Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-15
Manners For the Young

manners For the Young. s
OUR esteemed friend, the editor of Ap-
o1etoals' Journal, INDUCES in the common
lamentatlon over the rough and boisterous
manners of pupils in our public schools,
and especially in the lack of respect
shown by young boys for their. elders.
That it is not from lack of school disci-
pline the editor admits, for visit to the
rooms during school hours shows no lack
IN this particular; but in public the man.
nerS OF the pupils ale wholly bad, They
seem to respect neither places nor persons.
Hlthout doubt this is a serious evil, but
1t IS one not easily remedied. The lack
OF reverence is defect in character which
naught but association with high and
truly noble persons and objects can cure.
This positive self-assertion of the Young
which makes them irreverent is one of the
marks OF their immatuity and no more
worthy Of wonder or blame than the
greenness of an apple in early June.
A young man once came to the German
philosopher Goethe with question. He
SAID = hear, Q great man, tlrat you are
very wise. viii you tell me what expe-
renee IS ?" The young man thought he
might learn the lesson of lifetime in q
single sentence. The philosopher an
swered: My young friend, experience is
that Whicha man experiences in experienc-
ing his experience. - " You are foolp' said
the young man and went his way. But
years afterward the young man again Wis
tied Goethe and said: :" You We're right in
your answer. Experience can only be
known by those who have had expe-
rience.' So it is with the irreyerence of
the young. Only time, experience,
thought, and the sorrow and suffering
which inevitably come to all, mellow and
soften the crudities of youth into the ripe
wisdom OF age. The editor of the Jour-
nal would cure the evil by intoxicating
strict rules of department for the young
and make these part of public school
training. The remedy would be wholly
Intellectual. At its best it would only
make solemn prigs of boys; though, with
our national gOaheadativeness, Fourth of
July enthusiasm and general feeling of
personal independence, it would be very
doubtful if it did even this. The policy
recommended may do for the social ideas
and manners of English and other Euro
pean nations, but is not adapted to longi-
tudes so far westward.
What, then, must be done? Ifill-breed-
ing and staggering insolence toward 9th
erS are the characteristics Of American
boys, how shall the evil be remedied?
These questions are fair ones and deserve
fair answer. To know what is the mat
ter is the first point in setting out to rem
edy any evil. Lack of reverence is the
prevailing American characteristic so
dolorously and generally lamented This
arises in part from the feeling of personal
independence, and thus far is not a vice
but one OF the virtues-the foundation Of
a true, manly character. We only need to
combine with this a recognition of and
reverence for what is intellectually and
morally worthy Of reverence, and charac-
ter will be mellowed and rounded out in
the ripeness and fullness of true man
hood. Something of this car be
done by presenting, for admiration
and emulation, the examples of our
best and greatest men. By taking due
care to select men who are safely dead
and whom we can idealize somewhat
the faculty OF reverence may be cultivated
without danger of the rude shocks so often
imminent where men still living are. held
up as public examples. Appeal to the
hero-worshiping faculty which all boys
have to greater or lesser e. tent; turn it,
if possible, from Jack Sheppard and his
like to men truly great and good Abra-
ham, Lincoln Samuel Adams and Charles
Sumner are types Of men whom it is
always safe to commend to young men
for emulation. In the meantime let every
old or middle-aged man who wants re-
spect or confidence do honest work in mis-
sphere of duty. Let him aim to purify
society of its shams and politics Of its cor
ruptions, and he will thereby accomplish
greater good in the training of the young
than any amount of sage advice or per-
functory admonitions. -Rmu! Neu Yorker