The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-21
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF TO-DAY.
Address Delivered by Professor 3. B.
Eassell Of Butte,

Address Delivered ny Professor =. ..
Eassell Of Butte,
To the Educati,nal Convention Convened at
Helena January 5, 1881.
| Carlyle has said "the beginning of inquiry
| is disease" If this be so and the disease Is
is aggravated as inquiries multiply, what
rotten state of society ours mustbe. But the
same author has also said that '.self conscious
ness," or inquiry, sis sometimes symptom
of an attempt al cure" In these late days OF
the worlds history, the last statement seems
most applicable. Society appears very sensi-
| tive of its imperfections and our communities
are full Of doctors who advertise unfailing
panaceas for all the ills of the social state.
They are nearly all quacks, utterly igno: ant
| Of the nature Of disease aud even uncon-
scious that there is such adepartment Of study
as D.aterid medica. They are really not doc
i tors, but surgeons not exactly surgeons but
butchers. They have one remedy for all
diseases. IL is dismemberment. Were we
to submit our civilization with all its charac-
| teristic institutions tothe treatment OF these
gentlemen, long before the unfortunate
thing had passed examination at the
/
all strength and shorn of all shape
illness. Man would be compelled to
| begin anew the formation of society, again
would he be obliged to struggle up through
barbarous beginnings, through death and
through darkness, and by painful and bloody
experiment once more approximate slowly 10
Intelligent action. Thank God, the wisdom
of the age accepts no such treatment, al
though IL affords a generous support to the
great army of wiseacres.
The only true explanation of the existence
of such multitude of social and political
desolators il TO be found In the attitude of
society itself toward the old and the new.
The tramp of coming millions which Henry
| Clay the great American commoner, heard
| AS he looked from the summit of the Allie
| ghenies westward over the fertile but unset
tied expanse of Territory at his feet, no Ion
ger falls upon prophetic ear. II Is now
heard In the halls ofCongress, and the mighty
host has left dustier road from the Golden
Gate to the rocky crest upon which the great
| American commoner stoed, than the Atlantic
seaboard ever saw. Thethousands that have
gathered i'm these mountain tops swell the
march their hearts cherish the same high
interests; and their minds grapple the same
momentous questions. The noise that fell
upon the practiced ear of the great statesman
was that of the trampng of 30,O0O,OOO. We
have become mighty people; and so power
| full are the loud and hurried throbbings oi
of the great heart of American life that each
| distinctive stroke sends wave of influence
the world over. Every pulsation commands
a sympathetic response from all the nations
Of the earth. Its influence has demolished
thrones and empires, broken the fetters OF
men and poured flood of unwelcome light
upon crooked ways and darkened corners.
| 4, ft.n stnti inn M
strong, vigorous life in the healthy activity
of our people that it has needed no other
commendation of its admirableness than that
which IL bore I'm itself. Many dared TO think
that the problem of the ages, the individual
and the community" had at last me. a solu-
tion. A free and wide field and no favor
with universal education promised to destroy
pauper.sm and crime. 'But, oh!" said the
Sage of Chelsea, shaking his shaggy head,
YOU have great deal of land and very few
people, and that is the secret of your sue
cess" Even we have lived long enough TO
see that he was right. The tramp infests all
regions, and the communist is breeding like
the cod in our larger cities. They bring with
them the hydra-headed monster that has poi
soned the life-blood and sttied the action OF
every body polite since history began. so
manifest has the presence of the d.reful So
ctal problems become, and SO evident the i'll
adequacy of our government and its instltu,
tions to cope with them that criticism and
prescription have become the order of the
day. Everything Is weighed in the balances
TOO often not those of wisdom and justice
but those Of ignorance and profit.
The universal cry Is, "Let us be practical
let Ills not be satisfied with stately trunk ant
brilliant foliage but let lis expect fruit OF tht
richest and rarest kind" Notemple or schoo
of our fathers, though hallowed by sacred
memories and resplendent In the light OF I
glorious history, is spared the crucial test.
We have very few men left I'm our mids
who, as Wendell Phillips says, when the new
moon appears are not able TO look upon u
with pleasure because of their deep sorrow
for the loss of that venerable institution th'
old one.
, Is il any wonder that we have an army o
quack critics aud that men make their living
by criticism?
They set up for themselves tribunal ant
daily arraign before it men and institution
} regardless of past utility or present dignity
J SO const antly do they press themselves upoi
the public, so unremitting are they In thei
labors aud so much skill do they acquire AM
so much genius do they develop that 1t is 10
strange that they succeed i'm holding nj
d. enough real blemishes in the imperfect erea
= ltions of fallible man to win for themseive
quite a goodly hearing and considerable
reputation. The work these professiona
i critics accomplish indirectly is good one
J. but their motives are mercenaTy, their pun
], poses heartless, and their attacks conscience
y y less. They are yandals whose unholy an
d ruthless hands wouldtear down every pillar
temple of the past with the blindness OF
Sampson. They never rebuild. They ar
| either buried i'm the ruins or their hand lose
| its cunning for any honest work. r..a
Our educational system has not escape
n conflict with these pullers-down Of that whic
So is time honored and established. lt has o.
cupied too large and conspicuous positio
| and offered too good face for attack. 1t hs
been thought The richest heritage our father
beaueathed us. 1t has certainly been tf
characteristic institution Of our age and I'll
= most significant part OF the policy oil o.
o government. In the minds Of our people
Y las been supposed to constitute the stronge
" factor of government. Ii had too deep
: foundation I'm the reason, the experience an
- the affection of our people to be easily sh
ken. The attack has upon it been asubtle ont
- First one feature and then another has bee
DETAINED and defaced and at last the enen
has come bo Idly out and declared the inst
!, tuition not only complete failure but po
tive factor for evil in our midst.
The party which thus sweepingiy denoun
es the tenderest oDJect OF the patFiots ahe
tion IL not of one mind. 1t Ii made up
three classes--First, those who wish TO lin
liberty of conscience; second-those who
hearts are still tickled and their eyes dazzi
by fiattering aristocratic distinctions. ii
. common school has ever been the ayowed I
of ranks and orders of nobility. With mo
- of wisdom than principle this second ella
seeks It's overthrow. The third class q
those who hate anything old and sacred q
covet the name and fame Of reforiners. I
first two classes are working little harm, !
cause the spirit of the American people "
, not listen to subversiye ideas hayingsn O
- GUS purposes In view. But the last class
been gathering SO much strength from day
n day aud are so guarded In their approach
:" upon the question that they are an enemy
y no mean proportions. Perhaps the best y
. resentalive of this stalwaf order Is Richi
: Grant White, and his seyerest attack the
. ticle published over his signature In
.sFdl North American Rerieac for, December ls
This individual Is professional critic OF
wears training. He has never been knows