The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-28
Che 8utland daily Globt.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2s, 1875.
POultney.

Odd Fellows hall, Monday evening, Decem-
Der 90 Subject Education" The lee
turer presented sound ard practical views
of this important subject, showing how the
possession or lack of education is seen in
the common pursuits of life. Particularly
we're the remarks upon memory both inter
estiDg and instructive.
The lecturer said If man must work, he
must needs learn how TO work, and herein
is found the necessity for education, and
here too is the end, object and purpose of
education. A large portion of the people
do not know what education is. They seem
to suppose that 1t consists in acquiring
knowledge of certain books used in the
schools. Webster defines education as COM
pretending "all that series of instruction
and discipline, which is intended to en-
tighten the understanding, correct the tenn
per, and form the manners and habits Of
youth, and fit them for usefulness in their
future stations" 1t comprehends all this
and more. Education begins with the child
and ends when life ends. "We are never
too old to learn" But it is the peculiar pill
ability and impressibility of the early period
of life that renders education then so i'm
portant, indispensable even, to the full
growth of the man. Education should not
end in early life.
believe that no one estimates the value
of schools more highly than do, but it
should be understood that life is school
from beginning to end. No one can an
swer the end of his being, unless he is a
scholars learner-all his life. The schools
do little more than bend the twig. The
lingust will understand what the word ed
ucation, in its primitive sense means-to
lead, or draw out of; it means exercise,
training, discipline and consequent growth
and development of the human faculties,
rather than simply the acquisition of what
is contained in the books Education is in
effect custom, the custom or habit of think
ing, by which the faculties are developed
and strengthened.
Poor memory gets many kicks and cuffs,
when not to blame. The fault usually lies
elsewhere. Undoubtedly there is differ
ence in the strength Of this faculty with diff
ferent individuals but / do not believe
there is msn or woman of sound mental
constitution, with fair intellectual endow-
ments, who with proper culture would ever
have occasion to lament over poor mem
DRY. The most general cause of poor MEM
Dry is the want of self discipline. The busi-
ness man who has system seldom fOrgeis
anything pertaining TO his business, and
the remarkable memory attributed to many
men of business is but the result of educat
ing themselves to this sy=tem. 1t is those
who have no system and are loose and care
less, who are forgetful and complain of
poor memory.
The rules established for the government
of schools are a very essential part of the
matter of education. The purpose of ed.
ucation is to tit lis for the duties of life.
The college graduate is none the better for
his Latin and Greek or mathematics, unless
he makes the better farmer, mechanic, arti-
san or citizen. AL should be educators,
and education should make progress out If
the schools as well as in. The laboring
man has one of the best positions in life tor
mental improvement, but he must 90 10
work to acquire this knowledge with that
same system, assiduity and persistence tina
he performs his manual labor.
The speaker made many good sugges-
tions as to the proper mode of reading az II
means of mental discipline, also as to the
hearing of sermons, Sabbath services, lee
lures and literary exercises. 1t has often
seemed to me as though many of US go to
hear a sermon or lecture tor the same pur-
pose we would 60 the barber shop to be
shaved. and have our heads rubbed-to BE-
acted upon to the entire exclusion of using
the mind in analziDg and digesting the sub
ject matter and thoughts of the sermon or
lecture.
The speaker then referred to the import
ance of education in the political and moral
progress Of our country. The many rings
of which we have heard could never have
been formed in purely moral atmosphere.
1t would have been impossible for them to
exist, however corrupt and skilled the lead
ers might have been. l know of no rem
edy for these national evils except to build
up such force of character and strength
of principle in the hearts of the people by 4
religious and moral culture, that hereafter
the organization of rings will be impossible. |
Bad men sometimes get into congress, and
when they do 1t shows the need of edu-
cational work in their districts. We
must have laws and enforce them as
best we can, but if the world is ever made
better, it must be by education. The true
reform and the only reform that ever was
or ever will be, is to make men wiser and
better. This is the work of education.
1t does not come in moral epidemics, but
is steady unfolding from the germ.
All of us have duties to perform as free
men, as citizens, as members of society;
those should be discharged unfiinchingly as
conscience dictates. If we cannot con-
scientiously vote for A. b. for president,
or G. ID. for Congress, then we should not;
but what we should do with our children and
all with whom we have an influence is TO
educate them Alright. Teach them to he
governed by principle, by the rules of right.
II we can succeed in that, they will not
only vote right, but they will aim to do