The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-03-13
FARE9 Md GARDEN.
"EDucArIoN>,yT FARMERS CHILDREN
An Fssav Read BEFORE the Regular Feb
Meet ing of the Sheridan Farmers
Club. by John Tunnel of Polk.

Club. by John Tunnel of Polk.
Mr.. PRESIDENT The subject which
have been invited to discuss before your clul
this evening is the very one of all others in
the discussion of which feel like | ought &c
play the part of pupil instead of teacher. II
is very easy task generally for person who
has no children to assume the part OF teacher
and advocate fine theories and rules of gov
eminent, which, were it possible to enforce
would bend every child in a large family to a
certain given point, and the most perfect CLOCK
work would be the result. But a person
who has family of children on his hands
and feels that it is his lifes work to rear and
educate them in that manner that will con
tribute most to their intelligence and happl
ness, to their usefulness to society, and to the
country and age in which they live, as wei
as to posterity, has very different task be
fore him.
In the education of farmers children, as
well us all others, certain great principles
should be kept constantly in view. Every
one, of all classes, should be early taugh
that our lives are to great extent what We
make them-that while parents and teacher;
may Indicate the course to be pursued the
child itself must do the work.
This teaching is of the utmost Importance
MANY children are allowed TO grow up seem
ing]y ignorant of the fact that man was in
tended for any useful purpose, or that theil
success in life depends, in any measure
upon themselves Every one should be
taught his or her personal responsibility
that nearly everything depends upon their
own personal effort and that neither the re
spectability nor the wealth of their parents
will insure their success in life unless they
enter into the struggle for themselves.
While habits of industry and personal re
lance should be taught as necessary to sue
cess, there are many other considerations OF
equal Importance. No great degree OF sue
cess can be attained without due regard fol
our personal integrity and honor That man
who will compromise his integrity for the
sake of temporary advantage will in the enc
fall far below our standard of true manhood
1t is not the acquisition of wealth, fairly OF
unfairly, which constitutes success in life
Our success lies more in gathering happiness
and sunshine around ourselves and friends
aad in making the world and the age better
FOR our having lived in them.
Before the young mind has become cor
rupted by intercourse with the selfish anc
Vicious these home lessons of personal integ
rity and honor should be deeply impressed
Likewise we should early teach the impor
taHce of correct habits of life. The N omen
our children step out OF the cradle and stol
to look about them, the vicious and abandon
ed, with the most ingenious devices, try tC
decoy them off into vulgar and pernciou:
habits. We have come far short OF our duty
if we have not impressed upon their young
and confid:ng minds the baneful influence:
of strong drinks, tobacco, profanity and thu
many other perniclous practices which way
lay and so often aSsassinate the innocence o
childhood.
These lessons are to be taught at HON,
while the mind Is pure and free. Spelling
reading and writing may be taught by tn,
country school teacher but this duty of teach
ing them morality and guarding them againG
the insidious advances of the vicious ant
abandoned, is tou sacred duty to be entrust
cd to any one but the parents themselves
Children have more confidence liz their par
ents than they will have in their teachers, ant
parents should avail themselves of this cir
cunstance to teach them the more importan
duties OF life, trusting matters of seCoudar,
importance TO their own industry and to tn
common and higher schools. If parents cal
bring the force of example to their aid II
these teachings their influence will be mucl
more potent. The pleadings of the father
however earnest and fearful they might be t
his son, warning him against the debasin!
CutClS Vi WHISKY duu tOUdCCO, Wuuiu OC oli L
ped of much of their force by the knowledg
father pocket and quid of tobacco in HI
mouth
We cannot overestlmate the power of eS
ample in the education Of orr children. L
their innocence thoy look up to their parent
as patterns OF truth, honesty, virtue, and ey
cry other good trait IN human character. /
mother said So it puts an end to the Who'll
controversy. Her statement is taken by al
as being above suspicion. If question
arises about the proprlety of Charley's cor
duct all opposition is overcome by the read
answer, Father does it,
Any one giving a moments thought 70 TIL
subject would see how difficult it is for
father to successfully teach his son sobriety
truthfulness and honesty while he practice
dissipation himself and adrotly, by tn
suppression of the truth, or by downright ly
ing, tries to overreach his neighbOr III ever,
little transaction between them.
To successfully teach our children, then,
is of the first importance that we prepar
ourselves IN the most thorough manner f0
the work, and that VIC be ever watchful O
the acts of both pupil and teacher
Ii Is hard to leave the field OF general edU
cation ana come to the subject you have pre-
pared The education of Farmers children
1t used to be thought by the common pee
pie that very limited education was suff
cient for the requirements of the farm an,
country society. 4 few had to he educated
for the learned professions and merchants
teachers, &c, while the great mass, who wer
to till the soil and provide a bountiful an,
often unearned support Tor this few, needed
Only to be taught the first principles of
scanty English education. In the education
of farmers children now we want to dispe
this delusion.
We live in purely agricultural country
Nearly all our wealth is the direct produc
of the soil. True, mining and manufactuI
ing have a precarious foothOld amongst u
but they are in their infancy, and can hardl.
be counted in the grand aggregate of on
productions. This being the case we CA
readily see the importance of preparing tn
minds of our children for taking leadln!
position IN society and in the affairs of tn