Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1885-10-02
Weston Weekly Leader.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER ., 1885.

THERE ara general principles, in
religion and politics for example,
that sse capable of almost mathe-
maticalIy demonstration, that are
able to withstand the fercest at
tacks Of adverse and ignorant criti-
cisn. Bot even upon these princi-
pies creeds and parties are often
bitterly divided. This must be due
to defective understandings, to the
fac: that men do not obey the in
junction, Try all things, hold fast
thlt which is good" Some men
seldom reason about anything:
they take their ideas upon trust
from others; they are too often un-
able to tell why they believe as they
do. Beliefs thus entertained may
oftsn be correct, but those enter
tanning them do not know that they
arc true. Even when true their be-
lisfs are mere superstitiens or pre-
judices. A rational being ought to
know the grounds of his opinion.
1t is seldom, however, that much
can be done in convincing men
whose habits Of thought are fully
and enormously formed. The nind
that has not been trained to exam
inc carefully its methods of arriv-
ing at conclusions will find it diff
cult to adaEt itself to unbiased in
vsstigation. The mind. like the
body, is strong only in those parts
that have constant exercise. 1t
woald be difficult to make an athlete
cut Of man Of fifty who up to
that time had not developed his
muscle. 1t would be just as diff.
cult to make a logical reasoner out
of man of fifty who all his life
had been in the habit of "junpine
a. conclusions" or blindly follow
ing the lead of his church or party
1t il to the young that We must
look for great measure of the
needed improvement. Our public
schools unfortunately do not furn
ish the aid in this direction tina
might be expected Of them. Thougl
improving in this respect, their tru,
purpose is too often overlooked
The amount of actual knowledg,
acquired at school should be of sec
ondary Importance; the intellectual
training should always take tn
first place. The boy who has bsel
pushed through the Arithmetic
simply that he may know how t
Figure well" has been deprived Q
the best part of a mathematics
training and has carried off nothin
but the husks. To cram a DO
with dry facts, moi matter how in
portant they may BE, does not ed,
cate him, does not lead him out
does not teach him to reason fo
himself. 1t is infinitely better
have him know a few things vel
to give him the habit Of clear thin
ing than to fill him with facts {
which he has no rational conception
Mathematics properly taught wi
give the mind a habit Of reasonir
closely and correctly, will lead it
observe the connection and depen
ence Of ideas and the foundatic
upon which they rest. This resu
is the cream of a mathematical ed
cation; the actual knowledge a
quired is simply the skinned mi
upon which the rich result reste
Scholars are too often fed on t
skinned milk. And 50 in O less
degree with almost every 9th
branch of study. Our schoc
might be made the mears Of givil
excellent intellectual training. B
as long as parents persist in judgi
n teachers fitness simply by t
amount Of knowledge he has i
parted without inquiring into t
methods employed or intellectr
advancement made, just SO long W
teachers find it difficult to do j,
tics to their noble calling.
THE Chinese question is ag'
coming into prominence on t
Coast. The revelation of disgu
Ing Chinese practices in Califera