The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-31


per county, and others.
Rev. o. G. McCuloeh delivered an address on
the ''MoFal Education of the Young" an abstract
of which, as he spoke without notes, would not
do the address Justice.
D. d. Luke, superintendent of the Seymour
schools, read paper on profit and Loss of the
Graded School System" He thought the schools
were to the State what the soil and moisture of
the ground are to the stately oak-that they have
an interest to subserve in the culture of individ
uas for good citizenship; that the city system
OF schools are the type of the graded system as
whole. Tho efficiency of any system must be
judged by results. That in so far as the graded
system of schools meets to good advantage the
requirements of sound culture, indispensable to
a liberty loving and industrial citizenship, it is
profit; its shortcomings, loss. He regarded as
profits from the principle of division of labor as
practieed in the graded system, ~ increased
skill, ~ it gives the teacher better knowledge
of her work, (3) it saves time in
changing from one subject to another,
4) it affords better opportunities for the teacher
to invent, as a means TO an end, and ~ the
principle increases the adaptation of physical
and mental abilities He thought that loss, in
the working of the principle occurred in that it
tends ~ to enervate the operations because it
does not give full activity to the development of
bodily functions, and (2) in loss of individuality
on the part of both teacher and pupil. He
thought the tendencies might be compensated
by the teacher devoting certain portion OF her
time to studies outside of her profession. The
influence of the system is of advantage ~ with
respect to discipline ~ it afforded better means
for intellectual discipline. A loss occurred in
~ the general health of the pupil ~ in the de-
gree of proficiency owing to too many stud
les. He thought the chances of a pupil
getting through with the average course of
high schools with sound and mental -sensibiities
was about as one to three; that the pupil would
either fail OF come out with only a smatterng
of what he had gone over. He thought the
tendency to read trashy literature was charge
able to the methods of study practiced in graded
school; pupils being hurried through the
course had no time to practice thought, and
hence a dislike to read subjects requl ring
thought. He thought the graded system of
schools gradually discarding its machine
methods and moving toward more rational
basis He could see no reason why the system
could not be made the best means for sound
culture. and the furtherance of civilization ever
devised by the mind of
The afternoon proceedings opened with recita-
tons by BERTHE Feiblemar, ten-year-old boy.
of this city, and Mrs Laura Moffatt of Rush
VILE
Professor Kenaston, superintendent of schools
of Attica, read a strong paper on Education as
Science" He defined education as develop
ment and training of the faculties and mind.
Education is a science and art--not an empiric
method way, which is praeticing the most
difficult of all arts without any knowledge of its
principles. Educational science shall give the
teacher deeper insight into the nature and con-
ditions of mental growth. Methods gained by
experience are not enough, thorough study Of
the childmnd will show how to cultivate the
whole being. He discussed the order of the I'M
folding of the faculties and the adaptation of
studies to each stage7of growth, the threef fold
objects of education, the conditions of good
teaching, the errors in memory training,
the onesided work. leaving out training
of will and moral facilities, He thought many
pupils received ammunition and not skill,
strength and courage and showed how much de-
pends on first nurture, environments and hered-
ity. lie gave several questions to be settled by
educational science and closed by saying that moth
ing could take the place of the great hearted, rich
souled, cultured teacher. 1t was scientific dis
cussion of the great principles that underlle the
teachers work
This paper was discussed by the association
generally, and was followed by the annual ad-
DRESS which wasdelivered by Colonel f. w. Par
ker, of the Cook County Normal School, Chicago,
the Colonel being widely known as the of
the Quincy methods. His subject was learning
to Do by Doing" TWAS fine address, taking the
especial ground that the pupil should be taught
by having him to do that which he was designed
to learn, and not by having him do something
else. The lecture was full OF good points and
hard, practical sense, and was listened to with
great attention by the teachers, who, at its con-
clusion, gave rising vote of thanks.
Colonel Parker has left for Michigan, where he
will address the teachers of that State this af-
ternoon
The president of the association was author
lied to appointment committee to nominate
members to fill the places of two on the board
of the State teachers Reading circle, whose
time expires with this meeting.
The report Of State Superintendent Holcombe,
as chairman of the committee on arhor day,
read. 1t presented very complete
statement of the excellent work done by
the Joint committee of the State Teachers
Association and the State horticultural Society,
showing that two arbor days had been set apart
and observed, one on the l4th of April and the
other on the 18th of November. Over one hun
bred different localities had observed the April day
o,,dp ohab1 tha dau in
Der In the two a large amount of work had
been done in ornamenting and improving school
grounds and looking after the health and beauty
of their surroundings. Accompanying this was
a communication from the State Horticultural
Society expressing qualification at the success of
the movement so far, and the excellent begin
ming that had been made, continuing its COM
mittee and requesting the State Teachers Asso-
citation to do the same, and to take such action
as they thought necessary to continue the work
The report was referred to committee, with
Prof e. q. Smith as chairman, and instructed
to make such recommendations as they thought
best.
The president then appointed a committee to
nominate officers for the ensuing year erd re-
port this afternoon. The afternoon session then
adjourned.
Wallace Bruce delivered his lecture, Woman
hood in Shakespeare" to very large gathering
of the association. He began by saying he was
conscious that he combined in the title of his
lecture two of the best-known words in Ian
guage-Shakspeare, the representative of poetry
and philosophy the accepted teacher
of the nineteenth century; woman
hood, the true quality of wom-
an, her rights and dutes-questons continu-
ally presenting themselves in the press and on
the platform. He said that Shakspeares char
acters were never out of date, and that the gen.
uine qualities of womanhood, like the genius of
the poet, not Of an age, but for all time. He
found further reason for choosing Shak-
speare as the oracle Of in
the fact that ha is one of tha
few writer's who has created four
heroines to one hero which he considered the
true ratio to this day. in actual life He ar
ranged his analysis in three divisions; the ro-
the romantic he placed Miranda, Rosalind,
.Iulint and Onhal1a-nlacina in vivid ct