The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-24

The Press as am Educator.
ST. Louis is fortunate in her Su-
perintendento of Schools. The name
of DIR. w. S. Harris is associated in
the mind OF most well educated
Americans with administrative quail
tiles of a rare order and discriminta-
tive power such as few men enjoy,
and which in his position is inval-
liable. The opinions of such man,
respecting educational influences,
carry a weight OF authority that does
not attach to the views of less
critical observer, even thrugh they
be expressed with greater eloquence
or more oracular assumption. In
recent lecture before the Maryland
Institute, DIR. Harris handled an
important question and fruitful
theme. "The Press and the School
as Educators" and he treated it,
not as one who had prejudices to
crafty or theories to establish: but
rather as patient and honest inves
tigator, giving actual results Of intel
ligent thought and observation.
Through the press, he said, ''the in
huences for education of the home,
the school, of. society, of the State
and of the church are brought SIM
ultaneously to bear. Each individual
man is brought into accord with the
rest of mankind. Personal rule rnd
will are adjusted to the universal
rule and will. The experience of
each man is communicated so that
each may have the experience of all.
Through the press people develop
sympathy and interest beyond their
neighborhood and locality. Social
life is benefited. The newspaper
realizes the mythical wishing cap
and seven leagued boots. Through
it the life of the individual becomes
mixed up with that of corporations
and societies and institutions, The
elements of local peculiarities are
fast being eliminated in the gener
al tendency toward a common ideal
standard of humanity" We do not
know whether Wendell Phillips
would take issue with this estimate,
but probably he would. He admits
that the press has power, but he
grieues because it seems to him to
belittle the great questions of life
by inviting the world to laugh
where he thinks it ought to scold,
no doubt. We are willing to let
one opinion stand against the other
The press is the great dissemin-
ator OF ideas. 1t is the leayen of
society that tends more than any
other influence to give it unity and
homogeneity. 1t does away largely
with local distinctions and proviR-
cial eccentricities. There was a
time, when the almanac was about
the only periodical that entered
country homes, when the rural Wis
itor could be detected in town, not
alone by his dress and speech, but
by his general wonder at all that
passed before his vision and trickled
into his mind. He stood more or
less dazed by revelation for which
he was unprepared, and he betrayed
the fact in his manner. The news
papers have changed all this. Some
may say railroads and telegraphs
are the forces that have helped most
to fuse society, but we can not ad-
nit it, except SO far as they have
enlarged the field of the newspaper
and made it possible for every
merchant, every farmer and every
mechanic to keep himself in daily
communication with the great
world of facts and ideas. When a
man, a little one side the great CEN
tiers of society, commerce and poll
tics comes into contemplation of the
life that distinguishes them, it is
merely prophecy fulfilled. He is
| pleased because he realizes what he
has been taught to expect, but he is
no longer overwhelmed. AS DIR.
Harris has said, in the newspaper
s'the hun,blest man has access to
the best society, becomes familiar
/ with the walks and talks of the
wisest men, and becomes in time
wise himself" Where newspapers
are most abundant, most enterpris-
1 lug duu uIOSl uuItaiHtnGlIcu, lI1eTc
public opinion is sure to be most
intelligent. When we talk about
the blessings of our educational
system, let us give due credit to the
| newspapers as well as the free
schools.-Boston Post. 1900. S
| DIR. Harris, above alluded to, is
one of the most useful men in this
country. He has been connected
with the public schools of St. Louis
for many years, where he has rem
dered invaluable service. In con-
nection with two other distinguish
ed men of letters, Prof. Harris pre-
pared the series of Appleton's Read
ers that are now admitted to be the
best published and rapidly coming
into use in every State in the Union.
Disco Grange, No. 1877, Michigan,
numbers over 100 members, and a