The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1885-09-18

puoAO uShVVts Vpch Wy tu0 1914 s1Amof
aud we regard 1t as favorable aud OPP
perfume time to call attention to one
subject connected with the teachers
work which demands consideration. |
The question is, shall these schools be
run along in the old groove of mere
mental discipline, and mental develop.
olent to the entire exclusion OF moral
discipline and the development of the
moral faculties Of the yonnga Hereto
fore most teachers seemed to conceive
it to be their duty only to trudge along
in the old beaten paths Of former ages
wherein they simply teach what is
taught in the textbook utterly ignoring
the moral training which forms so i'm
portant and vital an element in the
makeup Of model citizen. A rigid
adherence to the textbook, to them,
has seemed the acme of their profession,
and so far as the subjects taught in
them is Concerned, this may not be con-
troverted. But there are lessons OF
love Of truth, honesty, sobriety and pa
triotism, which do do not find their text
in the text books, but which grow out
Of the circumstances of the daily rou-
tine work Of the teacher. Here is the
occasion where the teacher must teach
without textbook. These duties, we
are sorry to say, are too often neglected
by the teacher. These teachers seem
20 think that more mental training will
make boys and girls what they ought
10 be, while, in truth, il often makes
them just what they ought not to be-
qualities them to successfully carry out
the purposes of an evil heart. Take
Toy who is vicious in his every day
walk, who has no regard for truth, who
seems to have none Of the gerHs Of
honesty implanted in his nature, who
cares nothing for obedience to law, and
give him that exhaustive mental train
ing and discipline which many boys re-
ceive IN school, and he 10 only the bet
ter prepared to successfully disregard
the truth to the great detriment and
injury Of some OF bis follows. He is
simply better qualified 10 follow up his
vicious practices and escape their PEN
alties, than he Was before he was made |
the recipient Of this mental training |
tie is simply made more able to disobey |
All laws aud escape the penalties Of
such disobediencr. Hence, il will be
seen that such boy has received no |
benefit from his mental training, SO
that the second estate of that boy is |
worse than the first. A boy may thus
become great in overtowering intellecs
but be destitute Of true greatness be-
cause he ia destitute Of those qualities |
of truth, honesty, virtue and patriotism |
which constitute true greatness. To
order that the education OF the youth |
should DO complete, the foundation for
a strong, firm, moral character should /
bs laid as soon as the child enters
school. Let US look about US and see
if We can not detect results Of our de-
fective system Of education on all sides.
See how prevalent crime is. Go to
nearly any town or village in the North
west ard you will find half dozen or
more of characterlees Individuals who
are under the ban of having committed
some crime against the law of The land.
They are constantly under the surveil-
lance OF police officers. They are
standing menace to the peace and quiet
Of the neighborhood in which they live.
These are they whose education was
sadly neglected in their younger days.
What ever training they received was
mere mental Development. They were
not admonished day by day, that truth,
Sobriety, honesty and virtue are the
peculiar and essential characteristics of
\ good man and good citizen. Hence,
heir lives are wasted. The time and
expense devoted to their education are
moro than wasted. Crime and vice
prevail all over the land. Many peo-
pie think they abound more than in the
'arlier days Of the country. The ques-
ion arises, how is it that progress has
been made in nearly every direction ex-
,ept in the repression of crime. You
,ln not read newspaper that does not
contain an account of murder, a rob-
berry or other crime. Why is it. so to
such an alarming extentl We have
no hesitation in declaring that much Of
L springs from defective education. 1t
would be of far greater benefit to the
public, as well as to school children, if
lRlf tbs school hours were devoted to
developing the moral natures Of pupils.
[nstilling love for truth, honesty and
'obristy would be of far greater benefit
han more mental culture. We hope
,eachers will duly and carefully consider
his subject and we feel sure they will
act upon the suggestions above. II
Emory Storrs, the great Republican