Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-25
sTAUNToN VA, TUESDAY, MARCH 25 1873

| uonois0 iut0icct dt OuCe InaSreTeu the pTlBctpit
and saw the application. Yes that rule ap-
plies as we'll to flock of sheep as a bevy of
school children. We then struck out all the
items OF expense: And as the forage had been
eaten by the sheep, and through the processes
OF digestion and assimilation, converted into
wool and mutton and still remained his prop
erty, We subtracted it from the sum paid for the
sheep. But then, he insisted, that 10 order to
ascertain the cost per head we must use as a
diVisor the actual number of sheep delivered
at bis farm. An appeal. however, to the Go
| Supt. of Public Schools soon convinced him
that the principle so irrefragably established
| required him to divide by the number ''enroll
| ed In his purchasing memorandum. At the
result thus obtained he exhibited unbounded
| pleasure, declaring that in consequence of bis
| ignorance of this rule he had been losing money
all bis life. That his profits on sheep and cat
| tie would have been much greater by this ad-
mirable rule than by the one be had used.
| But it the arithmetic of the public free
schools is admirable, the logic is better. You
are not wearied to exhaustion, by having to
wade through long and deep process of ratio
clnatlon In order to arrive at a conclusion, but
are at once carried, on the swift wings of a ra-
cy epithet to correct decision. The firm es-
tabshment OF this intuitive, or rather saltato
ry. system Of logic, is not the least of the ben
|
lie free school education Aud to establish it
upon firm basis has been no easy task. Its
introduction was long retarded by fierce and
0lrulent opposition. The heavy artillery of
| reason, as we'll as the rafting musketry OF rid
| lcule. were freely used by the opponents of the
new system. To show the malignant temper
and narrow prejudices of those who resisted this
! new logic, give very brief extract from an
author who had great reputation for the excel
lency OF his writings, In the days when Pike"
exercised uncontrolled sway over arithmetical
studies. lreier to John Foster-the essayist-
whose essay on the epithet romantic has as
ITS second sentence the following: 1T costs 10
labor, and needs no intellect to pronounce the
words foolish, stupid, dull. odious, absurd. ri
dicnlousl Ii my space permitted | might
give you much larger extracts, to the same pur-
port from this author, but this is sufficient to
show the character of the opposition this sal
tatory logic had to encounter. The advanta-
ge OF this system is happily illustrated in the
case before us. Farmer had undertaken to
show that there were Certain ''ndubitable and
loalienabe' rights of the CITIZEN among them
the right to train and educate his child-that
the State could not interfere with. Now to
have had this position entirely and thoroughly
overturned and demolished, according to the
old logic-by Foster, for example-would have
aid foreible argument, which would have de-
manded on the part of the reader some bought
and attention to have intelligently followed. =
but under this new system, two words accom-
plish what two columns would scarcely have
suficed to do under the old. In the reply to
Farmer, one line establishes that the state of
his mind was "a frenzy' and his argument
TRADE" Thus at once settling the whole
question.
remember one memorable instance of the
application of this system of logic. It was in
the ancient and splendid city of fEphesus. And
whilst history makes no mention of the exis-
tence In Ephesus of public free Schools" yet
the prompt, ready and intelligent manner 10
which the citizens resorted to this system of
logic would almost warrant such conclusion,
Notwithstanding the silence Of history. That
"setter-forth of strange gods" Paul, had 10
his extensive travels and incessant labors reach
ed this great city. His preaching created no
small stir about that way" especially with
certain Demetrius, who made ''silver shrines
for Diana, and who seemed particularly anx-
ious that there should be no quarrel about
his ''bread and butter" He therefore called
together bis tellow-craftsmen. and seeing that
the worship of the goddess Diana and Of the
image which fell down from Jupiter could not
be spoken against" and had almost driven all
o'her worship "out of the market" and that
the system of Paul could not be made better
by abuse and would mot down at argument"
they wisely resorted to the ''saltatory'' logic,
"and cried for the space of two hours Great
is Diana of the Ephesiansl =" which, if it did
not entirely over@heim Paul and his doctrine,
yet had the good effect of saving, for the time,
Bread and Butter"
FARMER