The Portland daily press., 1881-02-28
The Adams Family as Educators.
A Pleasant Satire.
Boston Traveller

boston Tfaveller.1
The Adamses are universally admired for
their ability to make the world believe that
what they do politically is the thing that all
the world ought to DO, and that they never
change, but all the rest OF the world does
When they are Republicans, it is because the
Democratic party has deserted them and when
little later they are Democrats, it is because
the parties have changed over and left them Oh
the other side; and thus the changes in the
world at large go on, but they change never.
Bit their great attraction now Is the education
al field, and Charles Francis Adams, Jr, is
advertising the family immensely by his much
printed pedagogical essay with variations.
We have had curiosity to look into the family
record little, and it was such interesting read
ing that we jotted down certain thoughts that
came to us as we porel over the educational
writings of the Adams family. Charles Fran
els Adams was on the school-committee OF
Quincy from 1852 to 1856, and was, of course,
chairman OF the committee-who else could
have been? During these years he writes, in
1852: ''The standard OF instruction has greatly
risen, and is rising yet. In no town has ad-
vance been more marked than in Quincy. All
the teachers for the past year are entitled to
great credit" In 1858: 'The schools gensr-
ally are in very satisfactory condition. 1t is
not too much to say of them that they will
now compare with schools of the same grade
anywhere. Nowhere has the result been
more satisfactory-highly satisfactory. High
est appreciation" In 1851: "Ths grammar
school is now in all respects in an excellent
condition" In 1856: eve have heard reci-
tations in the high school in French, in geom-
etry. in algebra, in Greek and in Latin, which
would have done credit to any school in our
Commonwealth.
We thus learn that under the admirable di-
rection Of Charles Francis Adams from 1852 to
1856 the schools of Quincy Eere satisfactory,
admirable, equal to any in the State. Nothing
more lavish could have been said. He then
resigned the reins to John Quincy Adams,
who was on the committee in 1857, 1859-1SG1
and 1S70-1SSo, the last eight years as chairman.
In 1857 his committee say Of the work of the
year: Equal to the most sanguine anticipa-
tions. There is not one of these schools respect
ins which we would speak in terms other than
those of highest commentator" In 1859 the
schools "are source of congratulation and
pride: . schools are excellent
method and manner with children is peculiarly
happy OF the tN enty-one schools in town
RSt ans In esRs 1ss Of res gsnans
highly satisfactory; schools are good, most of
them very good. 1t is with hearty satisfaction
that your committee can honestly present so
flattering report" In 1870: "The primary
schools =. are in excellent condition.
The intermediate schools and their
teachers merit our highest commendation;
they are all good. The high school meets our
highest expectation" In 1871 Mr.. Adams
says they have a ''custom of subjecting every
school in town to searching scrutiny by the
whole committee at the close of the school
year in January. This duty was performed
with good deal Of thoroughness. All excel
lent, and all improving, and all doing great
deal of good work for the community. 1t is
difficulty to speak, whore all are so good"
the reign of the Adams family the language
has been as strong as it could be. We do not
see what was left to the incoming Adams
Charles Francis Adams, Jr.) who was elected
in 1872, but to reiterate the grand language of
the family in the past, but, like the Republi-
can party in 1876, which accommodated Charles
Francis Adams, SEN, by going over to the op-
position so as to make way for the Democratic
party to come up to him and give him its GU
bernatorial nomination, so the entire school
system of Quincy "went to pieces" in order to
give Charles Francis Adams, Jr., chance to
make himself educationally immortal, and the
bottom suddenly dropped out from those
schools that had for twenty years been SO high
ly satisfactory, admirable, excellent and un-
equalled, and the children knew nothing of
arithmetic, geography, grammar. spelling or
reading. The great political parties never ac-
commodated the senior Adams so opportunely
as the Quincy schools did the Junior, and, in
1875, he says: 'This vain attempt to build up
nohg costing the sornTy nnGa millions
tai bankruptcy il the stupendous fraud is not
soon abolished, and healthier plans of better
teaching" etc. In his essay styled "New De-
parture, he says OF the schools at the time they
went to pieces" for his benefit, that the teach
er turned his scholars into parrots and made
a meaningless farce of education. For
real results he cared nothing. q. Smatter
is the order of the day. Old, sympa-
thetic listless schOolmarm The commit
tee sat upon the platform in dignifed silence.
Examinations q study for the humo-
rist" But of course this thing did not con-
tnue under the management of the incoming
Adams. OF course things are in an admirable
he modest1y (?) says of his new ideas: "Their
application produced as great change
in teaching as Harvey's great discovery did in
medicine" "The infant schools are tranformed
from painful to pleasant places" Tho ex-
cellency or popularity of our schools has ex-
cited great deal of interest among those per-
sons more particularly observant in such mat
ters." "The people of Quincy have reaped and
are gathering to-day harvest Of greater vol
ume and value" etc. REALLY surprising pro-
gress has been effected in the schools" "a
degree of excellence and thoroughness," etc.
"a high degree of excellence where excellence
is most unusual" I'VE must frankly confess
that we are in great measure satisfied with
the work we are doing, and have good reason
to anticipate constantly increasing improve
ment as we can apply our principles more thor
oughly."
Eureka! What a record for one family to
make in thirty years! Schools always above
criticism except when it is absolutely essential
scion of this honorable educational family.