Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-01-24

present methods Of teaehisg arithmetic.
From these investigations he became
convinced that. in order to make practi-
cal arithmeheians. radical change in the
plan Of textbooks upon the subject IS
necessary. Now this is 4 wonderful
though rather late discovery to make.
since the complaint has existed this hun
dred Of years. and more. But the COM
petition in school books, and the spirit
of self-interest in their compilers. leads
at last to the discovery. and to the seri-
Gus confession made in this preface.
which is equally applicable to evey text
book upon every branch of knowledge
now taught in our schools and colleges.
/ do net say that DIR. French. having
madethis discovery, has not made some
thing Of an Improvement in his arithme-
tic, though he goes at it in regular
scholastic spirit. beginning with met
aphysical inquiry into 'the philosophy
Of the development Of the mathematical
powers Of the mind" and he comes out
pretty much from the hole he went in
at. since in the very first leaf Of his
book be gives series of definitions of
arithmetieal terms in which be uses doz-
ems of words that need defining to the
ordinary beginner quite as much as do
the terms he uses these words to define.
Every definition. is. venture to assert,
utterly unintelligible to the average
scholar, and will be memorized mechan-
ieally, and be of no more use than if
they were written in Latin. unless the
teacher takes pains to translate them
into plain English. and illustrate them
practically in various ways l do not
believe college-bred man can make a
good arithmetic. When it IS done, it
will be done by some practical account
ant-and then every college-bred mau
concerned in the management of our
schools will, l fear, do his best to pre-
) vent its adoption.
Fellow farmers, I think l have made
plain to you the reasons why education
draws our young men away from the
: farm. The whole spirit of our educa-
; tiOnal system. common schools and all,
; is scholastic, theoretical. and calculated
: gradually to Wean away the youthful
E mind from every practical aim in life to
! the dreamy regions of thought without
e action, and life without purpose. Sc
: far as it has any practical end it is tc
y beget contempt for manual labor. and
e lead to vague ambitions for some sphere
: in life where kid gloves can be worn al
d the time. Now in this age and country
e when and where, as Horace Greeley hal
: said, there is no way to get money ex
e cept to earn it or to steal it. our farme
It boys are far more likely to be educated
y into the classes that live by plunderini
re their fathers, either as politicians, spec
Il ulatOrs, or tramps. than to be brough
Of to love, and live by, the labors of tn
O. farm.
d Not that there is anything essentiall
deuroralizing in the scholastic system 9
ce education. But the ranks Of all th
e, professions to which this system
ID adapted are already crowded to Ovel
IS. Towing while, in any Of the industria
.rt occupations. no man can command on
he dollar month more on account Of ha-
Id ing received college education An
IL when man cannot command hone
1t employment in the business to which I
be has been trained, and has been thorougl
he ly disinclined towards any other, the
W. is nothing open to him but to live
zen his wits, unless he has that rare orig
in nal genius BY which. bore and there,
In man is able to remodel himself
ius To reform the evil to which 1 ha
up called your attention will require
de- mighty effort The first step Is that
'ly- should understand the necessity Ii
do exists for a change The next is
for every man and woman to make . fl
;tu- about it, until the change IS effected
ds : Nothing can long stand. that = gr'
and majority Of the people are continue,
hen. making fuss about Making Fl
Is the palladium Of our liberties. 7
true people made fuss about the tyran
rful Of England, and then the revoluti
has They made q fuss about slavery, a
MIN then the emancipation They are N;
arn- ing fuss about dishonest politics, a
ach- thieving politicians are going to
slst- penitentiary. The farmer made f
and about the middlemen and the raiIro
bout and then reform We have only to m
ssuit fuss, and big fuss. and keep max
1pIls fuss, and We shall have a reforr
the school system and when We get I
what We may educate our boys and girls
that much as We choose, without any fea
9 al educating any Of them away from
ught farm that ought to be these
{ 50 l entreat you therefore, brethren
oney- make fuss about this matter. Do
that let the lawyers and minister mar
see your schools without interference.
can to it that your children are taught
may better advantage and in more pr;
; and cal manner Denand a BITE oI..