Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-14
LITERARY NOTES.
EDUCATIOS IN ITS RELATION TO MANUAL
INnCSIRY. Ry ARTHUR MACARTHUR New
York: ID. Appleton & Co


YORK: d. Appleton & Co.
No problem of the present day is more worthy
The serious attention of the American people
than that of popular education, and particu-
larry the collateral question of how far the COM
mon or public school system of the country. as
usually administered, tends TO benefit and how
FIR and in what ways it has the effect of work
Ing an injury TO those who are compelled TO
rely upon II for their educational advantages.
II Il becoming plainly manifest to everybody,
except, perhaps, 10 q few whose personal inter-
est IL is not to See that the public schools of to-
day are not the agencies for the common good
which they should be- and might be, and what,
indeed they must be made, if they are to be one
OF the enduring institutions OF the country. To
refer, In the outset. To a fundamental and grow
isG objection they cost too much for what they
yieId IN return; and that which they do supply
Is nos always of the sort that is best adapted to
the wants Of the majority of pupils, or calculat-
ed to promote the future welfare and prosperity
OF the country a. a whole As public schools go
nowadays, they may well he iikened to the
table of an nduigent bat ovcr-bylsy father, whose
aiIuOEerS provide for a favored few of his chill
GTen plenty of expensive and highly seasoned
ioOd, but not the most suitable and nutritious
In character. with sunptuous appointments
anu ct'stiy service While the majority OF the
less fortunate brothers and sisters must content
themselves with such scant and ill-prepared
scraps a. they are able To pick up. ana not u
lew still more unfortunate, get nothing al all
from the patornal harder. This figure may seem
eXtraVagaut; but in reality il UNDERSTANDS rather
Than eXaggerates the SAD truth. Any one who
has carefully studied cause and effect, as Illus
tTated in the present operations and influences
OF our public schools must see that, While they
Are In the main the agencies for vast good, they
neveTtheleSS often DO great and iTreparable
harm, in educating many scholars, by lnJudl-
cioJIs cram ming. OVertaXing their strength, and
oLher Kindred evils, up 10 point beyond their
reei needs. thus proving a detriment rather
than u help in the after struggles of life. But
the evil does hot end here. For want of adj
eIuate facilities, consequent upon the false the
Dries and erroneous practices common with
and
o. educating the youth of the country must
mainly deVulve, great majority of either sex
8ge not carried To that point where they are fit
ted to become useful and intelligent citizens,
aud at the same time fairly paid earners of a
livelihood. In other words the few are forced,
BY the nature of their training and the intlu-
snceS surrounding them. into the already over
crowded ranks of consumers, while the ma Ori-
". whose chief aim in life is to become we'll
equipped producers, are prevented from becom-
ing such by the very agents of the state itself,
which has SO vital stake in the issues of the
future.
So common has II been to look upon and to
speak of the American common school system
- the great palladium both of political liberty
end personal independence, that in constantly
sounding its praises the manner in and the eX-
tent 10 which Its original purposes are being
perverted have been overlooked; and he has
been counted bold, bad man. striking at the
rights of the poor, who would dare 10 point out
OR even hint at possible evils errors in its adj
mlnlstTation- That period has, however. gone
by. Observing and rejecting people are now
not only freely admitting the existence of grave
detects and abuses, but they are earnestly seek
ing the Spcediest and surest method of curing
them. Nothing Is more certain. in fact, than
That IN the next quarter OF "a century the public
school system of the country must undergo
radical change. The time must shortly come
when a favored few shall no longer receive an
ornamental education, at the expense of the
many, who are thereby deprived of the little
they need in the form of elementary inStruc-
ton, and to- which they have an inaIfenable
right. No child j. entitled TO a four or a three
or even two year course in the public schools
while another is by that circumstance kept
year. H. therefore, our general school system is
10 meet the intentions OF its founders and be to
the body polite the benificent agent it should
De, its blessings must be distributed equally to
all the children OF the country. The question
how this can best be done is one which must be
met in the near future; and every thing that
will aid in its intelligent discussion and proper
solution i 10 be welcomed whether all the argu
ments advanced and the conclusions reached
by participants are Tor the moment feasible or
not
To this discussion Judge MacArthur's book is
timely, interesting and most valuable contri-
button There Is evidence on every page that
be has given TO the subject long and earnest
Thought. and. as is apt to be the case where u
tUdlciaiiy trained mind has mastered its theme,
his premises are clearly laid down, his argu-
mentS are convincing, and his conclusions
sound and impre"nable He does not however
the reader has doubtless inferred from the
title OF his book, content himself with the COM
paratively circumscribed field outlined in the
above observations. He goes far beyond such
narrow limits. Instead of merely modifying
the existing system that. by the agency of a
rudtmentary education extended to ALL every
child IN the land shall be qualified and none
disqualified for the prosecution of a respectable
and remunerative industrial pursuit, if they
choose to follow il, he i in favor of changing its
character. or rather of extending its scope so
that children shall be given in school such prac-
teal knowledge of those general principles re-
latlng to the trades and arts as will qualify them
for earning an honest and honorable livelihood.
This he demands shall be done, not alone
for the benefit of the child itself, to whom,
individually the advantages would be in
calculable, but also in broader and
more enduring sense, for the common pros
perity and safety of the whole people. That
this can be done is no UtOpian dream. That
precisely the desired results are being accomp-
lished today in other countries is demonstrated
by Judge -dacArthur as clearly any thing
can be. Tbs enforced idler ess of both sexes in
the United States, following the want OF techni-
cal education, and in turn the consequent
steady increase of crime. are recognized and ade-
quately cwelt upon. The causes are plainly
pointed out, and the remedy Is plainly indf-
Gated, by TIE numerous examples which the au-
thor gives of the successful efforts to improve
the condition and enlarge the capacity of work.
ing people of both sexes now being made at va
riouS points in Europe He takes note of the
suggestive facts that while the United States
spends 500, 900 year upon the support of
more than 100000 900, her people are vet
obliged 10 rely upon foreigners, at high-grade
salaries, in the prosecution of those industrial
arts whose success depends upon technical edu-
cation and training, while they Furthermore an
nuaIy import millions of dollars worth of the
inner products OF foreign countries which could
be manufactured more economically at home if
our artisans as a class possessed the skill and
taste TO compete successfully with their more
favored rivals who enjoy such facilities for ac-
quiring education in their several pursuits as
are afforded in the principal industrial centers
OF the old world.
That the public education of a country should
be commensurate with the needs ofits people, of
both sexes, and In close sympathy with the
spirit Of the age II Is intended to serve is prop
ositiOn soplainly selfevdent that IL would seem
to require no demonstration; yet that il does
need To be demonstrated the position in which
TODAY
siyely proves. To call attention to the great
want OF the period, and to point out how al least
In part a remedy may be supplied, is the task
Judge Macarthur has set for himself To under
stand how well he has discharged his undertake
Ing merely curSory reading of his book will
reading and serious reflection. He devoutly be-
neyes, and believes correctly, that a thorough
Industrial education Is the working peoples
best friend and their surest help In the hard
struggle for life, and he loses chance to main
tain this faith with all the force that lies in
cogent argument, pertinent comparison and un-
mistakable statistics. How, amidst the press
bring together, digest and utilize in a style so
clear and fOrcible, the vast amount of material
necessary for the calculation of his theme is not
easy 10 understand Suffice ii that the work has
been done, and done well. The amount of time
and labor given 10 the subject shows that IL is
lie the crystalised results of his patient investi-
cations and matured reflections proves him a
patriot. as well as reader and thinker. In ar
rangement and manner Oftreatment some parts
OF the book may be open to criticism at the
hands OF those who seek form rather than sub.
stance; but as IL stands II is in the highest de-
gree creditable alike TO the head and heart ofits
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