Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-01-17

More accurately, perhaps, than in the
above title, the objects and scope OF this
paper may be indicated in the statement
that. it aims to show how the common
schools of Kansas might be made more
directly useful to that large class of COM
mon.people who live by the cultivation
of the soil.
Charming somewhere says that ''The
true object of education is to unfold and
direct Alright our whole nature; to call
forth power of every kind, power of
thought, affection, will and outward ac-
ton: power to adopt good ends firmly,
and pursue them efficiently; power to
govern ourselves and influence Others"
l quote this definition in the outset, and
give my adhesion to it heartily, not be-
cause it has any especial bearing upon
my subject, but simply to reassure any
one who from any cause may have gath
cred the imT ressiun that I advance to
this discussion in the spirit of the unor-
thOdox reformer. would see the pupils
in our common schools get real power
''of thought and outward action so that
every student in term or year of school
ing, would gather force such, that like
the modern electric accumulation he
would guide, direct and Vitalize any
machinery to which he might be geared.
WHAT THE SCHOOLS DO NOT DO.
To any unbiased observer our common
school scheme of education must appear
anomalous III the extreme. This system
ignores completely the physical Amer
lean boy and girl. Inferentially we may
suppose that here in Kansas the perfect
man is born without the lurking seeds of
degeneracy. Our schools, too, do not
recognize the existence of moral ma
ture in their pupils, or at least see that
is in any degree worth cultivating; and
finally, the common schools follow liter
ally the scriptural injunction in taking
no thought of the pupils Tomorrow
what he will eat or what he shall drink,
or wherewithal he shall be- clothed. The
future business of the pupil, his life work,
which, in vast majority, of cases may
be almost certainly predicted, gets 40
place in the plans of those who, by a
curious figure of speech. are said to fit
the youth for the 'sbattles of life"
OF the Importance of giving our youth
some knowledge of the elementary prin-
ciples of the ethical science in view of
the prevailing laxity of morals, and of
the great Importance OF physical Gull
ture at that time of life when bodies
grow, or ought to grow, faster than
minds, have nothing here to offer.
am only glad to know that the able ed
ucators have already STRUCK deep fur
rows into these weedy educational fields
so that even now the harvest may be
said to be in sight. have pre-empted
only limited portion of the uncultiva-
ted public educational domain and this
propose to ''work'' in the interests of
that large class of citizens who literally
till the soil.
ICAL.
Let Us first arrange the accessible facts
tending to show the ultimate distinction
in life OF the pupil in our common
schools. According to the U. S. census
of 1870,-and understand that the CEN
sus of 1880 does not materially alter the
ratios here giVen.-there were in Kan
sas III ,343 male persons over 10 years
of age engaged in all the different Occu-
patiOns. OF these 1918, or II per cent
were farmers; 1926, or Is per cent,
were engaged in professional and per-
sonal service; II, TAT, just 10 per cent,
were engaged in trade and Transports
ton; and II, 4O3, about IA percent, in
manufactures, mining and mechanical
pursuits. think that these ratios may
justly and logically be applied to the
school population of the State to-day.
superintendent Speer, in his latest pub
hShed report, states the number of
males enrolled in our Kansas public
schools to be 1S6, 4s4. 1 say nothing
here of the girls, because q common
fate awaits them. Practically every
school boy, whatever his vocation may
be. will be accompanied through life by
a school gIrl; and of the education Of
these school girls to 3 life of usefulness
have nothing TO say. This is.a portion
Of the great unpreempted educational
domain which / do not propose to sx-
plOre here. Now, Of this great number
Of boys, Is in every hrndred will be
teachers, doctors, lawyers and minis
tars; 10 win be engaged in trade and
transportation; Il will be merchants,
-s.o..a - ........s. ......... -h.1.c1 >.