The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-03-01
OUR COnlMON SCHOOLS.
A Voice from the Rural Dis
IrIcGS.

a Voice from the Rural Dis
IrIcGS.
CENTER TOWNSHIP, Feb. ., 1873.
EDITORS NEWS: AS the subject of
common school education is now I'M
dergoing a process OF ventilation, you
doubtless will like to hear from some
of our rural districts in reference to
this very interesting subject. We fan
cy it needs no labored argument to
show that it is not only an Interesting,
but an important and momentous
question. One in fact which impera-
lively demands the serious considera-
ton of all who are anxious to have our
common schools redeemed, regener-
ated, and disenthFalled" from the
shackels of pedantic misrule and mod
ern innovation. We notice some re-
marks on this subject by Mr.. Maple, of
your city, which it seems TO Us are re-
markedly pertinent and appropriate.
He lcertainly strikes more than one
nail 'right square Oh the head" And
we feel perfectly justified in saying
that his statements can be endorsed
and corroborated by all who have Wis
tied our schools, and are capable of ex-
aiming the pupils in attendance.
Professor Delsp also has told the citi-
zens of Emporia and the public gener-
ally, that common school education Is
emphatically ga failure" But why Is
it failure? We say in reply that it
is owing chiefly to excessive tamperlng,
innovation, and change, followed by q
marked and palpable deterioration "a
the legitimate result in every public
school in the county and State. Now
as remedy for all this, plan OF sex
purgatlon" is proposed. Our present
text books must be overhsuled and
thinned out. Arithmetic especially
must be pruned, curtailed, and dimin-
ished while other studies, which from
time immemOriaI have received the
sanction of the most enlightened
minds in this country and Europe,
must be etterminated, as useless and
pernicious. The alphabet and spelling
book have already stepped down and
out" and hence the great advantage
derived from all this is made "as clear
as mud" by the pompous announce
ment that children are now taught to
read before they can spell! Now,
this a most remarkable achievement,
and cannot, we apprehend, fail to re-
mind no IF tho xziaa apd inkorosffno nv
pertinent OF trying to render a horse
more useful and efficient by placing
thu cart in front Ergo,-verily this
is an age of progress and improvement.
1t is an old, but well authenticated
saying, "that too much cookery spoils
the BROTH" Yes, indeed, and we are
inclined to think, also, that the meat
perhaps may be rendered more palata-
BILE by the operation. Still the work
of''expurgation goes on, and in many
instances instead of the "tares," the
"wheat" is rooted out. In a word the
system of puplic instruction has be-
come so completely diluted, &ttenerat-
ed and refined, that we are compelled
to unite with Professor D. in denomin-
ating it "failure."
S. A. Felter, A. NJ, author of re-
cent work ON bookkeeping, remarks
that nearly all our county superintend-
enrs complain that the district clerks
reports are inaccurate and incomplete.
The district treasurers' accounts are so
mixed as to be incomprehensible; they
can neither tell how much school
money has been received, how much
has been paid out, nor how much is in
the treasury. Therefore we say, let US
have not only bookkeeping, but natural
philosophy, natursl history, physiolo-
gy and botany, without doing away
with other primary studies which are
deemed absolutely Indispensable, and
abandon the foolish and improbable
attempt at map drawing, and other
non-essentials by which so much pre-
cious time is wasted.
Finally we would say let US have
this matter thoroughly sifCed and in
vestigated, that so our common school
system of education which has here
tofore boon a benefit and a blessing
may be placed beyond the reach Of
modern change or innovation. Then
and not until then, may we as parents
taxpayers and friends of public in
struction, reasonably anticipate an ad.
equate equivalent for the amount OIL
time and money expended.
| GEO. STOKES.