The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-14
Educational Organs.

MIR. Editorial recent communication 10
your columns by one who styles himself
Teacher" is calculated to do SO great injustice
to the New England Journal of Education that
on examination of the charges he prefers may
possibly incline teachers to more thoroughly
look over the facts In the case before asserting
to his wholesale denuucat!ongof paper con-
trolled and edited by some of the best educators
in New England. After making most illogi-
cal apology for appearing before the reading
public and apparently not a little embarrassed
at his novel position, he plunges 'in medals
res, and announces two propositions, which he
forgets to prove, and which he thinks renders
the Journal unworthy the patronage of Maine
teachers, and closes with hope which sit is
certainly to be hoped is vain, that the Maiue
State Educational Association will not suffer it,
self to be used as a bill-post, etc. The first
statement which is in "Tea cher's' articles de-
cidedly pleomorphous,s that the Journal prints
articles, the ability and fitness of which, for a
magazine or book, is conceded. and that for
this reason it is not a live educational news,
paper This seems to be the thought which
struggled for expression through faulty
logic and loose sentences. 1t is generally sup
posed that an article Of, sufficient ability and
fitness to justify its author in putting it be-
tween covers will serve the more ephemeral pu1-
pose OF a weekly paper. What more would he
have? Does liability and fitness" render the
Journal too solid pabulum for the delicate
mental digestive apparatus of Teacher? 1t is
undoubtedly a fact that the Journal articles are
too deep and thorough for the comprehension
of large class of teachers who unfortunately
are not educated up to the present standard of
educational thought and discussion--a condi-
ton of affairs the Journal is steadfasty trying
to Tectfy.
Teacher evidently intends to convey the i'm
| preston that the Journal is lacking in school
| news and practical hints for the use of profess
| ional teachers an idea that careful perusal of
| the file for the current year will conclusively
| settle. L am quite willing to admit that the
| Journal is not state educational organ, which
| is so deplorable to Teacher" and am very
| glad of it. There is no reason why such an or
| gan should exist. 10 the Journal find the
opinions of the best educators, not of the state
1 of Maine but of the whole country. The ten
| dency of an organ having limited circulation
| in one state is toward narrow-minded views of
| questions which require universal observation
and discussion to settle: g. g.sthe teachers of
| Maine would be found nearly unanimous in ia
| vor of reading the Bible in public schools, while
| in other sections there is a rapidly spreading
feeling that it should be excluded The obser-
| vat0n OF any one educator is practically bound
| ed by very harrow limits even il it extenGs be.
| You'd the four walls Of his little kingdom He
is peculiarly isolated and has little opportunity
| to form CONCENTRATIONS which are worthy the
| Importance OF his profession. So that it is es-
| sential he should have not only the opinions of
| men in his own vicinity whose sphere of obser-
vation is as limited as his own, but also the