The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-31
VIEWS OF C TEACHERS.
Political Education Should Have First
Place with the Higher Courses.
Prof. HeWitt's Address on the Mind and Its
Workings-Resolutions as to the Needs
of Schools-A Lady's Criticism.

ISOLATION was not less interesting than that OF
the day previous. though the attendance was not
% large. The first exercise was a paper on
sPhysics in the Elementary Schools" by ID. w.
Dennis, of the chair Of natural history OF Earl
ham College. He presented mainly 6 series OF
simple ant. interesting illustrations. demonstrat-
ing the practleability of using to advantage
CHEAP apparatus. The subject was continued
by II. A. Huston, of Purdue University, who
offered some new ideas in regard to methods of
Instruction in natural history. He favored the
kdeaof cheap apparatus. saying: ''Oneof the lead
ing ideas of the new physics is that students
shall do experimental work; herce the demand
for cheap apparatus. But a nd. less important
idea Is that one accurate, quantitative expert
ment, repeated often enough to diminish acci-
dental errors, is worth, both for reliable inforna-
ton and discipline, q multitude OF rough quail
tative experiments not involving measurements.
Accurate measurements require first class IN
struments. Advocates of cheap apparatus state
that the more expensive forms daze and CON
fuse the student. But my own experience is
that most of the confusion is due to poor instruc-
ton rather than to good apparatus"
The report of the committee on the "Culture
Of the Esthetic Eementin Child Nature" was
presented by Mrs. Emma Mont McRae, princi-
pal of the Marion High-school. The report en-
phasized the value of an appreciation of the
beautiful. which said she, 'fs a revelation of
the Divine. The true antidote to the cultiva-
fion of false taste is, not to reject as barbaric
all that does not harmonize with the lofty ideal
of beauty, but rather to recognize all attempts
at the expression Of the aesthetic nature as hopeful
means toward growth" Mrs. Dennis, of Rich
mond, urged the teachers to go into the school
room with an inspiration to teach the children
to become unselfsh. She believed in pictures,
poetry and music.
When suggestions on legislation and the ad-
ministration of an Indiana school system were
called for, ]. 81. Smart. John M. Bloss and ].
w. Holcombe, all of whom have occupied the
position of State Superintendent, recounted the
needs of the system. Mr.. Smart thought that
the county superintendent should have at least
one representative on the State Board of Edu-
cation. Mr.. Bloss and Mr.. Holcombe thought
greater publicity should be given to the reports
Of the township trustees, and that the law
should be extended to enable the superintendent
TO audit the financial reports relating to school
affairs, that come from the county auditors.
He then agreed in indorsing the recommended
tions presented in the report of the committee
on the office of township trustees Tuesday. On
motion of j. w. Holcombe, the following
committee was appointed to lay before the Leg
~islature the changes needed in the school law:
John M. Bloss, r., j. Hamilton, w. A. Bell, 81.
ID. Worms, A. M. Sweeny, d. w. Nelson and w.
H. Sims. The association also voted $25 to
meet the expenses of printing aud disseminating
the views of the convention touching the pro-
posed changes.
1.-THE Necessity of Political Education" was
the subject of q paper by Miss Laura Donnan,
Of the Indianapolis High school. Her deduc-
tious were based on statistics collected by her
sell through letters and circulars. Among other
matters of interest she said. 'The Continental
Congress of l78T adopted a bill with reference
Mtot4e territory northwest of the Ohio) providing
schools for the extension Of the fundamental
principles of civil and religious liberty. In the
five States that constituted the original North
west Territory there are 46, 465 schools. With
DC, 465 schools, and the Constitution O legally re-
CURED subject In only one.ninth of them, can
the schools of the great Northwest be said to fix
and establish the fundamental principles of civil
libertyf Of the 9,414 schools of Indiana only
COCO reach United States history and 1000 the
Constitution of the United States. Three chill
dren out OF seven only are taught United States
history, and one out of seven civil government
(allowing' the most liberal %estimatel No COM
missioned high school in Indiana is required by
Jaw to have civil government In it's course of
study. Out Of 38l such schools, United States
history is taught in only seventy-six, and the
Constitution in forty-fve. in Indiana no ex-
amination in the Constitution Of the United
States Is required for admission to the State
University, and no city, county OF State super
intendent is required to know anything about
the Constitution. No mention H. made In the
State school law Of the federal Constitution,
yet Indiana Is one Of the States in which
schools were established to extend and
fix the fundamental principles of civil liberty"
In order to find out the average intelligence of
those who are criminals or public charges she
visited the indianapolis work house, and the
county poor asylum. Each Of the forty eight
prisoners in the work-house was asked certain
questions, and she ascertained that five only
were native citizens; of these one had read the
Constitution; one the Declaration of Independ-
ence, and one Washington's Farewell Address.
OF seventy five paupers in the Marion county
poor-house, fourteen claimed TO have read the
Constitution. seventeen the declaration, and SIX
teen the address. Concluding her paper, she
said: "A nations pulse glass Is it's largest cities.
OF fifteen school superintendents in such cities
who answered questions, eight expressed the
opinion that too little time Is given to these i'm
portant subjects, three thought the time suni-
Gent, but the teaching inefficient, and four ex-
pressed complete satisfaction, both as to guam
tity of time and quality of work. Strange TO
say, one OF these four cities has for years been
the hot-bed Of strikes, and in another, only a
few months ago. the character of the citizens
had fallen so low that the star spansled banner
blushed scarlet In shame. When the population
of this country Is 60, 900. 900: the foreign immi-
grafton for the year. 1884, 203; the number of illit-
crates, ten years of age and over, 1923, 451: the
school population, 1900, 900, and the average
attendance only 5000. 900; when to only 900, 600
instruction in the Constitution is secured by law.
and when shelves in our libraries are filed with
volumes OF our own political history. unread be-
cause the people are not educated up to it,
there is certainly need of political education"
Afternoon Session.
The afternoon proceedings began with a dis.
cussion of Miss Domains paper by r. l.. Hamil-
ton, superintendent Of the Anderson schools,