, 1874-08-30

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indirect system OF taxation.
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POLITICAL ECONOMY IN SCHOOLS
Mr. Montague r Leyerson, Of Denver hae
forwarded to us, in consequence OF our recent
editorial urging the study Of political economy
in schools, IN article on the same subject, which
| he published in 1871. Mr. Leve1son Is a student
and author OF some repute- Gottingen Uni
veraity has made him Ph. D. His Life has been
| devoted to tha study Of educational reform, and
| ne take pleasure in reproducing tho substance
Of his essay.
The general Ignorance Of the truths OF politi.
cal economy is 50 dense that tho people do not
even know that they areignorant. The sciencehas
not been studied in school The average man
fnds no time to study it after his school days
are over. The result il that our economic legis-
latiou ia apt to be stupendously silly. Congress-
| men make rash ohhand attempts to sett1e sub
/ 1ects which require the study Of years. Snce
| Mr. Leverson wrote his article, the country has
had striking proof Of this statement in the
| ignorance Of Congress on the currency question
md in the airy claim Of Logan that he had mas
tered the science OF finance in the spare honra
OF two weeks. The way to g1app1e with the
popular ignorance that makes such Things possi-
bio is to train the ne1t generation in the
truths that Io 1t the very foundation of
our hvea, 80 far a. this world is concerned.
The objection that children should not learn
fho
able. When the whole theory Of State aid to
education rests on the assumption that educa-
ton fits children to be good citizens is it not the
height Of folly to refuse them instruction in the
good citizens7 HI. Leyerson's plan OF giving
obtect~lessons in political economy, and Of CON-
bining them With studies in spelling, writing
grammar, etc., makes the apparently dry subject
one Of great practical interest oven to little
children. Experience has proved it So In
1913, M1. William Ellis, convinced that the ex-
cesses Of the French Revolution in that
year were largely due to popular ignorance OF
economic science, and, fearing that like CAUSES
would produce Like results here, opened school
in IN Eastern city, in which he taught political
economy before and after business hours. This
school was the first Of several All me4 with
success. I" The unanimous testimony Of the
regular teachers Vas that in al the schools no
lessons we're 50 eagerly looked forward 10 by the
children as the lessons On political economy"
Mr. LeVezaon ssys: p" At very early period Of
my intimacy with the founder Of these schools,
heard him give lesson to the r1ggedest
and poorest children in his city; and |
/ heard those children e7ince knowledge |
OF soms OF the most abstruee questions |
of political economy, such as would have put to |
ehame not only our Senators and Representa-
echools and collegeA* Mr.. Ellis Afterwards
published book entitled Progressive |
Lessons in Social Science" Tho first few of |
these lessons supposed to be adapted to chill
dren or years old They are to cover two
or threo or even more years. The method Of |
instruction is to write the 1esson-text On tho |
and question the class On its mean
ing after it has been spelt, ana1yzed, etc.
LESSON I.-Men dig and plov, sov and plant, nov
and resp, thrbaha1dgriod.
We subjoin some Of the questions asked in |
This first lesson They are illustrated, IS tar as
possible, With pictures, models. etc.:
What do mon dig7
With what do they digt
What II spade2
Why do they dig7
What with what, and why, do men FL,
When do men dig rather than p1o97
When do they p1ov rather than dig7
Each word suggests such questions. For
children only or years old, those TO have
quoted would DO sufficient exercise for one daY.
Larger children can be drilled in the same WY
It greater length. When the sentences ia finally
iuished, it suggests correlated facts, The
eacher may ask:
What arc the different kinds o1 g1ain7
What il strnw 7-chaf 7-bran n7-meal1-four7
What is mill What different kinds ITO the1e7
What ia hay-stack 20 shed bsrn7
What IL farm "a market garden?
Do the men who make plouB, and Hpades And scEles
nd build barns and mills, help 70 produce the four7
When the right answer to this last question il
understood great step has been
aimed. Then come q few moro queries:
Why Is The land fenced, ma1ured, and draine17
What name Is given to tho who direct tia tuing
the ground7
Who serve the farmers 7-Why7
Do women do any f4r1n-Vork 7-Hhat7
Do boys xnd Girls do any y7-What?
How sheep, oxen, and eows provided With food
What do men live upon while they Ars digging, 8
lowing, sowing, reaplag, bui1dtng7
Who supply children with food7 ,
This leasou will involve dozen recitatione | .
II children or years old, and two or three ]
II children Of II or IL. The next lessons are | I
the came sort, but treat Of different trades: =
LESSON v1.-Men move and carly to Aud fro, sand
i'd bring, import and expert +
In the questions on this trade and comrae.ce
q brought before the pupils. In all the lessons .
icy are encouraged to state my facts bearing {
BON the subject which they have themselves
.en. This encourages valuable habit Of keen
,servation. Lesson VIII is rather too ab-
.,.uo u r,,1o@o Ain oroa. | ~