The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-01-27
Physical Education.

To The Editor Of the Pacific Commercial Advertiser
SIR: At this time many thoughtful men among
us are bordering over the subject of Hooalu Lahui
presume this term includes the maintenance and
Improvement of the existing individuals, as well
as the addition OF new ones, and foreign as well as
native. 1 beg your leave to draw the public at
teution to a valuable aid toward this end, for a
long time past offered us by one of our citizens,
an aid till lately neglected and little known, even
now taken advantage Of to q very inadequate extent.
I speak of the classes for instruction in gymnastic
exercises by Mr. C.. Derby at the theatre.
The general tone Of thought in this place APP
pears TO have hitherto been little favorable to the
systematic cultivation OF physical excellence, and
all that that word involves. There have indeed
been htful and partial attempts to provide our
Young men with opportunities for exercise, as at
The Olympic Hall and elsewhere. No doubt the
schools are more or less provided with appliances
for games and exercises, and in certain instances
some training would seem to be given. But as far
as I am aware there has been no desire felt or at
least expressed, to make such training part OF an
organized system, resting upon the principle that
the man as a whole needs to have his faculties de-
veIopad: that to limit education to the mind, or
even 60 the mind and morals, is to take a very
ehort-sighted and imperfect view of it,.
To con6ne myself to the physical element OF ed
ucation-The parent who sends forth ms son (or
daugbter) out into the battle Of life, feeble and
delicate. where such fesbieEess and delicacy could
have been removed by suitable training, commits
4 sin against his son little II at ali less l0au il uS star L
ed him with a neglected mental training. In these
days-when life is so hard, competition so keen. and
the survival Of the 6ttest a generally recognized
priueipIe.-eTery advantage tells; the strong. well
knit upright, active youth, with a healthy digestion
a steady eve, a clear brain and natural impulses,
has a vast advantage over the STOPPING, feeble,
dabby-muscled roand-shouldered, Aat-chested,
droop-eyed. dysPeptie, muddy-complexioned,
nimnIe-faced. stumbling, fat-footed, sneaking one,
With legs like broomsticks. an irritable nervous
system. perverted propensities. and a generally
low vitality. And this difference Is very largely
determined by the amount of physical training the
uerson has undergone. At least it will be seen, if
not in one generation, in two or three
Parents too seldom reflect that the children Of
this generation are to be the parents of the next,
and that it is 40 slight part of their duty to ut the
present to hand on vigorously the torch of life
to the future. This should be a particularly
serious thought for parents who live here. The
question is by no means solved whether the white
race even under the best available hygienic con-
ditions can perpetuate itself, that is TO any good
purpose. in this country. Certainly no one can
generation growing up here, without grave mis-
observe much Of the present younger p~ure-white
givings. There is something about them, with
not too many exceptions, that q horse-breeder
would Gallery lceedy.
Now in Germany and England-d do not speak
of America-physicsl training is made part OF the
regular schooling (; it Is daily becoming more and
more thorough aud scientific the idea of education
"A the harmonious development ofthe whole being,
meataI. moral and physical, is becoming inereas-
ingIy recognized. Here l dare not affirm that that
idea IA not recognized. / can only say that 1 have
seen, whether in our school systems or elsewhere.
scanty evidence that it is so.
The subject is a great one, and grows upon me
az / write. But my fair share Of space is filed,
and 1 must stop.
earnestly trust that Ar. Derby will receive the
support his earnest, patient and dIslnterested
work deserves. / should like to see the young
men Of the town largely resort to his evening
classes. I hope the Board of Education will In
time. az public sentiment ripens, devote some at
teution to training the bodies as well as the minds
of their charges.
In conclusion 1 will only remark that there is No
more powerful influence 70 restrain young people
from notorious and too general bad habits than the
desire of excellence in the public gymnasium.
A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.