The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-21

letters the portals of many atemple of learn
ing, "Knowledge is power-nH Tootr fathers,
public school education had not the imme-
diate meaning of morality or immortality. 1t
meant that mediately or ultimately but irnn1e-
didtely meant power and the powerof Q good
spirit. The power of knowledge TO them
was largely the power Of thought, aud
thought they knew to be the only magnet
around which are apt to gather the prosper
Gus isues of life. Reading, writing and
arithmetic were prescribed studies, but mo
ralty was not one of the branches taught.
Please do not understand me to imply by any
means that the good men who first moulded
the plan Of public school work did not !ex-
pect them 10 have great moral influence.
They underrated less than we do, perhaps, 4
the silent but powerful influence of "a beau
tifuD character upon character. They ex-
pected the touching narrative of the recita-
tion hour. the very tone Of a busy community
of little ones, and the occasional words of
reproof and direction from the teacher to en-
gender noble purposes create admiration for
right living and make the heart tendefiy
sympathetic and susceptible TO the better in
fuences of life But the main object In
view In the establishment Of schools was to
provide place where all the prospective cit
izens of our great Republic might be quail
zenship and fitted in some measure to reap
the benefits of civilization. This, they wise
ly held was to be compassed by the promo
ton of habits of right thinking-a pretty
good guarantee of morality.
Did any one before me ever think why 1t
Is that some work on morality is not system
atically studied I'm all our schools?, tAll OF
you have heard some Pharisee, on the street
corner, say again and again good morals are
not taught in our public schools. He points
to the boy who lies and the boy who swears
as their tangible product. In his Judgment
work on morality ought to be crammed in
to the poor boys system and, II the dose was
properly administered. would result in caus-
ing the heart that has been desolated by the
adverse influences of home and society to
overflow with kindly deeds and noble pur-
poses. But no such work is studied, and no
such result would ensue If there were.
Moreover, he would be marvellous teacher
that should prove himself able In six hours
| to neutralize and supplant the evil influences
| of eighteen hours.
This is a reason why teachers do not call
I'D their respective classes Of pupils every
| day and tell them what is right and what is
wrong. In the first place, 1t Is not the special
province of the teacher to do so !; secondly,
good morals cannot be learned from books
or words. The spirit of them Is that impalp-
able spirit of rightness that cannot be caught
In words. 1t is in the social atmosphere
about us, and, like the air plant, draws upon
the inexhaustible stores of the world for its
nourishment. The spirit of industry mani
fest In every we'll disciplined school Is the
mighty power that effects most Of the heart
| education of the child while in the school
room. The Bible Is read in many schools as
4 a sort of manual of morals, but the mere
reading of it is not likely to work any won
derful change in child character. 1t Is the
| teacher who reflects and seasonably, not OBJ
trlsively, emphasizes its teachings, and the
home and society that sheds such influence
upon the child life that strengthen character.
Ii is pleasant to meet with teachers who
understand in some degree the extensive iri-
fiuence they ought to exert and may exert on
those under their charge. We know they are
doing their duty we'll. They are bnrdened
with that sense of responsibility, without
which there can be no intelligent, fruitful
action the world over. 1t has been said to
be "the most obtrusive conviction of hu.
man conscience, the mosl solemn fact Of all
our lives.n Ii Is o condition from which We
would not be released, H we could, for 1t h
the source OF the holiest restraints, the spring
of the nobiest actions, and lays upon us
commands, In the keeping of which there !:
great reward" A teacher can have none Il
much of 1t. And yet is fact that one hal
ofthe world is bearing the burdens OF the
other half. IT the proper proportion OF thu
burdening sense could be put where 1t be-
longs-the careless and querulous classes O
socIety-thOse who do nothing but grumbl'
and groan because others do not, dispel tn,
, dark clouds that fill the social and politica
: skies-would very soon have the scales fal
from, fhoir ayag and the parmpnt 0f selfish
ness from their souls. r~
: IL is fiattering to be told and to believe tha
: our profession moulds the destiny of the ma
} tion and the world; but 1t Is q travesty upol
7 truth, an injury to our school system and
libel upon society. Teachers can stand it 4
: have such great things expected Of them, be
, case they .&s can a. shift the loa'
, from one to another's shou lders, and alway
4 Just before they are about to accomplish tn
task, the friendly hand Of Death removes tn
5 restraint, and the little world in which the
: have ruled hopes for better things iron
A their successors. The poor school system
r cannot die, and gets no relief, and unless
: more sensible public RENTS apart ofits wor
a it will certainly be kicked out Of the world
Il Is has got itself into about sucha fix as tn
n Hindoo potter did. Unduly prond Of hi
j work and position in society, but envious Q
I n successful wasfimaii, he went to the Kin
!, | and suggested that the washman be CON
y manded to wash one Of the Kings black els
r phauts whites The washman wisely turne
r around and suggested that the potter make
s vessel in which to do the job. The eie
d plants foot proved too much for the britt
n ware, and the potter lost his head. Th
Il teaching profession must not magnify its O
}. flee too much, or it will meet with the sam
e fate. The direct moral influence Of HON
l. nd he rf
|; vastly superior to that of the school, and "
d cannot afford to have them set US an ell
+ ephantine task in keeping with our ART
y eance. We are really defendants. We ca
h give no moral food but that which society !
:, l5general declares palatable. We come ou
It selves from society, and we can only wor
t. hand i'm hand with its varied and powerft
3 agencies for good. cannot leave this sui
70 iect this evening without alluding briefly
le the most plausible salient point which Riel
le ard Grant White makes against cur schoo
n not our school system. he insists that u
II schools furnish anondescript, hybrid clas
{ unfit for professional or mercantile iiie, u
r willing or unable TO be farmers or arttzans
% These are his words, with much more to Il
= same effect. That the graduates OF OF
n schools are many Of them Of just this cha
q acter, none Of us can question. There Is .
q idea &revalent among those who obtain
3 smattering of an education that they q
IS above labor. Il would have been we'll aga
ID If Richard Grant White had remember'
IN that " "coexistence does not imply come
"a tion.p The source Of the ideaaisiina societ
or Not q teacher In this convention but a
Ne been approached by parents with the, exho
le tation: 4 Do as vel. rs yoe can BY John i;
d don't want Inn TO work Is hard o his faith
V end mother have Gdone!sas Rhe child hes
d such wAhes constantly expressed and he so'
g. cbmes to believe that the main object of 9
~ ucstiori ID to destroy the necessity Of labc
re and such . belief is necessarily followed
p the idea that labor IL not only undesirat
- but degrading. aiflia9 sl.i f7 aaa5imnioa r
10 Richard Grant White and many othe
% would find remedy for this In compulso
o. industrial schools. Such schools have
~ place, properly, in city systems Of schot
~ where there Is b large class for whom (
80 rents and guardians can make no provisi
o. for learning trades. | might say. also,
ne such places there is always Large class
Of have no guardians, and under the prese
- system grow upi In vice. Isay industr
or schools can find place in cities, butthrouf
le, out the country generally are not needed,a
rs even in cities such institutions ought not