, 1881-06-12

~
produce inertia. Positive evils have to be
bomoardcd and battered down: negative
evils have to be pulled up by the roots anu
cast aside. To the teacher in the common
school, the proposition to Instruct babies
children from 1 to years nld-ap-
pears trivial; and to the college Professor
the proposal to erect 4 machine shop under
the windows of the Greek classroom Is \
monstrous innovation. l3ut Mr.. Atkinson
well asks: "What child Of rich or poor
parentugc is the worse for the possession OF
some degree OF MAMMAL dcxterity? Who can
tell when the child Is 10 years old what his
position will be at 20o''' lie adds:
elementary instruction in The intelligent
use Of the hand itself must precetc all at
temps to apply the hand to specific trades."
And he thus supports Prot. Woodward's
theory that the true system is q instruction i'll
the arts for the purpose If construction, anu
not construction for tile purpose OF lnstruc-
tion.' In this connection it is well to note
the claim of tho kinlersartncrs, that their SyS-
tenn OF instruction. through the gifts, songs,
and gestures, cducates the hands and the
eyes Mt I'LL age when the child is most quick
gartcn is the first step III the manual trimming
system. The kindergartners claim much
more than this for their system. Fr0bers
theory is profoundly philosophical, but this
is not the place to consider its higher phases.
Prof Woodwaru's communication, to
which we beg leave TO direct special ntten-
ton, is replcte with evidence OF the urgent
necessity which exists fur combining manual
with intellectual training in our system OF
education, lie alludes to the notorious Fact
that 'sour hest mel arc not city born, anu
declares that tho fact is not to bc accounted
far OH the ground that it is Il question OF
''purc air, or wholesome food, or soou
teachers, or evil communications SO much
rs it Is OF the proper balance Of Intellect and
physical training" And tlion he shows,
which is untleniablc, that tue country boys
time is about equally divided between school
and Intelligent manual labor, while the city
bows time is divided into pero,ls OF Intellect
uni training and periods of id1eness. No more
conclusive argument could be addnccd i'll
support Of the Wisdom Of cstnbli SLING
manual training schools rs part OF the city
system Of public education.
tion against those who prefer to work with
their hands is very unjust. Our system OF
education helps the literury class to an uu-
fair extent when compared with what 1t
affords to those who choose some mechanical
pursuit." And Prof. Woodward quotes a
leading practical st. Iouisian as saying:
''Tho trades are running ont. Through the
influence Of trades unions the number ot
apprentices does not make good the annual
loss, and skilled mechanics are becoming less
and less in number. sue 10 way 0r foster
ng our manufactures and Of giving our
boys chance to acquire mechanical
skill except through manual training
schools Mr. Atkinson says: "Wc are
training no ximcricttn craftsmen, a1ld
unless we devise better methods than the old
and now obsolete apprentice system much
of tho perfection Of our almost automatic
mechanism will have been achieved at the
cost not only Of the manual, but also OF the
mental, development Of onr men. Our al
most automatic mills and machine shops will
become mental stuprfactores." The system
here described will inevitably lead to tile
creationof class III the community described
by Sir John Lubbock in Prehistoric Tlme":
'sIn fact our criminal population are mere
sayagcs, and most Of their crimes are but In
iudicious and desperate attempts to live as 4
savage III the midst and at the expense OF a
civilized community In these HELL
tai stupefactories" nc shall not have
even artisans. whereas we should seek
by a combination of manual with mental
training to produce artists. As ciyillZa ton
advances there is a growth Of esthetlc taste,
and as artisans are converted, by careful
training, into artists. their works will find q
market commensurate with their excellence.
. St. Louis has manual training school,
firmly established, according to Prof. Wood
ward, mainly by the muniticence Of three
public-spirited citizens. She has had for
five years complete system of kindergarten
schools i'll successful operation in connection
with the city public-school system. This
establishment owes its existence chiefly
to the persistent efforts Of one person.
Miss Susan E. Blow. 1t has grown
until it numbers sixty schools and 1000
pupils. 1t is 10 longer an experiment: it is
success. Chicago has neither Il manual
training school nor a public kindergarten.
i score Of heroic women are struggling
yaliantly to develop the kindergarten here
through the medium of private instruction,
with a view ultimately to follow the example
of St. Louis III attaching the system to the
public schools. But the llalf-slozen men with
the necessary public spirit and the requislt
means to found (: manual training school
have not yet been found. Meantime st.
Louis is progressing rapidly i'll education
while Chicago is stagnating.
ANOTHER TEST OF REPUBLICANISM.
France Is OIL the verge of another test Of
the narnnstness aud atIlcsiYnnusS Of the new