Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-01

it could not, were it properly understood
= beforehand, be forced upon the people of the
State, so glaring was its injustice. At pres
ent some sections paid educational tax Of
eight to ten per cent, while others paid as
high as ninety per cent. For all these evils
/ the town system a complete remedy.
: The Board of Education. and the educational
committees of the two Houses. were unani-
nous in favor Of the bill. Teachers could dc
much to hasten this change to better order
of things.
Mr. g. W. Kennedy of Waterbury said it
was easy to form a fine system in ones room
He was not sure that the town system would
be found of practical utility. In point OF
fact, he believed, the best students in the
academies came from the rural districts-the
small schools, against which so much had
been said. Certainly in many cases the pu-
pills would have to go long way to school,
if the districts were abolished. And teachers,
in cases of difficulty, would often find no one
at hand wit, h whom to take counsel.
In reply Mr.. Goodrich said that the
twenty-four reasons presented by Mr.. Ran
kin for making the change TO the townsys-
TEN were eminently practical, and such as
all intelligent persons must appreciate. lie
referred to the gradual change now working
in Connecticut, and already all but com
pleted in Massachusetts, and averred that no
instance was known in which town had
returned to the district system after making
fair trial of the others.
Mr.. Spaulding said that in one district in
Barre, one man had offered to carry the
children to school and home again for a term
| for SO. Here would have been a clear
saving of the wages Of one teacher, and the
interest on cost of one school house, or about
! 5000 in a single term.
! The next exercise was an essay on School
| Discipline, by Miss VI. \. Holt, of the graded
school at Springfield. This was clear, car
nest and practical exhibition and enforcement
of the topic discussed.
! The Association convened again at two
O'Clock Pm. The chair appointed the fol-
lowing gentlemen a committee on place Of
next meeting Rev. c. W. Wilder Of Mont
pelier, \. G. Whittemore of Milton, and
/ Edward Conant of Randolph.
| Mr. Louis Pollens, Master of the Burling
ton High School, then delivered an address
on the need Of more extended and thorough
equipment on the part of the teacher, and
the means by which to secure it.
Next followed discussion on Grammar,
its Province, and how to Teach it, introduced
4 by Mr. E c. Ferguson of Barre in a written
! essay. Mr.. Is paper was couched in al
most faultless English, and cvinced very
thorough appreciation Of the advantages
which should accrue from the study, and the
difficulties which boset it. His points were
well taken and clearly exhibited Most
/ teachers sometimes use incorrect English,
and so teach falsely. Their example and
preceIts conflict.
After recess. the Rev. c. W. Wilder
made some remarks on the True Ends Of
/ Education. People were asking, he SAID,
in regard to education as TO everything else,
! viii it pay?-Is Il practical? We were not
to forget that education is a dralcing forth
a discipline and development. The so-ealled
practical elements should be secondary to the
/ educating. In order to educate in the proper
sense, difficulties are nceded-something that
will tax the mind and test its powers. Pu-
pills often ask in regard to a study - VIII it
DO me any good? ''-implying that it should
aid them in getting a living. The chief end
should be to yet mental power. Discipline
is the foundation, the practical, the super
| structure, easy 10 be acquired, If the fOun-
dation be well laid. Young men are in a
hurry to get into active life, forgetting that
| they can accomplish more in long run, If
they first properly fit themselves. 1t would
be better to use more time in preparation
/ Very few of the matters taught IN school
were of immediate practical utility. But
the power remains, even if the thing learned
is forgotten lie had nothing TO say against
/ =. business colleges but more and other
education needed than they furnish.
IL was good motto TO make haste StOICsy.
\ solid substructure was 10 be laid before
beginning TO build up. When a man had
learned 10 think, reason, compare and Judge,
be was really ready for anything
Mr. Kennedy inquired whether this same
training could not he acquired by means Of
the practical branches il properly taught.
In the exercise Of all the powers there Is
/ - .,f ptrfh no h4y
who should pound a log with mallet would
grow strong, but would it not be just as well
if he should use an axe and make trewoOd
In the way of discipline German Is almost
as good as Latin, and is disable besides. The
! best mathcmatlcians were found to blunder
and boggle when they set at business opera
tions.
Professor Weber accepted the issue as
stated by the last speaker. If the same de-
velopment can be obtained in the use Of the
so-callCd practical branches, as in the scien-
tlfc, then he has the argument. But the
mind needs PRINCIPLES 10 grow by, not facts.
lie was positive that the mental discipline
furnished by the Latin and Greek could not
be made up by any modern tongue, nor by
all living languages combined. The cult
waited mind was an ultimate end-a good in
| itself, apart from its uses. We want increase
Of manhood, Of being. 1t would not be a
loss, even if ones knowledge could not be
put to use. There are thousands and thou
sands of things in nature which have no
known use Not all trees were to be utilized
as timber or frewood, and yet they were
| =. very good - in the eyes of the Creator
/ Mr.. Williams thought education too
often regarded as a means Of making money.
.I Multiplication was studied in order to get a
larger percentage OF profit allegation, to
learn how much water that mOlasses would
bear, or how much sand could safely be put
IN that sugar. Education was made TO sub
serve low ends and purposes.
The Association resumed the consideration
Of the Municipal School System.
Mr.. Williams said he could think Of but
few arguments against it. One was that I'M
qualified teachers would find it extremely
difficult to get schools, which would be bad
for them. Another was, that the petty district
officials would have to torego their authority.
And another, that the rights of the people
would be abridged children would not have
so good.a chance to pick berries as now.
They would be kept at school, and parents
deprived Of their valuable assistance.
Mr.. Shaw said good and strong word in
favor of the change, and showed from their
experience in Springfield, that there were no
difficulties in the way which could not be
easily overcome. Those pupils of their graded
school who come from two and three miles
away, were among the most regular and
prompt.
Mr.. Ezra Walker Of Chelsea doubted
whether town committee could be secured
which would do better for the back districts,
than the districts themselves
sA1r. j. y. Perrin Of Berlin was an advo-
cate of the town system. 1t would do away
with most Of the troubles which now sprang
up in the districts. He knew of a district in
which they could not agree sufficiently to run
their school, and had TO appeal to the town
authorities in order to have any school at all.
| He knew another in which seventy-fve pu-