The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-12-06
Educated TO RSeath.

Ten million children are educated
in the public schools Of the United
States at an annual expense Of nearly
S10O,O00,000.
In every respect there figures are
astonishing They show how liberal
ly the palladium Of our liberties" as
the Fourth Of July orator always calls
the school system, is supported, and
also that it includes nearly one-hith |
Of our total population.
These figures may well attract at
tention, and especially that Of parents.
1t is the most natural thing in the
world that in such a vast system
there Should be cons t an +
m IL Lat n and rivalry not
only between scholars, but between
be teachers, to surpass every Other
school.
In this lies a great danger, that Of
educating the children to death. The
recent exposition by the York penn
/, sylvania) Daily of the amount cram
/, med by note into the children in that
= town is one instance out of thous-
g ands, and no one can doubt that the
+ dry facts given to the York scholars
= would produce mental INDIGESTION in
d grammar-school children and tax
: their abilities too far, In the daily
papers OF this very week in which the
h York story is printed appears an ac-
t count Of a bright young girl Of Brook
2 lyn, who was ambitious to be the
g head OF her school Encouraged hy
Is fond but silly parents she worked COZ
h stantly, gained her aim and has just
d become an intellectual and physica
g wreck. The other case is that OF {
ID boy who succeeded in all Of his stud
C. les but one-Latin; fer failing il
I'd which both his teachers and his faith
IT, err reproved him. To save him furth
IF er humiliation, and any repetition o
an his fathers action, he was accustomed
Ne to steal out of bed in the dead O
nd night, and apply himself to his LatiI
nr. until the gray streaks of dawn warne
,e- him of the danger OF being discovere
ld in his undertaking. AS cons'
os- quence the lads nervous systel
le gave way under the strain, an
,ry though he succeeded in his object,
de- is serious question with his docto
vas whether he will ever be restored
ant even tolerabie health
it. Are not these instances enough
NE illustrate the evil of over examining
the the public schools; or if they a
eo- not enough can they not be suppl
pa mented in the personal experience
II any reader?
NO Fathers who think first Of the
ner money-making and mothers VI
row think first of social duties, too oft
neglect the first Of all duties-that
ars their children-and in this neglC
rto- comes the strain OF the schools /
arn cry father and mother should see tn
ex- their children are not forced to stu
is too hard Above all they should l
riv- their influence to do away with
and perncious habit OF studying at hor
d in Over-work is the great complaint
M Americans When it comes to h
ain ing oyer-worked children the pr
car pect is terrible for the future.
1een have too many diseases incidental
NJ modern life and Of these many
,ites traceable directly to the public sch'
with They educate the children to des
INST and instead OF demanding more st
,erve les or more time for study, every n
roll ana woman who has child at sci
new should try to see that the system
the be so modified that the poor child
the ronly need to study not m
,ines more than half the time they do !
nee and that will be almost too much
marc the little ones.-Phils News.