The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-01-18

and material FseoEces.
Slavery hss been abolished; the
o,.st;o. INV rccurs, how shal! the
interests Of free lAbof be best promot-
ed? a new race has been 81 en- the
ballot; the question comes back, how
shnll all men be stimulated TO acquire
such knowledge - viii not only ut
them to perform the duties OF cltlzens
intelligently, but with advan1ags 70
free societys AL men have oeen
| declared s'equal before the law. now
the question receives an added force,
how shall all men be brought to ieei
IN equal interest in the preservation
Of Free Government, and equal PRIDE
in the purity and glory Of free 'ns'i'
tutions!
The great truth expressed BY PresI
Madison: THAT the public good. the
real welfare Of the great body Of the
people, Is the supreme object 70 oe
pursued +; aud that no form OF govern
ment whatever. h ~ any other value
than as it may be fitted for the attain
ment Of this object; !" is no longer open
to discussion.
Cropping its way. In pursuance Of
this idea, through the twilight of lib
eral thought for nearly y century, THIS
Nation has arrived. with reluctant
steps, at point la which Il acknows-
edges, by the formality Of . constitu
t,onal amen iment, that the political
freedom of every man, aud his individ-
ual right of representation In its al
ministration, 10 the chief cornerstone
upon which re-ts the esuperstructure OF
Free Government. This theory Is now
forever settled and eliminated from
political controversy.
Next to political freedom, the most
important element Of good government
~ - iassilisent poPolacs. Here We
approach question which will test,
in some measure, the wisdom OF this
Legislature. The school system OF
Iowa-when our youthfulness a.
State 10 considered docs not suffer by
COMPARISON with that Of any State In
the Union. But this should not satisfy
the aspiration Of y people, the afauence
Of " hose intellectual and material re
sources will render their failure to
reach the highest educational pDssibi!i
", an inexcusable folly. That We
have attained this advanced position
though occupying q line near tho
front-will not be argued. While
perfection In human Institutions IL not
attainabie, every improvement which
experience or philosophy suggest, to
thinkin aud progressive people will
receive, at least, the response of fair
discussion. In this view, It 10 my pur
pose to briefly review an acknowledged
need OF our common schools.
There is no principle In modern the
cries of education 80 we'll attcsted as
that to improve our schools. we must
improve the training and scholarohip
of the teachers. Aud for this purpose
there has been no more effective in
strumentality devised, than that, go
generally adopted BY many States.
known as the Normal Instruction.
That in the administration Of our
State government, wise economy IN
the expenditure Of money should he
observed, cannot be doubted. But re
trenchment OF any reasonable expend
iture 70. educational purposes would
not be economy. The accumul ated
wealth Of the State must in some
manner, aud at some time, pay for Its
own protection. Ii citizens o, large
wealth would place guard over their
treasures, more reliable than locks or
bolts of safes, and cheaper than the
iron bars of prison cells, the per diem
Of Jurors, the salaries of sheriffs and
judges, that safeguard will be found in
enlarginv and perfecting the common
school system Of Iowa. ....iii no citizen
can reach maturity without obtaining
a fair education.
asked why this constant effort Of
improvement is continued, after the
great advancement our State has made
in this direction, it may be answered !:
there is an analogy between systems
formed by human agency and the
.haracter Of man. Moral and mental
philosophy demonstrate the inability
Of man TO remain stationary. He
must either 60 forward or lie will
involuntarially 60 backward. Thus
it is found in the older States, there
must be constant effort to improve the
effectiveness Of the school system, to
keep it in motion even at the standard
it has already attained. II may he
said. however, the teacher can obtain
the instruction necessary In the High
School or University. This, 30 far as
mere culture is concerned, 10 doubtless
true but after the general culture re-
ceived ut these installations Ia oh aimed,
the student who is successful in life
must become specialist. The acqui-
sition of the ordinary course In the
College or university may be named
culture. The requirements made pre-
paratory toa life work In some pro-
fession, constitute training. And this
training, for those who purpose teach
| ing, the Normal School is designed to
supply. 1t may seem q formidable
undertaking to bring twelve thousand
teachers into this special training,
preparatory to their work. For my
self, do not think immediate success
will be attained; and for . time the
effort will probably seem barren Of
| paying results. But IL few succeed
they will have an influence through
Teachers Institutes and like agencies,
upon others, until the profession of the
teacher will be lifted to . dignity and
usefulness which higher intelligence
aione can give 1t. It has been the ex-
perience Of all ages, in all departments
Of human endeavor. that where a few
men were raised above the level o.
their age they would 60 forth equipped
for the activities Of life, leavenipg
the whole lump" until the age. i'm
turn, was lifted above itself. Such
spirit and effectiveness ought to dis.
tinguish the educators of fowa