New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-18
SCIENCE AS A HOBGOBLIN.
A PLEA FOR THE PRACTICAL.

vhich science is the bete nor In educaIlon' iH0
fact IL that though modern scencehieo her Apply"
tion century ago for cordial recognition anu ia.'
nlav. she has not yet got either; anu al ,A'9
because the faint OF scoastlclsm Is hot 9o' ~.
ont of orr blood. The conservative interest
succeeds in incnng the tree OF learning 10 sun
itsclf because somehow it succeeds Ill OehuinS '.0
.y;, II shapes the primary school to oDsoiote
5o,s II consumes time and energy ana health
.o.,ors and methods that once were good enough
INT now are bad By the irresistible march OF hlinu
90 have reached to a knowledge OF better me'nouS
and hotter matters, and yet tho Ola oe'o 'n"'
tvrannizcs and terrorizcs in school knows ho'n'"s
-, What n store of energy and enthusiasm anu
evnectation and checrfGlness comes 10 tho Scio''
room in the soul of tho young emu "n"V ."
opportunity to implant the germs Oh hatuo Vl"'
divine truths; to set the soul erect VIZ" " i"'
Iool aud n worldwide sympathy. But We Only
crnsh its expectations, kill ITS enthusiasm
its vision. and mako its intellectual ire oui'n
Tbo hov comes bounding in from the lrco an
hrovant with animal spirits, strong Win eAeio'''
,rchorced with interest in the matcrlai Vh''is'
xyboso nresence and forms and activities nave i'..0
hi, life. Wo now ignore the whole cuiroh' y, -"
nature and tendencies. we doom H'' H0'
WEAKNESS over arithmetic and grammar, us n0','
Go ,veorposs in the sitting air. and his BONES "
WEAKNESS on the unnatural benches we 'n,"N "
make scholars by making boys mlsera'i0' 100
the door fastening moment, anu Oh ho s'o' nv
efervescence- to whatH To mental ar'tHh'0V'0 ON"
svptox and colonial uoliciesl We smile Il negative
~ - i 20 oetio, to things that he Can SEQ, TO
notrro Tn climbing a tree, to digging ROOT 10
oa+hor:nO flags to hunting a squirrel 10 hoIihs "
,yoodchnck TO riding horse, to robDinS pH"
nest TO building n dam. to making wa'oi-"0''
IN framing kite, to guiding sled' lou Sii'i0 90
tnrn. at our simplicity, and IN your iDpiro ~,
i,nuire what profit there is III these thiheS' i"'''
Won saw. is not study; this. you thiAk ti.cr5loi1'
nat education. We DO not pretend IL Is STUDY "''
,,,oL,ov we'll that it is education, and We know
+hot ninetenths Of al the education tho BOY gers
acnuirod without boning"- all that he retains OF
~on,o,,hors with delight. We do not imagine 10y
,,o,,J completo his education through continuity
ofur1irected play. These instincts and aptltndcs'
hvovor do most clearly indicate what powers 're
o,aiest IN como into exercise and whaG themes arc
hcst suted te~occupy his energies ana what
direction educational guidance should take ! no
uniyers,l presence and obtrusiVcnesS anu ihSo'''
finn of the visible forms of nature stand In oe'"'
fnl and suggestive correlation WIN 'ho ooS
,ns,in,ts and ATTITUDES. In short, these boYlsa
r,rts are the open doors to scientific study 10 MORO
careful observation, to comparisons, rec'ruS
;auo,;hns and leluctions and the lead from step
,o s,on never becomes, conscious study, OUT
rthcr n enhance through world OF mover anu
Interesting things. Can this DC galhsaul NcNei
Whom for n moment we Cor get how we wero groduu
through school, frankly admit thaI sucn Is
natures way; but the next moment, rcherlocI'ns
orr tears and groans, We declare all ths h"'u'"'
method is not work; 80 wo knock tho poo' ooJ
o,, the howery path whore he can make pie"S''''
Tnodwav into tho ditch, where he must honnder
and putl-into the bushes, where no must nGh'
tlorns and mosquitoes and thea tell Inn" Now my
hoy Won have got to work to make hcadway
WI hard and Won will get through by tie time
,,, oro of age. You will know nothing about the
b;ch and nowery upland road 10 kEo"F
od,e Int You will understand thorhs
onJ ncrspration and hcartache, and yon
viii haye profound apprehension Oh tuo
seriousoess of schoo,-lfc." Oh, science IS goplh
Sro,n which our teachers flee, fascinating but
destructive siren from whom our chhdIeA must DO
w,rneI AWAY. We arc bound hand ana loot ny
.d tl,. dried conservatism, that neither sees h(r
faoo nor enjoys n supple and juicy vlGor an" inc
-, aud nscful strength that science brings INTO
rro This snrit dosccnds by entail from generation
20 concration OF teachers. 1t gees down III tlc
;oo1 We cannot shake it oil. nor scour IL CUT nor
shame il away. If we could but capture Soihc
teacher of pure blood untainted by thlS Acdi@Vai
,,onlI and bid him have his way with a geher"l'oh
NJ boys and cheer the boys with license 10 co the
-, ,stcod of their lallest, wo might at least shunt
bia mn
and skinny distractions The spirit invoked arises
A. II II ballard. the organizer of tho A5aSsiz
Association. deserves to be hailed as redcemer
f,, tho yoke of this CALLING tradition There are
;ndeed many signs of redemption. There arc many
4, thank. But tho old spirit MAINTAINS It's deadly
grin. tho clog es" are mostly under the ola Dan,
aud all our boys AMI girls are struggling ana
sirhipg and aching under the processes Oh warPlhg
anl erao,,ing AMI hcal-flattening still IN vogue
We said the spirit Of conservatism dominates
+ho higher schools because 1t determines inc DeAt Oh
Abe twIg in the primary schools conversely, IL
.tains Jomiulon in the primary schools By predls-
a',iors iroraiped in tho teachers made in the
iio,cr scb,ols. How shall the child be led IN the
81 If nature if the teacher supplied IS ignorant
90 ,o+urof How shall the teacher DO competent II
elsa who prepare him have themselves been
trained only in the ancient rutf The dlsaiection
toward science is propagateI from the university
,.ho ,llooo TO the normal school and tho high
school the secondary and tho primary schools
Thers ia nowhere q breach OF continuity. lie
classical interest preempts or controls every place
ryhe fow exceptions confirm tho rule Ihere are
;,rood toocnors of science but an alien interest
limits their efforts however they lie quahhed. a
rr,ncipal. superintendent, bOard-pTcsldont, with
;o,vs Inherited from tho era OF Calvin, casts the
,,,.bods in mould to suit him. 1t is the college
,bcn that shapes tho primary school, But the
college. We considerably charge refuses far play
90 mo interests of science. It's facilities are cur
t,cd ITS educational value disparaseI, the respect
ability of ITS degrees hApoached.. There are mea
orl.nre who to all this will assume saIdonic smile
onJ refor Us to the separate courses OF scenc
rr,videl now in most higher institutions, courses
eIual length and OF equal strength ana cqna
80 which every student is at perfect liberty t
.,rsue This is very specious. If the present wcr
w., occ,sioo. We should heartily enjoy M expos
~ taa inwarIness Of this impudent preteace
Hyc can only suggest, not argue We say facilitie
arc curtailed which, to other branches of learning
40 crortod These embrace books materials am