Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-08-18
A Dutchman's Speech at q Teachers
+ Meeting.

s3g8% ##et McNhuSs 5H@S
Sir Edward Templeron with whom
Steven Won Brammelendam was
staying couple OF days was chairs
man OF the 'sSociety for Training
Teachers.n OF course he invited
him to attend the meeting of the
society. As Steven took q lively in
terest In everything connected with
schools, the invitation was very well
come TO him. He even promised to
give an address, and, to be able to do
SO, kept his room all day to write his
speech.
At half past seven Sir Edward
came to tell him that the gig was at
the door. Steven had never heard
the word "gign before, but he guess
Ii meant a conveyance. He got q
place by Sir Edwards side, on the
platform, and after some business
was gone through, ''the friend from
Holland" was summoned TO address
the meeting.
Dear frieHds,n he said, "when
rode through the streets In the wig Of
your chairman
Poor Steven he could not proceed
an uproarious burst Of laughter
drowned his voice. He took Ii with
the best possible humor, though, and
waited patiently until the people, on
and around the platform had recov-
cred. Meanwhile Sir Edward, amid
much chuckling. explained to him,
In whispered tone, the cause OF this
unex pected but amusing disturbance;
and when the noise had subsidized,
Steven thus proceeded:
when rode through the streets
of your giant like town, [applause,
and when saw the many churches
which beave their towers up. p.stairs,
[laughter.1 I thought the Ameri.
cans are q very churchieal people,
/ Heretofore wonder not that you
also are an educational people, for re-
ligion Is the mother of education,
and where there are many churches
there we may expect that there are
many schools
Here Steven could annex his writ
ten speech, which he then read as
follows:
"But schools are not the unique
thing which 10 necessary for good
education. The great requisite Is to
have understanding schoolmasters,
who are not principleless, as many
alas are, but who gc out from the
true beginning. A good school build
ing, with y bad schoolmaster, Is
equal to q fine coach with drunken
coaehman. Laughter Some
schoolmasters give the children too
little. They neglect them, as If our
children were but monkeys, walking
on their behind legs [uproarious
laughter. Others give to the child
rem too much. They endeavor to
make professors of them. They en-.
deavor to replenish their little heads
with the inheepings OF the whole
universe. They will make famous
astronomers of them. and climb up
stairs, far beyond sun and moon, and
still abover ologists of them, and
valley with them down stairs, into
the bowels of the earth, or still be.
lower. But this is perverted.
When we communicate knowledge
TO men we must be prudent, as we
are I'm giving them natural food
! We give roast beef entrees to great
people, but we feed our babies on
poultice. daughter. just so we
must make our teaching stuff for
children 80 low that IL falls under
their childish comprehension.-
School-masters must not stand among
the little fellows like Goliah among
the Philistines. They must know
how, as IL were, to squat down by
their sides, and thus teach them as
If they were their ancienter bothers
Laughter Teachers who thus re-
fuse to humble themselves, bereavs
the children Of great before knowl.
edge. Renewed laughter. It ex.
hilerates me to learn that your socie.
ty fosters the same feelings as I do
with relation to this welghty object.
4 l hope your schools will more and
more be illustrations spectacles for
the eye OF the nation, spectacles o.
order. of discipline, and solid instruc
tion, and of many other useful prop
critics and predicaments.
1 hope that your schools will NOR,
and more be the nurses of great men
so that the whole world, looking a
the American people, shall be pulled
up In stuperfaction at the bigness o.
this nation.p [Great applause.
Here Steven Won BTammelendam
sat down amid deafening applause. -
american Educational Monthly.