New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-27
NrwSp 4REPS IN SCHOOLS.

r. IL said-but how shall we believe it THAT
the school officers Of Philadelphia have resolved
TO substitute newspapers for the reading books
now used in the public schools, and that many
intelligent people approve of the PLAN 1t is
claimed that such course of study would in
terest and improve the youthful mind, which
is apt to grow weary of the history OF wars
that ended hundreds Of years ago and of kings
whose tOmbs are unknown. "Congresslonai
debates, State affairs, wars and their causes,
"accidents, floods and fires, great public I'M
"provements,r we are told, care subjects upon
(which the youthful mind will feed much
"more proftably than upon beautiful orations
cor pathetic fancy writing" This is hard on
Cicero and Irving, but very good for Marble
and Brick POmerOy.
In Philadelphia, where all the newspaper
men are graduates of the High School, and
write English with an elegance that would
have astounded Addison, no doubt this expert
ment would be brilliant success. Pupils in
the grammar schools would find opportunity
for profound meditation in the local reports oil
some of those journals, while the younger
children in the primary schools would DO de-
lighted with the simple Saxon OF Mr.. Coca
sionals" letters to The Press. But we have
some little doubt of the prOprety of introduc-
ing the New York newspapers into our city
schools 1t would be impossible to expect The
World, and Tile Herald and The Democrat to
print expurgated editions daily for the use OF
schools and academies, because an eXpurgated
edition of one Of these journals would often
be blank sheet Yet, If they should not he
carefully pruned, bigoted and narrow minded
parents might object to sending their children
to the schools in which they were used How
would it do for the head boy or girl in the
reading class of public school to take up
| The Herald and read for the information of
| tho other scholars the following: eff the
"young lady in blue dress, in a Fifth-avc.
stage, who winkcd ut the gentleman with n
'back mustache, last Monday, wishes to make
his acquaintance, she will address n. j. y
Or how would this do for the youthful mind to
feed upon7 "Answcr.-Some iron says Ito
whom because of y: Good for the hinkey
"pinckiesr and gratefully rejoices." Turning
to the editorial page of The World, the Youth
full Mind, naturally interested in sugar, would
read Strength Of mind disdains the aid of
sugar, and milk is for babes, in the welfare
" of which the strong minded female takes no
interest, having long ago devoted her own
mammary glands to the process of acetifca-
" ton invoked by Lady Macbeth. But there
can he no real discussion of the question of
woman-sufiIage without copious tea" Pass
ing to The Democrat the Youthful Mind would
learn the theological reasons for believing that
Abraham Lincoln is now bathing in fire aud
birthstone. The Express would inform the
student of ethnology that the niger
is kind of monkey, found wild in
Africa, and tanned in America. And in
what terrible distress would he the boy
fond of his arithmetic if such n boy there be,
to read The World on the Presidential election,
and TO learn that six skies are seven hundred
thousand mines, and that if eighty eight vulgar
! fractions are deducted from, or added 10, or
multiplied 10y, seven thousand square decimals,
| Seymour has popular majority of six millions.
and Democratic principles will triumph. Such
reading as this would certainly inform the
Youthful Mind, lat would not a little igno-
rance be as well!