Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-24
FIRST EDITION.
Latin In the Public aish schools.
DIsoUssIoN OF THE sUpIEor IN THE BOARD OF FL
UoATIoE, LAST EVENING.

| UoATIoE, LAST EVENING.
MIR. Adams, chairman of the committee to
which was referred the subject OF the introduction
OF Latin into the public schools, made an elAbr :
rate and interesting report in favor of the pro-
posed measure. Ills address, which was care
fully prepared. reviewed the origin, spread and
importance of the Latin language, and the great
advantages of securing q classical education He
/ did not know why Wilmington should be behind
her sister cities and towns, which, almost without
i exception, make Latin public school study
The report stated that there were now IA boys
OF Public School No. /, taking private lessons IN
| Latin from Professor Tenney. The report
which was signed by Messrs. Adams, Higgins
| and Fraim in behalf Of the majority closed with
/ the following resolution Res0lUed, That the
| study Of Latin be introduced into tho Pubic
/ Schools of Wilmington to commence on the first
OF September next, and that the superintendent
be instructed to make arrangements for its in
| PRODUCTION.
Me. Adams moved the adoption of the resolu-
/ ton.
Mr.. zebley, in opposing the adoption of the
| report, said ne was one of the committee, and
| had intended to make a minority report but
after hearing the eloquent report of the majori-
/ ty, which went away back behind the Christian
Era he felt impelled to withhold it, and in his
plain manner opposed the adoption Of the ma
| jority report. He was an ardent friend of the
| education Of the masses OF the people, and did
not believe in taxing the poor to educate the
| rich in the dead languages. There were other
branches OF study in which our children we're
| not proficient, and which would be OF more use
| to them. In opposing the measure he claimed
| to be the friend OF popular education, and not
the education Of the few at the expense Of those
/ who would be compelled to labor for livelihood,
and would never have an opportunity Of study
| ing Latin even If it were introduced Into the
public schools.
Mr. Heisler. being the youngest member OF
| the Board, was he presumed the youngest from
the schools, which together with the advantages
he had had mixiug with the world enabled him
to have practical test OF the advantages Of
Latin education. A certain and large class of
our people were operatives, and could not enjoy
the advantages of the rich in acquiring cass-
cal education, except through our public schools
They are continually appealing to us to provide
some way by which their children may receive
| the advantages enjoyed by the rich.
Mr.. Moore agreed in tile main with Mr. Zeb
ley's remarks, aud would state further that one
of the judges of our Courts informed him that
he would be willing to exchange all the knowl-
edge of Latin lie had for knowledge of German
and French The most of Latin is now translat-
ed into English, and our chlldren can learn it
without spending years in acquiring Latin edu-
cat ion.
Mr.. Macalister agreed with the last speaker 10
relation TO the importance OF German ard
French. While Latin laid the solid foundation
of an education, the German assumes more
practical shape, and while faYOrlng the lntroduc-
| tion Of Latin he at the same time would favor
that OF the German or French. He closed his
| remarks by moving to amend the report
30 that German and French should also
| be introduced The Latin was the only ave-
Due through which We could become thorough
grammarians, and although much Of it had been
translal ed into Englieh, ii was vet the key to
polite literature In his travels in Europe he
had found that Education had much to do witt
| the easy victory of the Prusaians over the
French. In a company of 100 French soldiers
| he found but 81 VINO cJuld be called scholars,
| while in the same number OF Prussians he found
| SO who could not only understand the Ger man
and French but had q thorough knowledge OF
| the Latin language.
Mr.. Higgins hoped that the amendment of
| Mr.. Macastes would not be passed.
Mr. Macalster withdrew his resolution.
MIR. Higgins then made an eloquent and forcl-
| BILE address in favor of the report OF the Oom'
mittee to which we cannot do justice in 30 brief
| a space. He would vote for the public good
Those whom we would naturally look to as our
| models, have adopted the Latin, Why should
we uphold what can be got elsewhere as Tree as
! air 1t only requires one additional teacher,
and no scholar will be compelled to study it,
I Why uphold it then from those who wish to OBJ
| tain 1t.
Our boys sent to College excel in mathema-
| tics, while those from New England excel in the
| languages. New England, with her chemica
| scholars, given brains to the nation aud has
enough left at home. He hoped that the repor!
would be adopted.
II. M. jenkins, while agreeing generally with
the ideas OF the report would express his opinion
| and put himself right upon the record Educa
| tiou is MT Cramming but Training. The work
| of the school is not merely to put information
into the children's mind but TO expand, enlight-
en and train 1t, 30 that it may acquire its own
| information. Such an education is the A, b, o.
the key to unlock all the stories OF science.
/ Such training IL given by classical education
/ and while we have many distinguished examples
| of men risen TO eminence without that method
| of training we have had many more who were
| thorough classical scholars. Latlnis the parent
| Of nearly all the modern Languages OF civilized
Nations learn it first, and it is easy TO acquire
them 1t gives us the greater part of English;
| Spanish and Itaan are but notifications of 1t
| French and German are directly derived from it,
| He wanted to give the boys in the Public Schools
| as good a chance as those in Private Schools.
| He believed in Equal Rights and Equal Oppor
/ tunites for all.
Mr.. Roberts wanted to know where these
movements would stop. II we adopt Latin,
what will be wanted next
| DR. Shortlidge asked what stu iy would bo
omitted to make room for Latin. Mr.. Higgins
| answered that none would be, the curriculum
i as now arranged permitting the addition with
out lnterference.l He thought Latin was Hea-
/ yenly language and he wanted TO study the Ian
guage of Earth, first. He feared the pupils OF
/ the Public schools did not understand the Com
stitution of the United States or that of Della
/ ware.
i We should advance our system of educatlon far
i enough to enable our Public School pupils to go
from it to College. Only those need study 1t
| who wanted.
Further argument against the report was ad-
yanced by Messrs Zebley, Pierce, aud Speak
man, and in favor of it BY Messrs. Fiaim and
| Adams. The Ayes aud Nays were then called
i for and were as follows
Yeas-Messrs Adams, Baird, Child, Fraim,
Heisler Higgins, Hilles, Isaac j. Jenkins How
ard NJ Jenkins W. J. Morrow, Macalister,
| Rice and Smith-13.
| Ndgs-Messrs. Coyle, Ferris, Gilpin, Lynch,
| Moore, McIntirs, Pierce, Palmer, Ruth, Rob
erts, Shortlidge, Speakman, zebley -l3.
| There being tie vote the report was not
adopted.
| xUntari,a pIare Notea