The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-06-10
DEMANDS OF AMERICAN LIFE.
abstract Of an address by Pres.
Edward Orion, Of the Ohio Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College,
Deferred IN Eaton, Nay 23d, 1875

The subjects named will seem com
monplace, but whatever is worth
most to the world requires to be re-
peated, line upon line and precept
upon precept.
The first demand is in the matter
of education. Popular government
demands popular education. If pol
itical functions are entrusted to all,
all must be qualified to meet them or
the body polite will suffer harm.
This connection has been recognized
from the first in the practice of the
country. The Common School is the
central feature of the American sys-
TEN Of pubic education-it is an
outgrowth Of the social and political
needs of our communities. How
much education is required for citi-
zenship? certainly, the citizen must
be able to read and write, and he
must also know the common process
es of arithmetic. Here the State
might rest, but it has not confined
itself to this narrow range. Two
branches have been everywhere add
ed hat give even to the Common
School a liberal character. These
two branches are geography and
grammar. Geography is a composite
study, taking in parts Unnatural His
tory and Astronomy and leading to
the study of human history and civil
polite as well. Grammar is essenti-
ally a drill in metaphysical and logi-
cal subjects. 1t fails signally, as
commonly taught, to give the child a
knowledge of the English language;
its refinements are beyond the child's
capacity, but the maturer students of
the schools get real service in this
introduction to abstract thought.
The common school cannot be stuff
led to lose its placein America. The
main objection to it is hat it is Sc
cular. 1t has always been essential
ly so, and must be made consistent
ly so. No division of our School
Fund will ever be tolerated by the
American people; better to give over
entirely the education of the people
than to resort to this strife begetting
scheme. We can see in Europe what
we are likely to get if we make a
change, but we find nothing it Italy
or Spain to make us willing to give
up our own system yet.
The High School is a natural and
necessary addition to our Common
School. The necessities of our pros
perous communities have obliged
people to educate their sons and
daughters more thoroughly. The
training so far given has been taken
up by the professions and the high
er departments Of commerce, but
lately the supply has exceeded the
demand, and many young men are
waiting for work in inglorious leisure
or else ~resorting to the lower walks
| of commerce which are already over
crowded. The remedy lies, not as
some empires teach us, in educating
less, but in counting a larger mum,
Der of vocations as worthy of educa.
ted men. Let the farm and shor
; and quarry, receive. a part of oul
high school and college graduates
and the problem is solved, and solv
ed in harmony with the American
doctrine, or rather, the Chri$tia,
doctrine, that privilege and opportu
: nifty belong to the many and not tt
the few.
, The necessity of scientific schools
! colleges and universities was briefy
c dwelt upon. They. too are needed
t for the many and not for the few
r for though but few re- GIVE their serv
ices directly, the whole communit,
is affected by their work; they keel
our knowledge from becoming thil
and superficial, they make the Who'll,
4 tone of society higher. Ameng tn,
other demands OF American life, tn
need of patriotic sentiment and o
> religious and moral principle wer
e also named.