Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-09
CRITICISM BY ABSORPTION.

ed Nth Prof. TomsIeys Language.
To the Editor of the Globe:
Your morning contemporary of January
the subject of education, and this one is
more offensive than its predecessors in that
it is violent and senseless attack upon the
association lately in session in this city. This
last article is Conclusive evidence, if no
other, that the great essayist of the Pioneer
Press knows nothing whatever about the
current methods of education, nor the work
of our common schools. And as long as he
confines himself to congratulations upon
these subjects, however crude and cratic
they may be, teachers are perfectly content
to let him rant, for they are quite harmless
ebullitioas. But these last remarks reflect
severely upon the good sense, the judgment,
the candor. the honest and sober purpose of
the teachers Of Minnesota, and they deserve
u reb0ke not only from
their pens but from the
hearts of all teachers, and all friends of our
schools. Let us look somewhat at the AMI
mus of the editorial and its source.
1t bears the caption, "The State Teachers
Association" There is no body of that
name in the State, as any one who read the
announcements of the recent meeting ought
to know.
Its opening sentence is:
Outsiders who attended the sessions of the
late educational convention held in st. Paul,
cannot fail to have been impressed with
the fact that in the minds
Df teachers at least the whole system of COM
mon school education is in state of transition
and uncertainty bordering on chaos"
Now compare the above with this from the
Pioneer Press report of the proceedings:
Prof. o. V. Tousley said our educational
methods were pretty much in state of chaos"
Again:
1.-The principles of pedagogics, for the nonce,
seemed all at skies and sevens. Pioneer Press
Editorial.
There is a continual f1ux of new methods,
until one is compelled to believe there is no
science of pedagogics."-O. Y. TouSley.
"The generation now in pinafores were COM
forted with the assurance that the arithmetic of
the future would not extend beyond percent
age."-Pioneer Press.
All time spent on arithmetic beyond percent
age, with children under thirteen is lost time"
o. Y. Tousley.
confne myself to Pioneer Press reports,
though the words do not, believe, fairly
represent the opinions of the speaker.
A profound suspicion invaded the education
al mind that, after all, the prime object of
teaching children to read was to aid them in
acquiring infOrmation-not to afford them OPP
portunites for elOcutioEary display; and that
possibly each child had the right to read in a
manner somewhat expressive of its own indi-
vidual chal acter and understanding.-PiOne
Press.
Every child should read in accordance
with its own nature and character-not as
somebody else reads.
The purpose of reading is to get information
not to have children read for display or e!O-
sutionary effect.-O. Y. IOuStey.
l might give parallel passages to show
where the essayst got his ideas of language
teaching. But enough has already been
given.
The association, however, neither Endorsed
neapolis superintendent. He spoke his own
sentiments with the same freedom that
scores of others did in the convention.
The editor speaks of the association as en-
Pertaining Suspicious" and "unbosoming
misgivings and misdeeds." The association
did nothing of the kind: and at another
time will try to give resume of its actual
work. The editorial in question is made up
of verbiage and swelling rhetoric built
upon the expressions used in two short
address and one paper, being chiefly, as I
have shown, a rehash of Superintendent
Tousley's remarks. Perhaps the previous
numbers of the Pioneer Press series of ar
tcles on education have had similar origin.
If Superin. endent Tousley furnishes brains
for the educational column of the aforesaid
journal, it is creditable enough to his pro-
fession; but he does not perform the same
Office for the Minnesota Educational associa-
ton, nor does he pretend to represent the
views of that body. 81. w. SLACK.
ST. PAUL, Jan. Z.