New-York tribune., 1875-01-27
A PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE.

THE PENN MONTHLY-CURRENT COMMON SCHOOL
METHODS CRITICISED.
rrpou THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUSE.I
PuIrApELPuIA, Jan. 25.-In one respect The
Penn Monthly occupies unique position In the nelo st
magazine literature 1t IA published to make money
The commercial spirit does not enter into its manage
ment Those who the periodical desire OF course
that It shall be sefsupporting but they make no at
tept 10 populariZo 1t by the Introduction Of light read
Ing It's speciaes Social Science, Political Economy
lin which II IL disciple Of Henry C. Carey whose teac'
inCs are held 10 Philadelphia to formulate the Only
orthodox economic phOsOpy aud topics arising out OF
current events The latter are treated not only in
separate articles but In wewritten review OF the
month that opens each number. In this department
sore space il usually occupied by the discussion OF mat
te of local interest The magazine does not however
aim at local reputation, aud with the possible eAeep-
ton of its high tara articles acceptable reading to
thoughtful people In EewYork as In Philadelphia
In February number appears tho rst OF series Oh
papers on National Education, which sharply crticses
the current common school methods OF study. Inc
writer complains that the study OF puro arithmetic Is
not carried far enough and that years that might
have been well employed in the practice OF the mental
analysis OF numbers, in the study OF roots powers
SERIES and logarthms, are really spent IN memorZhR
and anplytng commercial rules, with which our count
,pghousea dlspense utterly" In fact" he saws the
only hard and valuable piece OF work In pure arithmetic
that tho student has TO encounter Is the multiplication
tahe which very absurdy stops az twelve times
twelve but might the years went on b. very use
fully carried much further-say four or nve times Us
far" Geometry, he thinks should precede algebra 70
teach IL aerward being to reverse bon the hstOrcai
and mental order OF these studies. The study OF
geography complains, is merely memorizng OF the
names attached to specks school atlas, and conveys
no re knowledge. The following s his criticism on tho
school apparatus for linguistic training which he
denounces curOusly and inGeniouy cons truced to
make tie study lfeless and mechanical may be:
That old torture the school dictionary Ip1eed gone
The present generation Il privileged to earn something
OF their own language without weeping over the pages
the rtrmoiogy have taken place. each dreary hOr
sccus of sspless and murdered word-eaoh funnel
TO pour immense verbal Information INTO the youthful
mind without In the least awakening that nina TO men
tai life and activity Each IL mere collection OF facts
reached by lDRuisc students, but does not teach tho
students any method Of linguistic study aud obseTYa-
iOn for themselves The success OF the student who
has mastered such book oan only pun him up v lth
false knowledge. He has learnt. not words IN their Nv
ng forcc ana their actual use Dut only definitions
those vrasembances OF things which, IN spite OF all
Bacon's abors, men Will persist In substituting for
| things.
grammar modeea after of the worst specimens Of
Latin srammars: a graduate OF the university tnat
perhaps ~ deal tendery with this class OF book. Their
chief fault is Their attempt to treat living lang uage
with dead one They arc guilty OF linguistic viylsec-
talking bad grammar all his life. II he have no better or
more practical instruction than they give-n he be
English St coTrecy or by the study Of Ens.6 literature
Tne redeemng book OF the series IL the reading
book Of which the student really learns all that he
really OF tho words and the of che Tau
Its usefulness goes SO far as TO cover up the
failure Of the other books associated with IT, But IL falls
OF what Is needed It's brief and unsatisfactory
extracts almost OF the purposes that text
book for literary study should serve rney are not o0g
enough to u satisfactory view OF the literary
capacity and method, OF tue mental life and ygor Of
friendship OF books" which should be chief end in
the study of books Their tagme9tary character pre-
vents the student from cOmprehendng the nature aud
unity OF a work OF art and entering into Its highest
beauty they says-ke noses, chius, and
struck from great statues, and presented III that
form to those who to bo impressed with the beauty
OF sculpture And lastly, they spread over four
five centuries and give comparatively small space TO
each period they offer means for the study OF the
language in any stage. Most OF them, ndeed give
the smallest space to the ante Restoration per0d-tbat
which is especial aud equal possession in the tera
ture Of England.