McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-04-03

the nik hit meetings have been Largely at
tended, crowded houses showing the ap-
probation and interest. Over one hun
dred popular lectures have been de-
livered. Let this interest be fully
awakened and much may be hoped
from it. But we must not stop here !;
much more is required.
1t may be well for few moments to
look at the dark side, and see what
there is for us to do. Many of you
are acquainted with the difficulties and
defects of our work. 1mperfectly
trained teachers, public indifferentism,
poor facilities, meager support, crowd
ed houses, imperfect graduation, and
last but not least, imperfect system OF
training and want of learning in the
systems pursued. We have mixed
population and as a consequence we
have the ideas and systems of all parts
of the union; nay, of all parts of civ
ilization, and in some respects we pre-
sent the serio-comic view of an army
whose captains are all major-generals
and whose soldiers are captains. Comic
that such an army should start upon a
career of invasion and subjugation; Sc
rious that such sad failures, such losses
of time and opportunity must needs
occur before better organization can
render such splendid material fit for
aggressive action. Each one of US has
his system or no system, and each fol-
lows his own leadership. Criticism are
freely offered upon our system of coun-
ty superintendent; some desire the
system abolished and the commissioner
system of Ohio established, because sit
is so much better. you know" Others
think success impossible unless the
township system is established. And
so one desires one thing and another
another, failing to take advantage of
what we have and vainly repining for
something better. A few days ago, in
conversation with Superintendent Gass,
of Michigan, asked him what he
considered among the greatest diff
culties in the wav of successful adj
ministration, and he answered, that
a few years ago they had adopted
the township system of super
vision, and the difficulties had
been largely increased in consequence.
So far as l am concerned l have
found no perfect system: some grave
defects exists in all known systems.
Instead of recognizing these facts we
have been largely wasting our time,
not improving what we have but in
puzzling our brains for some perfect
system in which the difficulties shall be
reduced to zero and the beauties and
PROJECTIONS raised to intinity, forget
ting that zero is but sign of infinity.
AS school children we wrote in our
copy books, with little idea of the
meaning, "There is no royal road to
learning" and as teachers, we have
placed the same legend upon the board
in 6ourishing capitals, before our adj
miring pupils, and often l fear with
but little better comprehension of its
meaning. Blind leaders of the blind.
With professed faith in the truth of
the legend, we have each sought some
byway, some shortcut, some patent
method by which we can escape the
steepness of the plebian road and dis
cover some royal route to the temple OF
Minerva. [ am sometimes prone to
think that the old.fashioned Irish
schoolmaster came nearer finding the
royal road than anyone else, and that
the wisdom of Solomon has not failed
with the lapse of centuries. Superin-
tendent Cove, of Denver, writing upon
this subject Says, in q recent article
addressed to young teachers:
"Do not accept and appropriate the
many devices, shortcuts and patent
methods recommended to you through
the professional press, just because
some well-advertised name appears as
the deviser. You read about new
education, an unfortunate misnomer.
There is no new education. A new
combination of methods, different
grouping of appliances, rearranging OF
causes and sequences, are the study and
practice of the profession.
eff you are working in your school
room with all the originality, personal
ity and genius that your studies and
your ambition can awaken, yours is a
new education quite as mnch as the
great something sometimes now written
as a proper noun. By study, and OBJ
servation, and experience, and contact,
and conflict, and consultation one with
another, teachers learn to make and
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