The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-12

mark D-ignorance which, when it was required
to correct sentence which had been thrown
together with q most -bafbarous disre gard
Of capitalization, punctuation and quotation,
corrected it by making it ten-fbld more iudicrous
than the Imagination or ingenuity Of its author
could devise mention ts: only e fair . saint
test your credulity to believe, Is not such .
density of ignorance coupled with such height
Of presumption lamentable? Do you wonder
appointed and indignant certificate seekers, and
bear the brunt Ofcharges Of Partially, inhuman-
1 remarked . moment ago that an extensive
education WAS not essential for common. schoo!
teaching. But Is 1t desirable? Yes, by Al
means. was amazed to hear from credible
source that prominent educator in this State
maintained that the less q primary teacher knew
beyond the matters Immediately pertaining to
the subjects taught, the better. And l suppose
there are scores Of teachers in Kansas who would
throw up their hands and say, ''lf John Wher-
rel said il, it is even SO, and say amen - Mr.:
the cordial admiration and support of us lesser
lights. But this Is . case in which we must not
allow our respect Tor the man to excuse or sane
ton the fallibility Of the assertion. In sub
stance Mr.. John Wherrell says that . primary
teacher should be as like q machine as possible.
say, for shame! II Is absurd to say that all
incumbrance which will only befuddle the over
taxed brain of the pupil. We must suppose our
teacher to possess fair share Of common sense;
lautied ,ninins~ OF knowledge, he could hardly
he successful. And l assert that teacher Of
tact and discretion land does liberal education
know how to use discriminatory and prontably
his ''superfuOus'' knowledge in the way Of
illustration and narrative that always enchain
want their children reared on hard facts aione9
on concert reading and numeral frames and
multi lication tables? For the sake Of the
bit u dreamland now and then, little Of the
beautiful and fascinating realm Of wisdom out
side of their schOOl-books and their play ground
fund Of general knowledge in The teacher Is sbso-
lutely indispensable to the highest success in
teaching. How many boys and girls grow up IN
dssraceiul Ignorance OfState and National affairs,
and the commonest physical phenomena daily
TRANSPORTING around them, which q judiciOus and
timely word now and then would have prevented.
How many boy on the other hand, has ;;, been
education, simply because some friendly teacher
has unfOlded to him q glimpse Of the vast realm
Of knowledge, the extent and even the existence
Of which he might otherwise never have suspected.
It'll. Aud finally, ask your earnest attention
to what esteem the most important considers
ton of all, namely, that the teacher owes it to
the public to possess IN unbemished ana unas-
sailabie moral character.
place This first in Importance because it is the
sine qua of u model teacher; because without
it the best efforts OF skill and wisdom are futile
and frui;ess; because character Is the basis of
good society and equitable government; because,
in fine, the world can get along without savants,
is the grand object OF all our abOriOus teaching
this terrible outlay of mental and vital force,
which Is yearly sending thousands of noble men
and ,Ss to Of
children-to instil into young and plant minds
the wisdom and probity that will in the future
contribute to the worlds best sdyancement!
is honest men and women; and please under,
stand that word honest as taken III its original
Latin sense, as well as in its present contracted
siSniicatiOn. man who was h0nSsfus possessed
all the qualities that combine to produce noble
and symmetrical manhood; he was honored Us
well Us honorable; he respected the rights OF the
oppressed, rs well rs the property of his neigh
bors; the chastity of woman rs well as the
penny of the beggar. The world can pardon
ignorance of grammar or metaphysics, but II
can ill afford to do without the sturdy and I'M
yielding principle which characterizes every true
citizen. 1t may be stupefied with admiration ut
the exhibitions Of genius and lie trning, but Its
much greater extent upon the humble virtues OF
the masses. II may never be your lot nor tnat
of your pupils to explore the realms Of fancy
sound the depths Of philosophy or weigh worlds 10.
plaudits of the multitude, send your names
through the ages like the trumpet blast on the
annals of military glory, or live ON the printed
pages in the thrObbinS heart and Wet eye oil
| humanity-but ii you, as teacher, have IN
stilled deep into the minds OF your pupils the
elements of nobility of character, your reward
be it the gratitude Of utu.e generations, or only
| the consciousness of duty rightly and conscien-
tiousiy performed will be sweet and blessed.
But, you ask, do dOu advise teaching moIals in
| the school room? Yes, by all means. But not Is
| u text book For the love of progress and in the
| name of pity, do not indulge in stated lectures
| on given departments Of mOrals-platifudes INA,
disgust children with the mere mention Of con
science, morality and love But us occasion
offers make Your point-briefy, simply anu del
| icately. DON'T manufacture the OCCASION. II II
does not offer then your school is above the need
| of moral instruction. A boy has been detected
| in lying, for instance. If you can work up the
! feeling Of the school against an abstraction-ii
you can lead them to despse the lie without an y
reference to the boy, by all means do 1t. But II
You unable to impress that subtle distinction
| upon their minds, then let boy and lie together
feel the force Of just Indignation: At all events
make the fault unpopular. The average boy
would just as soon be on the right side If it Is
popular, rs on the wronS-ay, ami rather, u
| Thousand times
| on hand This is the grand test of honesty. In
fact it is trial almost too severe. Every stud,
| ent and every teacher has experienced it, and
| need l say that but few have passed through i,
unscathed! venture to say that an examination
ON the result of which is hanging reputation,
honor, or mayhap bread and butter, is rs terrible
| mainly to encounter. In what way, do you ask?
| DO you not recognize the old story? A trifing
| formula in mathematics has flown from your
your memory, and returns ut your bidding
almost within your grasp, then vanishes slowly
but inexorably into the misty realm Of the for
gotten-yOu almost see 1t In its hooking flight.
It is required, perchance to locate an obscure
island. Now it rests dreaMily on the bosom OF
| the Archpelsgo; but just as you are about ia
commit it to that locality on paper, suddenly
| with the license of dreamland it glides to the
spicy realms of the Indies; then in jify hops
Enthusiastically to the barren coast Of Alaska, then
| in spasmOdic whirl and tumble leads you like
q wiiI-o' -the-wisp to every corner Of the globe
Now these trihing items, which, after all, you
are not to blame for forgetting, are in your grasl
by mere turn of the eye. Your friend is at your
| elbow. He has perhaps remembered the point
| which you have forgotten. Now why not dart
that secret glance which may save your credit, o.
fndnlgent mother who Is depending upon you fol
her very life-blood Will the recording angel
take it down? Perhaps not, but II You sturdily
resist the temptation / am inclined to think M
| will add shining item to the 'credit' side Of
1 your account.
The temptation, too, assails us in other forms-
| which might call Complementary the 'santici.
patton phase" Why not have o friendly text
book concealed, but convenient? compact and
judiciOus notes for stealthy reference? To wha
better use can those virgin cuffs be put than t.
record in Language succinct and explicit thu
names and results Of bsttlesq Why will moi
those pink fnger-nsils accommodate BEAUTIFULLY
| dates that may vacate your memory? Why mott
| All, Conscience, rise in your majesty and an.
aver! Ananias and Sapphirs, come from thu
of truth and humanity, Ofjustice and God, with
the voice Of thunder answer, and let the CLARION
| penetrate the darkness of sin. Why not? Be
| cause-and this the boy Of ten can understand.
blessings on the good old Anglo-SaxOn-becaus<
II 10 moi right; it is all wrong. once entered ,
flushed faces were bending over the weary man.
| uscript. There were the bitter foundations, ~