Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-10
Mistellanv,
For the kennebec Journal.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

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a whole, healthy way. While we gain in
one direction, we seem to lose in anoth |
er; thus through our popular system of
education we are growing to be nation of
scholars or rather of book schoastics. |
While we are gaining in this direction, we
as people are getting to be weak and
distorted in body; thus, while we gain in
mental stock, we are losing the physical
power to use it well. Our schools teach
too much the show of mental growth, the
outward medication of life; not enough
real developement, and inward heating.
Our chemistry teaches us how to manu-
facture countless patent nostrums to restore
health and beauty to the body. They all
prove to be failures, because they accord
not with the eternal law of health and
beauty; they are only outside. lotions; l
think this represents too much of our pop
ular education. The purpose of education
is, or should be larger healthier bet
ter life; Is this secured if our schools for
get, OF cruelty the body? With all our men
tai culture and outward wealth, we shall
surely die out as people, if we 60 on in
the same way as now crucifying the flesh
in society and the school. The Irish.
Scotch and German peasantry will inherit
the land. / have no superstition concern
ing the past. / think the Golden Age"
is before US, not behind. / don't think
the Greeks, as people were very wise,
despite the many advocates ofthe "Class-
les" think the higher thoughts of to-day
far in advance OF Homer, Plato, or Aris-
totle. Yet one phase of civilization, one
secret of manhood the ancient Greeks dis
covered, and preserved that we have not.
That was a healthy, beautiful, physical de-
velopement
We are a race of homely weak and
puny people, from want of a good physi
cal education, and training We have
many nominal scholars, nine-tenths of
them do comparatively nothing, because
they haven't the vigorous body to work
with. OF the many wonderful scholars
who graduate from our colleges, and SEM
inaries how many are heard of aftwards.
All but one in dozen, seem to drop out OF
existence as soon as they receive their di-
plomas as if that was the ultimatum of
life here below. What are the eleven do
ngP A large portion of them are spend
ing their days patching up broken down
body. While they were poring over the
dead languages forgetiul of their bodies
death got hold of them with one, or all of
its three hydra heads, consumption, dys-
pepsia or neuralgia. What avails their
classics now? They must spend all their
time and strength in fighting off this three
headed monster that threatens to devour
them. Our young women cultivate beau
ty, but fail because they seek it in false
direction; what will avail the patent
nostrums and filigree towards real beauty
and strength? real manly and womanly
beauty cannot be made up from paint,
tinsel, or fashionable decoration though
| our poor education teaches the young this
| falsehood; true beauty, and vigorous
minds come only through large healthy
lungs, strong blood circulation, upright
spine, strong limbs, elastic step, and eyes
that bespeak good digestion; the Greeks
this-they educated the young into this
therein they were wiser than we. This is
is one thing we need in our schools
good thorough physical training. -
From want of it, the children are dy-
ing by the thousands. We praise and
incite the naturally precocious children
a thousand ways in our schools, so
that they cram books into their heads,
thinking this the true end of life, their
brains consuming all their blood-their
heads got so full of mental rubbish that
the puny impoverished bodies cannot car
ry them, and one after another they top
Die over into chronic invalidism or pre-
mature death.
Such is wretched system of education.
If half the time that is now spent in books
in our schools, | mean more particularly
in the higher schools and colleges, could
be spent in systematized gymnastics and
good physical development, there would
soon be race of better scholars-more
beautiful and vigorous men and women.
The great leaders and workers in society,
the men and women of power, are not
those who gorge themselves with book
knowledge, but those who have few
great, strong ideas, and good sound
body to speak and live them through.
The majority of our ''fine scholars" get
swamped amongst their books. They go
blindly CROPPING around amidst the facts,
opinions and ideas accumulated in their
brains. Their only salvation is in forget
ting nine-tenths of what they call THEN
education, Beecher said it took him six
years to forget, or rid himself of his theo-