. Fellow
teachers let me urge you to take hold of This
matter and work as Ice teachers ought to
work. Nelson at Trafalgar, tod his mari
neTs, England expects every man to do
his duty" Teachers, the spirit Of this age
of progress expects us to do our duty. -
Shall we do it ? Let the answer be in acts
for "worGs alone will not suffice