The Placer herald., 1873-04-26
NFEADENr kiNkADE'S Address
TO TIE TEACHERS OF PLACER.

|
You again in convention, M laborers in the
cause of education. Ladies' and gentlemen
Of Auburn, am especi'lly pleased to NEE,
YOU. Since our last meeting, the cause OF
educi'on has been prosperous, onward and
upward. With very few exceptions, YOU
have hbored with comendable zeal, and |
i'm enabled to congratulate you on your
success, and say: Well done true and faith
ful teachers, for ,he evidence of your work
is beyond question Of doubt.
Many changes have occurred during the
year. You see many strange faces present
here to-day. Yet there are no strangers
| (or should be money here, for we are identi
| fed as friends in the great and noble cause
of education, and sbonld be united by II
chain of true friendship. Occupying like
positions, and lshoring in a common cause;
| our efforts should be united; for in union
there is strength.
Several of our schools have been severel,
,tiiicted with epidemic forms Of disease, and
| many loved voices are now hushed in the
stiffness of the iomb--iheir happy faces arr
gone to return no more; but we should noi
murmur ut the translation of innocence from
rhis imperfect to that all perfect assemblage
in the presence of Divine Providence
While am enabled to congratulate YOU
on the prosperous condition of our schools,
would not have you believe that we have
lone all that ought to have been done, or
that yonr pupils have attained 10 that de-
gree If perfection that might have been at
Eaned. " hile you have done well, you
hould not be con,ent with well doing, but
strive to enlarge your sphere Of usefulness,
nd endeavot to attain higher standard OF
proficiency in your profession. As teachers,
none have better opportunities than you
for Judging or for testing the perfections aud
&nperfections of our Common School System
md we would be dereict of duty if we failed
10 commend that which is right and con-
Tenn that which is wrong. In the future
ct us profit 10y our experience in the past.
1t is not our privileg, to question the
policy of the law, or be di-ohedient to it,
requirements We must take it AZ we iind
t, and for the time being yield obedience t.
ts requirements. But while we yield be
coming obedience to the law AZ we find it, il
y the study Of every one exercising the
rights Of sovereignty to lie heard, aud ex-
.JtthS titil WIS III al iutlitIs HHtttlti, tDtin,
or any of them; and TO eudeavor. by virtue
If their sovereign power, to correct all error~
hey may find in our system. Our prepenl
4ystem Of grading has some advantages aud
many objeclional textures. Il tends to uni
ornlty and certainty under the course laid
iown, but embraces too much, is cumber-
solne and undertakes too much at the same
line.
! desire to reerate my views hitherto ex
pressed in relation to the object of our COM
mon schools, and the proper course to be-
pursued in them-that the object should BE-
20 prepare our children for the duties of life
In other words first, to give every ch Id,
without distinction, the high and low, rici
,nd poor, a thorough, elementary education
~ those branches which best fit them foi
heir condition in life. Not That | desire to
exclude from the common school any brancL
hat may be useful and practically operative.
But do earnestly here object to encumbcr
ng and confusing our system, MS it is al
present sought to be encountered and con-
fused think the rule should be: to give
every child practical knowledge of Arill-
metic, Grammar. Geography, Penmanship,
Or,hograrhy, Natur, Philosophy and Hy-
genie or the laws Of health. Not that
you'd exclude other sludies for to all who
n have time and opportunity, would say
oy all means, after attaining to profcienc,
n those branches named, 30 on and com-
pIete the full course; but the useful first,
he ornamental af ferwards. ! am of opinion
ihpt the higher mathematics and Naturai
History should be studied in our common
schools by all who may desire. after first
.ttaining to proficiency in the elementary
ranches. | am also of opinion that drawing
md Botany, as technical studies, are of no
practical utility. and should receive second
.ry attention, if no, banishtd from our com
non schools because n large proportion Of
Ihe people are poor and coufned TO position
of toll
BY virtue 0: law, our Common School
System is confined to a State DO ,rd Of Edu
cation, who prescribe course of study
rules and regulations for the government o
our schools. The gentlemen composing thi-
Board are probably fam liar with the graded
schools of the es of san Francisco and
Sacramento, but, think, have but little
knowledge of the practical working of our
onnlry schools. 1t ia easy to make out d
school on paper, but quite another thing to
carry it out III practice; and yet we are by
..w required to conform to sucl course o.
study as may be prescribed. The course
ENDS to remove from the hands Of the peo-
pie a sacred gbt, cenr.lzing i, in the hand
If II few men, and embelshng it with red
APE. All this IS scarcely consistent with
our simple, Repul lean form Of government
md think the State Board should be di
Vested Of arbitrary power. Let the system
BE- regulated by laws enacted by legis-
l,tors chosen by the people, and thereb,
,void The complicated machinery with which
We are now afflicted.
As education is the corner stone Of our
nori.l and social edi6ce, and as a peoples
virtues are measured BY their education,
am in favor Of making it compulsory. And
&. L. al IL