The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-04-20
J@nsppndsnes.
Eor tea Democrat.
Farming and Philosophy, schools, sc

- neHtSg w ~
philosopher of the New York Tribune,
nor to adopt his course Of reasoning. He
has devoted all his life to the printing bu-
slness, and of late has bought a farm, and
Is now not only philosopher, editor, and
politician, but an amateur farmer. He is
one of a class of city gentlemen who, hav-
ing amassed a fortune, now buy farms,
wherein they spend their money freely.
There is a great difference between the
city gentleman farmers and those whom I
would call farmers TO the manor born.
They are rich, and for want of other play
things wherein to lavish their money,
choose this excellent plan to get rid of
their surplus cash. They build extensive
barns and splendid mansions, which is all
very good. They declare farming to be
the most important of all vocations, which
Is true. They give farmers the title of
"conscript fathers of the country" and
other sweet-scented titles. They farm &C
cording to the most scientific principles,
and raise crops at ten times the expense
| of their value when brought to market,
and are greatly elated at the result. They
do a vast amount of Improvement necessa-
rily and unnecessarily, at great expense,
/ and call upon the country to follow their
example. But here is the great difficulty :
The generality of farmers depend on their
business for their support. They must
make money and not spend it, andhence,
there IS necessarily a material difference
between ordinary and amateur farmers.
/ While the former must make it pay, the
latter must get rid of their money, which
they have accumulated In other MONITOR
feitable pursuits.
Though book-farming may be very
/ good, yet our farmers can never adopt the
doctrines nor pursue the practices of anna
teur b~ook-farmers.
There are excellent works on farming
by practical farmers, vino unite to their
farm experience-an excellent practical
education. Such works ought to be in the
hands and In the minds of every one who
makes farming his business. On this
point there is a great mistake made by a
majority of farmers from the fact that they
willingly remain ignorant of the knowl-
edge and experience these books would
teach them if theyare men capable of IN
d~erstanding what they read. But it is
true, that 1T requires q better trained
mind than those Of many farmers, to COM
prehend the learned discussions of scien-
tifc principles, but this is their own fault,
and not of the books nor their authors.
And this brings US to an all-important
point, not strictly agricultural, but mental
culture, which scarcely can be passed over
without notice, and that is the idea so
prevalent among farmers and others, that
it Is not necessary for a farmer or mechanic
to have a good education. This pernicious
idea prevails too generally everywhere
and this idea is fully demonstrated by
farmers and others daily, by neglecEing the
education of their children. The idea
prevails that if they can read, write and
cipher a little, that is all-suficient.
Against this false notion I would most
soIemnly protest.
By education, in its general and most
comprehensive sense, may be compre-
hended the sum of human knowledge in
all departments of human learning. But
as no man can know everything, we take
the record in a restricted sense, limiting it
to the training of the mind IN the acqui-
sition of such knowledge as concerns us as
individuals, as members of society, and as
beings accountable to our Creator. aa.
Education comprehends all that series
of instruction and discipline which is in
tended to enlighten the understanding,
correct the temper, and form the manners
and habits of youth. and fit them for use
tulness in their future stations. To give
children a good education in manners, arts
and science, IS important to give them a
religious education is indispensable; and a
serious responsibility rests on parents and
guardians who neglect these duties, Is the
declaration of Mr.. Webster.
To educate means to lead, from the
words e and duc0,-te lead forth the mind
IN the paths of knowledge; to expand the
mind, to enlighten and train it in short,
to cultivate it. Solomon says, train up a
child in the wayne should go, and when
he IS old he will not depart from it; and
the doctrine is well established by the ex-
perience of ages. Sallust, a Roman .histo-
rian, who lived and died before the Christ
ian Era, says the leader and governor of
man is the mind, which, inthe way of vir-
tue advances rapidly on to glory.
The legal duties of parents to their
children are declared to be: First, Main
~tenance second, Protection; and third,
Education. The first, The duty of pa
rents to provide for the maintenance OF
their children Is a principle of natural law;
an obligation imposed upon them by ma
ture herself, which obligation is recognized
by all who bring children into the world,
for they would be in the highest degree
injurious to their issue if they only gave
their children life. that they might after
ward see them perish.
Our municipal laws, and, indeed the
laws of all well-Tegulated States have ever
enforced this duty. But Providence has
accomplished this more effectually than
any human laws, by im~planting in the
breast of parents that natural affection
which no human power or misfortune can
totally extinguish.
The second duty-Protection-is also a
natural duty, which is rather permitted
than enforced by municipal laws. The
tendency of the human mind in this direc-
ton needing rather a check than a spur.
The third, but not least of these legal
parental duties, Is Education, a duty
pointed out by reason and of the greatest
Importance. Puffendorf very well observ-
ed, that it is not easy to imagine or allow
that a parent has conferred any considera-
BILE benefit upon his child by bringing him
into the world if he afterwards entirely
neglects his culture and educaM, and
suffers him to grow up like a mere beast,
to lead a life useless to others and shame
full to himself uE H"a -A s@
The duties of children to their parents
arise upon a principle of justice and retri-
button. Education is the duty of the pa
rent and right of the child. Obedience is
the duty of the child and the right Of the
parent.
With these great principles so clearly
defined and established by natural and
municipal laws, it seems strange indeed
that by so large a class or classes of peo-
pie in this free country, they should be so
little appreciated and so imperfectly com
pretended
Our legislators have made ample provi-
sion for the establishment of common
schools, which have already accomplished
q great work, considering the general esti-
mate of the benefits of education among
those for whose benefit they were mostly
intended. A work of such vast impor-
tance cannot be accomplished except by
the most hearty cooperation of the peo-
pie. If the advantages of education were
more generally appreciated as their impor-
lance deserve, our schools would have ad-
vanced far beyond what they now are in
facilities for acquiring q liberal education.
Instead of advancing, these schools are at
a stand still, with doubtful prospects
ahead. The whole system needs revising
before much better prospects can be ex-
pected. More liberal ~necuniarV allowance