Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-13

/ '''r,ii WV hNHSpiptI anu current lltefa-
ture OF the day The newspaper with its
wlde range of intelligence is the greatest
educator OF the farmer, and he who fails
to take the newspaper is behind his fellows
IN all matters of general intelligence.
Another educator Of the farmer, and no
mean one either. is the grange 1t teaches
he farmer 10 have confidence in himself
among his fellows. IL Increases his social
Advantages and interests him in matters
OF general concern. And still smother i,
,uch meetings A. ,he board Of agriculture
Is now holding with Us Thus far the man
and youth may 90 hand in hand. but the
youth must largely depend on the schools
or hls culture, and if he is to attain to that
higher education how necessary that he
start right, and this lea Is me to speak of
our public school system 1t is a notice.
able fact that the majIri of agricuturists
OF Vermont to-day seem greatly Indifferent
to the education of the Young. And I
think this statement is borne out by all the
educational reports of the state. have.
often asked myself why this was so, bni
not until | of necessity began to direct the
education Of my own boys did | become
convinced of the easOn. Is it because ot
| penurlouSness, Us has often been char0ei ?
am convinced not for many who vii
! lingly pay their school taxes educate their
chlldren IN private Schools and would no.
the money now expended we'll educate al
'nr children? Is it because of ignorancep
on Will hardly find II farmer who will
not freely acknowledge the advantages of
good practical education, Is it because
he does not care for his children No
class of our people have more natural af-
lection, and think it is this love and de.
sire for their prosperity and the natural
/ desire that they should stay on the farm,
that leads to this Indifference and distrust,
How is 1t if this is not true, that we find
so much Indifference among farmers in
regard to education? They certainly would
not be indifferent if by education the value
OF their chIdren's labor could be increased.
In talking with flrmrrs, one says that
there IS no tax would pay more willingly
than my school tax. If the schools were
good for anything, but they make my chill
dren lazy and they get bad habits. An.
other says, "Oh yes, IN education is good
thing; man with good education stands
a better chance of getting rich; have more
of the luXures of life; gets his living ca
aier, but he is good for nothing to work on
farm And yet another says | should
like to keep my child at home with me in
my old age-to care for me in my old age.
| could give him good education if !
would, but if should am afraid he would
leave the farm; somehow they all do.
hope and trust that the SCHOOLS that
exert this influence and accomplish such
results have, or will soon pass away Aud
vet | think that those wao make these
complaints are not wholly without blame
if they do not cry aloud against such
schools. One can ct a variety of opinions
in regard to education, even from farmers,
but the majority of them agree rs touch
ing one thlng-that to give boy college
education is pretty sure to take him from
the farm. And many hold that so far MS n
young man is educated under our present
system OF schools, just so far is his power
to labor and love of labor taken from him,
and rs "A proof of this he will point to the
half cultivated farms around him (and he
can point to most all of them) as he tells
You that if such and such an one had not
sent his children off to school, it would
have been different. Yet he will acknowl.
l-sdge--tAat one Of the first requisites in com
mencinr&ny enterprise is practical knowl-
edge, and NllaL 1t is rs necessary to him
who follows the plow as to the mechanic,
the tradeSll'an or any Df the professions.
Farmers o len ask, How shall educate nv
children thqxlhey will stay on the farm?
Thai they who f4Ilow agriculture rs II
present need and sL2uId obtain Il greater
degree OF culture and a more thorough
general education, wOnll strongly yaihrm;
but how shall they get it? Il Is question
asked, hut more often anSWerSd
llm"s as lntelll9entlv rs circumstances Will
permt-at other times by those who never
entertained au idea in regard 10 it; wet
they >werrd it all the same to all inter'ts
and purposes. If this is so, il is very Ger
tain that these YOU b have not started right |
TO obtain that higher rucation which the
farmer needs 1t il he'd and is the prln /
cipIe carried ont by ouf public school sys-
tenn that all children should be educated !
alike until they arrive ~ that age when
we can discover what vocation in life they
are best iilled t. follow. or when they are
able To- decide for themselves; this is the
true principle; but what course of study
shall they pursue until that time, and how
shall they pursue il? shall it be such Il
course and pursued in such manner a.
will h. leading them towards the farm
honorable labor, and higher culture, or
one that tends towards lazineSs, and will
ill the other professions with second and
third roll men
Our present system nt school, our text
hooks and the current literature of the
day are mostly in the interests of the 80.
called professions, even while protesting
to be in the interest of the farmer. And
whyP In the past, because our teachers
nave been those who have been studying
Tor the professions, and our law. makers
professional men, because they were edu-
Gated. And as regards text -books-our
children have been in the habit of being
told OF the large incomes, princely fortunes
and splendid homes of merchants, trades
people and professionals, but they do not
tell by what toll, drudgery, and perhaps
dishonesty they were gained; they are told
Of great statesmen and the honor of their
position. but they are never told by what
great labor the statesman reached his po-
sition, or perhaps what low cunning, trick
cry, they used to gain them. OF the far
merS' life they only teach of toll and
drudgerv, and of the farmer they only tell
of his biz hands, rough manner, and shah
by clothes, (Which is | am very much |
afraid the only side of farm life that many |
of our children ever see). This was all
wrong; they should be taught the whole
of life and not II part. And they should
be taught, too, that labor of the mind and
body 90 together, and in farm lie are
never separated. All will recognize this
truth, but this is not enough it must be |
thoroughly taught. We cultivate the mind
to make it more strong and active for the |
duties of life: we should also educate the |
body in the same sense. We are all al |
most wholly indebted to our education for
the position we occupy in life, and we can
make the coming man or woman what we
will by the education we give them in
their youth.
Then shall we not insist that our youth be |
taught in the interest of our callingP But
whatever course we may take in relation
to the education of our children, we must |
be sure of one thng-to teach them that
manual and mental labor go hand. That
it requires strong, skillful and willing
hands to execute the will of the mind. and
the more general education becomes the |
Il. e III,