Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-05-30
MOR AIS,
Or the Difference Between Right and
WrODE. Should be Taught in the
SehOOls-That is the Place
to KIIl the Ruin anisEn
that Is so Rampant.

New York Tribune: EARLY last February
the senate of the United States made itself
merry over the consideration of Senator Burn
sides bill for teaching justice, kindness, con-
scIentiousness, peace and other moral quail
ties in the schools of the District. Senator
Burnside, however, frankly remarked that he
was not at all ashamed of his bill, and that
some Legislative bodies in the country would
be better behaved if it had been made a law
a good many years ago. The school board OF
birmingham, England, may now be recorded
as following out ideas resembling Mr.. Burn
sides. 1t has ordered that IN the future sys-
tematic moral instruction shall be given In
all the board schools-instruction which
shall make the children better ac-
quainted with right land wrong Practical
people will find some food for thought in the
preceding paragraph when read IN connec-
ton with two kilograms from Boston printed
in this journal yesterday and Tuesday. The
first states In terse line or two that while a
number of children were playing together in
some grounds near the city the other day,
one of them, little girl ten years old, was
pelted with stones by the boys She died
early the next morning. The second tele-
gram relates that on Tuesday Edward Rear
don and Thomas Murphy. each nine years of
age, were arraigned on a charge of man
slaughter, IN causing the death of little Hat
tie Goodspeed by throwing stones One of
these little boys was liberated on bail, the
other was committed for trial. Perhaps SEN
ator Burnside Is not so far out of the way
when he suggests that we teach conscience,
kindness and pity IN the schools. The I'ri-
bune not long ago recorded a case of youth
full murder In q western town almost
as bad as this. A party of little
boys, IN leaving the schoolhouse,
caught one Of their schoolmates on the stairs
and so roughly maltreated him that he died
shortly after. Possibly moral instruction
might not have been out of place there. In
stances OF such cruelty often come to the sur
face, and it is probable that many children
are permanently if unconsciously injured by
the rough treatment of their mates. There
are few teachers who do not recognize the
fact that the average boy has good deal of
the natural barbarian In him. 1t would seem
to be worth the while to extract as much as
possible OF the savage and replace it with
some qualities of the possible angel. There
is sound practical sense In the suggestion
that the schools should give some moral
teaching. The largest share of the child S
working time Is spent at school, when parents
can certainly provide no moral training; and
there are many homes in which such NOR
al training is often either carelessly or
lgnorantly neglected. Perhaps the best
school that ever existed was DIR. Arnold
Rugby; and there honor, honesty, trueheart-
edness, and kindness were taught with all
the enthusiasm of that magnificent christian.
There is no school which would not be the
better for taking a leaf from the English
mans book. We cannot, perhaps, have
what the Birmingham board calls systematic
moral instruction. but teacher who is Fit
for his or her post will know how to give oc-
casionaly pithy ten minute sermon on some
of the qualities that go to make good and
Trustworthy men and women. Those who
are at a loss for texts will find them IN the
words of teacher whose teaching was always
most simple and most practical. Children
do not need sentimental advice; but there are
few so careless or so hardened that they will
not respond to a little lesson in truth, in
honor, and in kindness, given In earnest, fa-
miliar ana heartfelt fashion. A little of the
moral training ridiculed by our senators
might possibly have kept these nine-year-
Massachusetts boys from a brutal and cow
ardlY crime"