The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-11
MEETINaioR TEE TKAoHKRs, Assoc1A.


QURs1oN.-The regular monthly meet
ing of the 'Teachers' Association was
held in the chamber of the LIST Branch
of the City Council, on Saturday morn
ing last. = -
The roll was called by the Secretary
and a majority ofthe members answer
ed to their names. afi-5- +
The minutes of the previous meeting
were then read and approved.
At the request of the President Mr..
McMechen, chairman of the Executive
Committee, announced the order OF
exercises for the meeting as follows:
Essay, tThe influence of teachers on
the minds of youth :"-Miss Emma
Dillon. Discussion, "would 1t be expe-
dient to introduce the study of the
classics into our public schools as at
present organized2D Mr.. SnoWden, az
firmatiye; Mr.. Galloway, negative.
Miss Dillon then proceeded to read
her very creditable essay Ina clear, I'M
faltering, elf-possessed manner.
In referring to the government OF
pupils in the school room, Miss Dillon
took ground against the barbarous,
and not altogether ancient practice OF
inflictinR corporal punish ment for
misconduct, and said that teachers
could not always restrain their tenn
per, and they found it much easier to
Strap the boy and box ms ears, ana an -. %
nut the girl In room by herself, Tor
misconduct, than 10 reason with and
instruct them as to their dutiesi yet II
was better TO suffer the child to escape
merited punishment ten times, than IL
should be punished once mn ustly-ln
n word, that corporal punlshment was
inflicted in too many cases. Wnen
Nunnin have better
In the discussion which followed,
Mr. McMechen said Miss D1llon'a
essay Vvas commendable both as to sub%
iect, matter, and style, but he took e1-
ceptlon to the proposition that It was
ment ten times than that it should be
punished once uniustly. 1t had IRE
duently been his experience 10 tnnict
unjust punishment upon children, but
he had always gone and said. 81 nave
punished you unjustIy, and am very
sorry for it." Did not think the pro-
position in the essay was strictly true;
hui Il was the duty OF the teacher to ex-
nTess regret for inficting an unjust
Mr., Snowden advocated the doctrine
of forgiveness, and said II teachers
could not forgive, they could not ex-
pect 10 be forgiven. Unjust tpunlsh-
me0I WOuIu lubNlthOly
child feeling of hatred for the 1ntic-
ter of IL, and this hatred might never
be laid aside, and SO the teacher's in-
duence and usefulness would be d.
He thought corporal pun
is6menI in schools should be rarely
resorted 10.
Mr.. Boyd commended that Miss Dill
Ions essay did not hold ont the idea
that when child really needed pun
ishment, II should be suffered TO go
Her position was the
correct one, that when the child need
ed punish ment, lit was the duty OF the
teacher to wait until any feeling OF an
before proceeding 10. correct IL Ior mis-
conduct.
Mr., McMechen said he did not wish
TO be misunderstood. There were GER
tain propositions to which all would
agree. One of them was that unrnly
children should be punished. He then
compared regulations for the govern
ment of schools to legal enactments for
tho government of society, and argued
that as in the one case 1t was necessary
for the good of society TO infiict certain
forms OF punishment upon violatoIs OF
the lAW, so In the other, for the good OF
the whole SC. iool, II WAS necessary TO
correct the unrnly pupil.
The regular discussion being next in
MI Gouo"h6L bOOh bbO anu
said that he might plead good excuse
Tor not engaging in the debate, but as
he felt that lie was on the right side of
he question, he would proceed.
About three years since II plan of or
yauizatiOn was presented to the schools
Of this city, requiring that AZ pupil
desiring admittance to the gram
Il neat hand, and have a general
knowledge of the ordinary branches
taught in schools of lower grade. But
ideas had advanced somewhat since
then, both in regard to what acquire
ments should entitle admission to u
grammar school, and TO what consti-
Iuted an education. There were those
could write neatly and legibly.
express his thoughts clearly
was ableto calculate interest and make
"A proper entry in day book or journal,
he had acquired everything that was
OF use. But this did not satisfy the
people now. They desire that their
children shall benot only able to read
the map, bnt that they shall be able to
and expound all the prin-
clples involved In the higher works of
mathematics, aud in the construction
of language. They require that their
children shall be taught natural phi
Iosophy; that they shall be able to take
matter and separate 1t into its elements;
various phenomena arising out Of
matter and mOtion-in short, that they
must have Il general acquaintance with
the whole field of knowledge.
The President notified Mr., Snowden
that his time had expired.D0 Z
On motion of Mr.. McNIechen, the
gentleman WINS allowed ten minutes to
complete his argument. n .a,3-s5,i *
Mr.. Snowden5 resuming, said 1t was
certain that benefits resulted from the
study'of English grammar. IL was
tearing down process. There was no
building up'in IL. But s6mething more
was required than the study OF English
grammar TO Introduce the student TO-
The philosophy of Language. InImany.
cases the study of English grammar
would be pursued for years, and yet
but little would be known about It In
the end. Youth should be able to frame
sentences and express themselves pro-
perly. They must understand the prin-
ciples which govern the formation of
&c. To do this, 10 have this
they must study the
classics where the roots of the English
are to be found, and where the univer-
sal principles OF language can be best
learned, &c., DC. ~, :, sls5ilsY 3 = r.
Mr.. Galloway, In reply, said that
those who had studied the classics were
not always good speakers and writer's,
and gave an instance IN point where
college professor had hadh pronuncI.
alton of the English pre- position to viii
ated by familiarity with the Greek pro-
nonoun to. The study of the classics
had declined in modern times, and enc
thustasts We're lamenting the fact. AS
for himself he did not wish to be under
stood as saying that the classics were
FNNp
the devotion OF so much Important Cline
TO The partial aclnisiiion of Gland lnnrr,.