Litchfield enquirer., 1879-03-13
of active business men teo much absorbed in

of active business men teo much absorbed in
 money making to pay much attertion to the
 one duty which God had laid upon them when he gave them sons. I have never found such
 school. do not expect to find it; but is it
 net a pleasant thing to dream of? Is it not ill
 some measure possible :? Is it not to be fonnt, if ever, in our line of our daily work? Is not
 the virtue inspired in the boys own heart mo e
 likely to live and bear fruit than that which is I implanted there by sovereign authority, and
 nurtured only on didactic precepts and rules
 strictly enforced? Absolute confidence be- tween boys and teachers is essential to the r3- aliZation of any such dream. Our government
 is democratic republic. the people are the 1 source of power; from them are to come tho
 administrators of affairs. We have schools public and private, to prepare the young to take their fit places in the state. The cer ai l and safe ground for which our state establish
 ment of schools can be defended is the abso- lute necessity of education to the safety of the
 state. Standing on this ground we can justly
 and wisely make some salutary measure of ed
 ucation compulsory upon all the children of the state.
 | MAKE MEN OUT OF BOYS.
 Now, what urge is this That along with | mere instruction, and as the best way to ad- | minister the laws of order, there shall be not merly d1dactlC teac hing Of these laws, but
 such discipline and drill and training in their
 exercise and application as shall send the youth up to the polls accustomed to the prac-
 tce of judging and deciding upon'the questions
 that arise, thoroughly educated out of that la Zy, stupid habit of non- -committalsnl, which is one of the worst hindrances to the execution of the laws, and often in the individual is an l utter negation of all manhood. To this end | let teachers not only have confidence in their
 pupils, but in large sense depend upon them. | Why are not your illegal greg shops closed ? You say, Public sentiment will not sustain d
 prosecution" My friends, it is not the fault
 of an impersenal public sentiment, it is the | moral cowardice or lazy non-commlttalism of the average citizens, who ought to control and inspire, and upon occasion, exasperate public sentiment to act. Boys are easily impressed
 Before they harden into men like ourselves,
 let teachers see to it that are thoroughly drilled | into tnU vsoroise of moral judgment and cour- ageous action i'll the little world of the school.
 So shall they do us honor by. their manly ac- | tion in the state.
 | Such, my fellow teachers, are some of my
 thoughts upon the topic, "Contidence between Boys and Teachers" They have grown up in my mind in accordance with my practice, rather than as the leading cause of that prac- | tice l mean to say that did not adopt them | as theory and then proceed to carry them out in practice, but that having no theory 1 have but described the customs that have grown up | under the motives and influences that arose | from day to day. 1 am told they are peculiar | Whether peculiar or not is a question of no | consequence. But are they just? Are they | wise? Judge ye.