Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-03-27
Ex-presldent nares on Hdnc,ilon.

dreas. lie took for his text the subject Of
Education. Among other things worthy
Of attention In his remarks was the follow
ing, which will be accepted as practical
and timely:
make IL a rule that do not depart
from, when get an audience that is prct-
W well seated and can't get away from me
TO speak of my hobbies. One of my hob
bies 10 on the subject OF education. Do
not misunderstand me. / do not wish 10
crilicise our sys,em of public schools.
do not belong to that class who say that
they cost too inuch that we do moi get our
money back ,thata dollar is not well expend.
ed for publies chools. But l suppose there
are defects that may be remedied, there are
additions that may be made, and il l were
now to name some OF them l should speak
OF at least two topics.
First, while il lie well that we study the
history and geography of the Jewish ma
tion, because we got our religion from
that; well to understand the biography
and history of the Greeks, because we get
our finest literature from them; well TO
understand the history of Rome, for many
reasons, yet II seems to me that too much
attention relatively has been given in
academies, schools and colleges to the his
tory and biography OF ancienls and not
enough to that of America.
We learn IN school of the higher gr,de,
the Hebrew langunge-the later scriptures
were in that language. Some should be
instructed in Hebrew. We are taught
Latin and Greek. Now, the reform that
should go through all our schools on this
subject is this: We should learn the liv.
ing languages German aud French, and
above all we should study far more than
we do in our schools the literature and
language that we call English.
(Applause.
colleges that can talk glibIy about ancient
heroes and the poets Of Greece and Rome
and yet knows very little about the great
poets and historians OF America. And this
is only leading up in the line of reform.
What after all is the object of educa-
ton? Plainly this: TO fit the young for
the duties of life, the young of both sexes.
Now what are the duties of life? What
is the first duty of liie2 Evidently and
plainly to be self supporting, to be able 10
make an honest living. How much are
our schools doing for that? How much
good are they doing? l happened this
week to lie at New York college in which
in about six months n good tLade is taught
to boy, and in the period between twelve
and eighteen the essential parts of several
trades may be taught, and by dvoting only
one or two hours u day during the SIX
,iays of the week to the business. Now L
need not 90 into detail of the system in
particular. Trades used to be learned in
a way which was profitable rather TO the
master than the apprentice, as was explain
ed to me there. where they were teaching
molding. Under the old rules OF the
apprenticeship system boy used TO be
kept shoveling sand about seven years in
learning the trade! All there is in shovel.
ing sand is to be industrious and boy can
learn it in fifteen miuets, and in six
months, all the art and history OF mold
ing.
Now in Toledo they have started on
this principle in which one hour is given
a day to the pupils Of the public schools
twenty-four of them at time, three times
twenty.four in course oil day; and
similar instructions for the girls. The
point Is 10 teaCn them enOuSH III tho mo
place to respect honest labor, and in the
second place by honest labor to make a
living. Now 60 one step farther thar
some friends Of industrial education. L
is not merely to make them self-support-
J ing. l am confident, from nay knowledge
of men that there is no better way to give
a man mastery of his intellectual facul
ties and to discipline his mind than b,
having him learn trade. OF course fo
lille The ordinary work is done by rote
> automatically, without thought, but while
you are learning, it must be done by th,
concentration of the faculties on the worl
/, in hand. You mus, give your mind to
e or you will have mishaps and breakages
No man now gives to his son the education
he ought to have, the best possible ednca
:. tion, unless he gives him that training @
e the judgment and of his hands which
d best acquired by using the implements c
). the farm or the work shop. L speak
this from some amount of experience.
; have been on the Board of Directors {
: this, that and the other, and three times !
y four you will find that the man who ca
4 at once bring his full attention to lh
: subject that is before the board, decid
I promptly and accurately, is the one VIII
II had training on the farm or in the sho
r and not the man who wasted his tim
r reading novels. wish to have such a
arrangement introduced into our who
d educational system. [Applause