The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-08-06


lcSs important than the former. That discipline
is most effective. that government most wise and
tat teaching most successful which fosters self.
restraint on the part of the pupils, which cncour.
ages most earnestly truthfnlncss. honesty and
sincerity. These things arc better than al
knowledge of books.
If we ask, what is the best method OF accom-
plishinS this VIC open one of the mos. difficult
and pcrplexing Question relating to schools
and colleges. Without entering on this
question, we wish to say that wo csn-
not symrathize with the sentiment that would
Danish all corpora. punishment from our schools
You are aware that the Sc!ioui Board of the great
city of New York has formally prohibited it. Other
board, have placed such restrictions upon its i'll.
fiction that there is n virtual prohibition. w
are oll-fashioned enough to think this 4 mistake.
We believe that there are certain offences which
can be properly rchuhcd only with Tie rod. All
instrument which has served its purpose in dis
ciDlinc so long. which altcdatcs the reign OF
Solomon and which received the recommendation ct
that wiSeSt OF men. ought not to be b:.nlshcd
either from the family or school; but While We
saw all this and emphasize It. We arc free to say
flat no instrument of good has been more abused
than the rod. X is a sad mistake to make it tho
aNcal IL trivial offences. indeed to use it except
as n last resort. Fear of 4 tiossiug may force q
box to tell the trntl, Int it may also tempt linn
TO evasion and prcvaricatiOn. it may drive him tC
his tasks, hut it will never make him think; il
NAV restrain the manifestation Of an evil DISPOSE
ton but it will never remove it, and that ID the
great object to DO accomplished. We feel SURF
that much can be dore by kindly counsel, judi
cious encouragement and sympathetic help
much which could never be accomplished by Sc.
we're measures. In a little work by DR.. Guthrie
called speaking to the Heart, he tells the fol
lowing, as quoted by DR.. Caldcrwood: "a sol
der, an old offender. was about TO be brought
before his commanding officer. On his name
being mentioned, Here he IL again said the Of
fec; everything, ~1ogging. disgrace. imrrison,
mcnt has been tried with him. The sergean
stepped forward and apologizing for the liberty
said: There is ono thing that has never been done
with him. sir What is that Well, sir. he
has never been forgiven Forgiven. exclaimed
the Colonel. surprised TT the suggestion. Te
fleeing for q few moments, he ordered the cnl
prit in and asked what he had to say to tho
charge. Nothing, SIM was his reply; only Fan,
sorry for what l have done Turning q kline
look toward the hardened offender who expected
that his punishment would be increased, hi
said, 'wcll, we have resolved to forgive you.
Tho man was struck dumb with astonishment
the tears started in his eyes and he |ept like
child. He retired, and from that day was 4 changed
MANTLE narrator says, sit was the testimony o.
one who had the old soldier continually under
his eve, that q better conducted man never wore
tho Queens %colors.' This case is exceptional
highly so we admit, and We feel that it is Amos
~perilcus to refer to it, but it illustrates the roin
we wish to make, that even in extreme case
there is somctinesa
MORE SUCCESSFUL CORRECTIVE THAN THE ROD.
Let not the teacher, however, infer from tlli
that a maudlin tenderness is a substitute for the
rigid reign of INV. A pupil soon learns to dcspiLs'
a master who is ready to forgive offences for TIT
mere asking, who seeks to paIliate and excuse
rather than punish. 1t is a mistaken and may b
a fatal kindness to apply a mild salvc when TIT
sore needs q vigorous caustic. The offender mus
learn that the way of the iransgrcSsor is hard
And he will cherish for the man that wisely lcarn
him this lesson, q regard, deep, lasting and rev
~ercntial.
Iremark again and I put it last, because I at
tacl special Importance to it, that
MORAL CHARACTER Is An ESSENTIAL QUALIF1CATIo!
FOR SUCCESSFUL TEACHING,
especially in orr public schools. It is a profoure
remark that deserves to be inscribed over TIN
door OF every school house in this broad land tina
s'the public school system is to he tested by thu
moral life of the nation in after years." Who j
there that expects q knowledge OF grammar
arithmetic and geography to preserve mcn from
vice and crime? Who does not Know that mer
| UlttlIlIll;ulS III ICE VI olSiiS" 4iIut 80 s'e -
polished villain who cheats and dcfrauds scientif
ically and looks to his geography that he ma.
reach q land not cIGirdled by an EXtTadlt;ol
Treaty. Have our statesmen and Dhilanthroplst
! inauguratcd this extensive, complicated and OK
pensive machinery of our educational system tina
there may be simply intellectual development
Is it thus that the evil spirits Of orr fallen hui
manly arc to be exercised? Very far from 1t
What the nation wants and what the nation OK
poets ia that in all these school houscS there shal
be n moral training Of the youth OF the land
Habits of self-denial, obedience to lawful author
ity must be formed love of what is good. pur'
and true must be strengthened and, above all
a controlling recognition Of the supremacy o
virtue and morality must be cnthroncd in tn
heart. These clements form
TIE BASIS OF A NATIONAL CHARACTER
worthy of our ancestral lineage and our ~ancestra
birthright. Every teacher is to regard himself
national educator in all that contributes to tn
glory and perpetulty of this American Republic
I have no conviction clearer than this, that If tn
true purpose and the highest good of this M
tional system Of education is attained it must b
, by the help of teachers of high moral character
Nothing can compensate for the absence of this
Thus the school house will become tho hand
maid of the Church and will fight with her aGains
those evils bred OF the keen competitions, clash
ing interests and furious energy of trade, evil
which we all sec and dcplore. Gentlemen ant
Ladies. it is our business, and l feel sure that l
is our desire, to work for n contamination SO dc
yontly to be wished, and while VIC this day Ia,
the foundations Of the Temple of Learning Ii
Abberille county. lot us plant them in the shadov
of that other and grandcr Temple where tn
worshiprcrs address themselves to Him who i
Himself the True, tho Beautiful and tho Good
DR.. Bonner's Speech.
In every department Of business, in every aro
cation of life, success depends, to q greater or les
extent, upon the manner in which the work a
done. Not every kind of effort is crowned witt
success. even in the commonest pursuits. A wiS'
adaptation Of means is necessary. Labor Is no
enough good intentions arc not enough per
s~istent effort is not cnouSh-abi!ity to understand
what is needed and skill to use the n~cccssar.
means are also required. In order to SUCCESS il
farming it is Just Us necessary to know what t
do and how 10 do it as to have good soil ant
fruitful seasons. Many a merchant who has cap
ital enough and sense enough fails for want o
skill in,that particular business. Many n bricfcS
lawyer has learning enough and law enough, bu
he lacks those peculiar qualifications, (wlatc"e
they may be) for success in that particular profcS
sion. He might have stood at the top i'll soine oticl
pursuit. Many a preRchcrof the Gospel will, at tn,
last, have but few stars in their crown-lot fol
want of piety, but for want of common sense. Sc
in that nigh and noble profession represented
here to-day, failure very often occurs for more
reasons than one.
The frs. reason for failure in teaching. ne j
occurs to us, is a want Of capacity. The training
the drawing out. the developing Of the mind, l.
not only one OF the noblest works in which. q ma,
can I've engaged, but it is one of the most delicate
and most difficult. To do it wisely and well re
ouircs powers of the highest order. In view o.
it. the greatest among us may well appropriate
| fhn ioprI1oun of OuO Df old nnl saw IVY NO II