National Republican., 1883-02-22

nation I've arc affected by foreign opinion
perhaps less than other countries, because of
our distpnCe and because Of our consciousness
of having n special national function and
destiny different from those of European
states But the recognition that has begun
to he accorded us by nations abroad will
wakcn \ new regard for foreign opinion
and plCvc great educational influence
through the increased ntcr-cOmmunication
by travellers, by commerce. and especially by
literature, which describes our national man
ncrs rs seen from the point Of view of Eng
land or France, or Germany"
DR.. Harris went on Mt length showing that
at the end of another century this country
would have 30O,0O0,O00 of English speaking
people Nl united under the same laws aud
acting With tremendous influence on the old
world civilization. Developing tho second
idea, he taid This general relation of cdu-
cation 10 wealth, production brings us
close 10 the question of so-cal!cd in-
dustrial schools, manual training schools,
school shops, and the like. IL is
clear that such schools are in demand, and
rightly 80. But IL is not so clear that they
should bC incorporated with tho common
! school CluCatiOn or in any way cncrOach on
| the time honorcd disciplincs of the common
/ schools namely, reading, writing, arithmetic,
I geography, grammar &C., or indeed take the
! place ui any thing that can be called general
/ instruction. Sclf.directive intelligence makes
! for itsci avenues Of employment. Directive
! power il the only power that Is never wasted
/ IerctUlrc the directive power of n people
| has always been given the best education that
/ the naii,n was able TO furnish. 1t is agreed
| that thisage is one of productive industry.
I Its active prin Cplc Is invention, especially
mcChau. invention. Every day we hear of
some uCv discovery that harnesses n new
force oi nature and compcls IL to work for
man and assist in providing means of food,
clothing and shelter, or means of intCr-cOm-
municaton and the spread of knowledge.
/ Mind, MT the body, is the inventive power (;
/ the directive power that can manage and use
, machine, to advantage is mental and not
| physical sllill. The growth of invention is so
| rapid tlat the increase of manufacturing
| power by the aid of machinery Is said to
/ double, Dr all the world, once in seven years.
/ The multiplication of steam engines, and the
| improvement of machines renders this pos
/ siblc What unintelligent hand labor Is there
! that In, any certainty of being in demand
/ ten years hence? More than this, what trade
is there that can count on using, ten years
/ hence, IL st the kind of technical skill that it
/ requires lOw?
| The history of the present era of industries
| shows q continual shifting of voCatiOus--no
! vocation having any long lease of life. The
new discovery will make the trade learned
! TODAY, after II long and tedious apprentice
]
! which depends on manual dcXtcrity may be
rendered valuClcss by new application of
| machinery. The practical education, there
| fore, Is MT an education of the hand to Skill
| but of he brain to directive intelligence.
/ The Cduated man can learn to direct II new
| machine in three weeks, while it requires
/ three years te learn new manual labor. The
| hand trained for twenty years ut one kind OF
/ labor, cannot learn II new work requiring
/ different skill, because the muscles have be-
come set and stiilcned into one
/ form OF action. An uneduCatCd workman
| will be Il rOwn aside Operish in an almshouso.
Only tho versatile intelligence is able to meet
| the demands Of the age of productive indus!
| try. W, are sometimes told by political econ
| the governing power Invention should. not
| be permitted. The Chinese government, we
| are assured, is paternally watChful in this
! matter OF protecting the labOrcr in his voca-
| ton No misChicvous inventions arc allowed
| to supcrs3de the good old ways of production
| But then man can make no progress in the
! conquest of nature without mechanic inven-
| ton. All but one in q thousand will be
doomed To toll like slaves for scanty pit
| tancc of food, clothing, and shelter, If no aid
| is to be ihvoked from machinery. The evil
arising from the rcadustmcnt of vocatons,
rendered necessary by new inventions, can be
relieved by two measures First, the iacili-
ties of Immigration into uninhabitcd border
lands Oiltt to all people pressed for room in
the old homes and to all poorly paid laboreri
the OppoI Itunity to remove to localities where
they maT till the rich soil on set up their me-
Chanical industries for the benefit of n new
population in need of their wares. Hope and
courage aEe stimulated in the new immigrant
by the SPECTACLE of the results of his labors
which co1ve wilderness into q civilized
country il n short time
The gplnnl mangtirp N rpmOyn the evil oil
change oil vocation is to educate all labOrers
and thCrtby make them versatile and able
TO pass irkm one kind of labor to another
without bdous training and waste of power
In viewof the necessity for educated direct
i've powct in an age of productive industry
when the kuperintendenCe of machines is the
chief ind dhstrial business, is q general educa;
tiOn that gives one insight into nature anC
into the human mind too much. In repre-
sentative democracy, in which the laws that
govern property and personal rights are made
by the representatives elected by all the peo
pie, including the humblcst citizens of the
country, Is any education to good for tn,
| peplc? The American people answer, NO
| Dr. Harris was followed by
DIR. HENRY RANDALL WAITE,
of the tenth census, whose able address, yer,
| briefly cpltomized said that Boston pub
! Usher once said he owed his success to effort
| to utilize the laws of nature. His successful
attempt in the application of sound philoso
! ply in the management of business affair
| illustrates the results which may obtain II
! larger degree if the lessons deducible from
facts relating to the important relations o
life can ho made more accessible, and be NOR
commonly studied. The chief object of edu
Gators and students alike is the mean
| to fit men for their rightful place
in the social organism. Education
therefore should include whatever may maxi
this end the more easily attainable. Tn
study Of statistics facilitates this attainment
| Industrial education is really tho enlargin
and pcrlecting of the system of object teach
ing. 1t takes from this that which was ab
stract and theoretical, and gives il, as applied
TO useful arts, practical bearing Whel
asked what part in it the artistic and decor
tive shall have, compared with manual labo
of grossCr sort, it will be well to observe tn
order of sequence in which the truer function
of man are first exercised, and tn
relation which the various steps i
industrial education bear to this sc
quence. IL then we find observation
through the eye preceding knowledge &c
quircd through the sense of touch, this vii
aid us In the arrangement of the various step
in industrial education We may thus dc
termnc the two most important problems G
the question under what circumstances in
dustral education may be proiitably EN-
ployod aud how to employ II TO the best ad
vantage. The application of these method
is various The conditions in city and coul
try are different. The study of the naturf
laws thus referred to will lead to the bes
order of sequence, and the best methods /
the practical use of an industrial system {
training in schools when it is found appl