The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-06-16
THE NORMAL COMMENCEMENT.
BaoeAlauroate Address OF President

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audience of Emporia citizens.
At little after o'clock the gradua
ting class and faculty of the institution
proceeded from the parlor to the as
sembly room. The class marched NJ
first in double file in alphabetical order
and took the front seats on the middle
aisle, where they remainded standing
until the fsculty, followed by Revs
Messrs. Cordley and Kirby, marched
through and took seats upon the ros-
strum. The class then sat down, when
President WEIGH rose and announced
prayer by DIR. CordleY. After prayer
the Normal choir rendered a song in an
excellent manner. President WEIGH
then came forward to the stand, and, az
ter making the commencement an
nouncements, proceeded to deliver the
Baccalaureate address. The effort de-
tracted none from the fame of the speak
er, but was filled with the most practical
thoughts concerning home, school and
society as factors in the problem of edu-
cation. He thought that the problem of
4
laws governing the potential attribute
of the human organism, of the SEN
sorium, and of the mind.
To discover the laws and principles
controlling the nature of the individual,
has been the object of research among
educators ever since it has entered the
catalogue of science, and the thinkers on
the subject have, by their peculiar pro-
cess of reasoning, divided themselves in
three classes, as follows: FIIst, that the
child is born with certain capabilities,
and these will direct his energies IN a
predestined course, and no amount of
training can divert him from that
course; second, that the essence of mind
is the same in all children, and that they
possess certain individuality of their
own. This class of philosophers claim
that the duty of the instructor is TO deter
mine what that individuality is. But
this places too great responsibility upon
the teacher or parent, as it virtually
places the absolute destiny of the child
in the charge of teachers. Third, that
children possess potential power, mOdi-
fed by individuality, surroundings and
conditions and that no other force than
these can change the individuality, and
shape the future of the child. No
amount of training will make Webster
OF Grant The speaker laid down the
principle, that every man has limits,
which no amount of training can enable
him to pass, but that few,
if any, ever reach that limit. He
proceeded, by illustration, TO prove this.
He said that the mind was not like
piece of blank paper, upon which the
parent or teacher can write what he
pleases, but that the mind has certain
inherent capabilities and powers, which
develop and unfold, when the proper
conditions are presented. The query of
the educator, is how to combine these
conditions, so as to make the most of
them. MedIOcrity may serve in some
pursuits. but it is evident that i
should never be countenanced by parent
or teacher, when the object is to de-
| velop the human mind. Education can
never become a science until parents
and teachers learn 10 command the sur
roundings, and direct them in primary
training. If the childhood training of
the child has been neglected or mIsdi-
rectcd-that period of his life so i'm
portant to moulding habits not i'm
proyed-the school never has nor never
can make amends for the mischief of
neglect. 1t may still do its part, but
that infantile development still remains
unrealized.
1t is necessary that the child
should acquire numerous ideas of things
while young, so that he may have a
foundation to build upon when he starts
to school; his perceptive powers are,
therefore, active during this period of
life, and like some persons dignity, al
ways sticking out TO be insulted by
everything that passes. This accounts
for the lively, restless and inquisitive
nature of children. This disposition is
often interpreted meGnness by parents
and teachers, and the child severely
punished for conforming to the natural
demands OF its being. This very dispO-
sitiOn puts it in possession of all the
elements of knowledge, known to the
philosopher, who startles the world by
the discovery of some great truth. Chill
dren are great imItators. They learn
not by teaching so much as by instruc-
ton. Certain laws are proposed, which
bear upon this principle. First, teachers
cannot learn children; they can only
Instruct them; second, wealth is
not barrier to education
as some suppose; third, exercise
is the law of development; and fourth
the proper time to give exercise is in
childhood.
The child, at a very early age, &C
quires intultiVely the ideas of right,
wrong, beauty, truth, cause, &c. This
implies the activity of the faculties Of
judgment, and conscience. The judg
ment at this early age is, of course, often
in error, rs it is in all ages, but the con
science, or the ought, and ought not fac
ully is nerer at fault. The judgment
may decide tn do this or that, and do il
in this way or that, and be in error, bu
the conscience, which enforces the judg
meni, is never untrue TO its trust. Hence
the necessity for experience, or data, up
on which to make proper decisions, il
the great demand of the child's mind
The nature of the child thirsts for ex
pcrience. If he places his own object:
of thought before him, so as to acquire
r his knowledge, independent of others
he is said to he a selEmade man; anC
: the person who has the tao
; to select proper objects o
: study, and place them befor'
the child, so that he will be anx
ious to learn of its qualities, is tru'
S teacher. 1t should be remembered tina
7 the objective surroundings of the child
direct his ideas of the good, the beau
tiful and the true, and the time for the cul
tivatiOn of the percepiive is in youth b.
intelligent, loving parents. ChildreI
should be taught things and not word
alone. The principal difference in IN
progress of two boys, of seemingly equa
}. ability, viii be found to rest in the fac
r that one has ideas of things, while tn
s other has words, perhaps, but lack
ideas.
= Sometimes schools are said 20 be Goo
: less institutions, for the reason that pI
pills swear, lie, cheat, etc. While it
I" of the highest importance to have a mo
: al teacher in school, yet the morality {
- the school cannot depend upon the cha
y acter of the teacher. If childre