The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-16
VOLUME 40.
oceans Of words to the exclusion Of ideas, only 10

be forgotten the next day.
lehabod still lives; for most of our schools, even
the famed Boston public schools are informed
though we trust it is alse-and the college of Oh
ly second repue in this State as of its students
informed lis a few months snce,-sti practice this
Old verbatim system. Not a bit more foolish is the
poor fond mother who, encouraged by the minister,
sits little John or Mary I" to commit by heart" the
entire Bible as we often see. II there is any thing
that could make child loathe and hate that sacred
book forever it would be that useless and terrible
labor, which by making Ounce of him saves MAX
ng Of him an iutdel; that's all it does.
Precisely the same thing happens in secular stud
e~ IN this method of mere Word-earning, which
never touches the soul with single ray of light
and ov, about the only thing to show for it is life
long disgust for the studies pursued. Thus We
have known hundreds Of youths spend years in
mcmorizing the text books, and, come to the real
meaning of the thing, except this jingle of words.
they know nothing; and in the day when real
knowledge is required will be found like the boy in
history class which hadsfiXed things tor public
examination James, who came upon earth u
long time ago to be the Saviour of men,, said the
teacher g Napoleon Bonapartc.' " No, no. Wasn't
it Jesus Christi" mo, thir; Jesus ChristS boy was
sick and didn't come
Bur many public educators grave doctors of D-
Vnty, {Vs.. have often heard argue in favor of
hi, system, because, they say it puts scholars into
The Use Of better words than if they got the ideas
N the lessons and clothed them in their own words,
which claim i, the true way. Then by this ar
gument the mcmorized parrot which elegantly
says Polly wants cracker is better educated
and OF more account than the child who says the
same thing in uncouth Speecl-'' Want somthcn
teet." In or eyes one such child, having ideas of
it, own and expressing them in its own coarse way,
i, much above all the polished verbatim parrots
i'll the world mind is abeyc mere brute force.
And this eternal committing Of words, year after
year book after book, is only trying to make par
rots Of people and i The only thing in which the
system Is successful,
We believe in ideas is the Jewels: words only
the 'winc and wrapping paper in which they are
carried to market. The former gives true riches /;
the latter though glitterng with tinsil. is paper
STILL and adds searcelYa dime to ones possessions.
And as to this acquiring the Of elegant Ian
guagc," the idea method has great advantages over
the verbatim one; for this latter IT best is only gar
menfs borrowed from many person, ut various
times: laany Of hem laid off and not to be found
when wanted; many worn out with too much
use; many got out of style and hung up as scare
crows while the person, young or old. who cul-
tiyates the habit Of clothing ideas in his own Ian
guage learns to wear his own clothin g which is al
way, At hand, i little coarse and bad-tting per-
hlll~ so as 10 excite the mirth of silly people but
who get through the world far better than those
n,tI1- toh i.lg
ctness under borrowed apparel.
What the world wants is teachers who are Them
selves books: who are to put out the ideas to be
taught; say grammar or geography, in familiar
talk. with abundant illustrations, to the scholars
At She next recing time to question each thor
oughy the former exercise then talk on little
further into the subject, again to question as before.
When the class has made progress, the scholars
may carefully read some good text books on the
particular studies But if you had teachers of
th, living sort. 1lere is moi Il school but would be
greatly benefited by burning mp every text book
except readers and spoilers.
| Why not have these living teachers when State :
are heavily taxing the people to educate them in
Normal schools Teachers Institutes, &c.? 1t is
because the great majority Of the people cling to
those old exploded methods of instruction firmly
~ ttlt uNdiu grasp. III most QlStrctS no sooner
does Weli-informed teacher seek to get ont of the
DID rnts, TO make scholars thinking rational beings
! instead of pretty Polls" than down upon him
come AL the strong minded women and the weak
minded men, who are usually majority in most
districts. protesting against all d" these new tangled
IDEAS Many an excellent teacher have we known
abused in this way, the school stopped, only be-
cause he tried TO do his duty, to lift the schools and
The people out Of this wretchcd Sleepy Hollow.
| iioW ehail the people be reached, how their dark
and obsolete views this subject be made TO give
place to those which knowledge shows to be far
better? Is it by newspapers devoted to the in
tcreSt of education: Not one family in a hundred
will lake and read such papers. BY public lectures
such oar Board Of Education give here and
there, few places IN each county: That distin-
gui>hed educator-the late Horace Mann--Who has
given more and better lectures than any other man.
once said The best way 70 scatter mob was to
give notice that q lecture on education was about
10 begin"
This subject i, too great to be properly dealt with
IN single article, 70 all parents and all friends
of popular education what matter of SO much mo-
ment; deserving their constant attention; so de-
manding It's study by the light which increased
knowledge j. shedding upon it and the world:
Training the moral faculties in a future number.
ALL READY?