Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-10-29
STATE TEACHERS, ASSOCIATION.

rangelnents for the comfort and convenience
of the large number of officers and teachers
who were present, but SO far as the press
was concerned they were left to shirk for
themselves, no conveniences in the way of
tables and chairs being provided for their
accommodation. This oversight will no doubt
be corrected to-day.
At the exercises last evening Mr.. George
R. Burton, late principal of the Washington
school in this city, presided. The opening
prayer was made by Rev. DR.. Barbour of
Yale university. Then followed a selection
by chorus from the High school entitled
Sound the Loud Timbrel, under the direc-
ton of Professor B. Jepson, in which Miss
Mary H. Mansfield rendered the solo with
great acceptance. The singing by the chorus
was also very fine.
Miss Florence A. Redfeld, who is special
instructor in elocution in Miss Bartlett 8
school in this city, was then introduced and
recited very effectively a selection entitled
ssThe Pilots Story" Miss Redfeld was
heartily applauded on the conclusion of her
reading, and was also presented with hand
some boquet.
Miss Lizzie G.. Gaffney, one of New Ha-
ven's most favorite vocalists, then sang, by
request, the ''Spinning Song" Miss Gaffney
was in excellent voice, and the audience
showed their appreciation of her singing by
an earnest clapping of hands.
The address which followed was by DIR. B.
A. Hinsdale, late superintendent of schools
at Cleveland, Ohio, his subject being "The
Common School Problem" and was review
of President Eliot's address on the same
subject. In his opening remarks
the speaker said: Mr.. President,
and teachers of Connecticut-There are
many reasons that give me par ticular pleas
in OFT
rations of my family are sleeping in this
commonwealth, and 1 seem tonight to have
come back to the home of my fathers. 1t &C.
ours to me that your excellent State secreta-
~, Mr.. Hine, has raised a doubt whether the
common school fund has not been hind
rance to education rather than help. The
subject of my address was suggested by a
New England man, President Eliot, at a
dinner some time since and which set people
to thinking on the subject of education all
over the country. The character of Presi-
dent Eliot's style of thinking is always of
much moment. The speaker then proceeded
to discuss the question of teaching, and
est said: Work is an act or
series of acts in the discharge
of our duty. The end of work, says Arts
totle, is to enjoy leisure. So sober man as
John Locke said no such thing as work
should be put upon children. But we say
that schools are not intended for play, but
work. Work, however, may become dis
ease, yet it may be made attractive and
pleasant. do not charge President Eliot
with confounding work and play. He says
the schools should be made pleasant and at
tractive, and while this may be true, yet the
scholar should be trained to work in the pur-
suit of his studies. The child should be led
to the hard by the way of the easy. Things
should not be made hard that are by nature
easy. The child that can be carried easily
and quickly across the room must be learned
to walk across it; SO the child must be taught
progressively the duties and affairs
of life. The speaker quoted
from John Stuart Mill in re-
gard to the correct theory of teaching from
that gentleman's standpoint, and in passing
took up the statements of President Eliot,
taking exceptions to many of them and con-
curing in others. He continued by saying
that in some sense our schools were averag
ing machines; so were colleges and UNIVERSE
ties averaging machines, as was society ITSELF
There should be such machines; but Presi-
dent Eliot has in his mind that which in
jures individuality of children. In China
the averaging machine has done its perfect
work. 1t is this over averaging that Presi
dent Eliot complains of in our public
schools.
Among other thoughts suggested by the
speaker were these
Inc variety OF CQar6CI0r III CQlluTeu Is
greater than in the intellect.
The graded school movement has done
great things for education.
Extra work may be furnished in school
and out of school to those who are able and
willing to do it.
A certain amount of order is essential to
education.
to overdo as order. Reasonable order must
be secured for the most part indirectly and
should be largely spontaneous. Attempts to
keep order should not be too often thrust in
the faces of children. Yet a teacher must
govern to some degree or she cannot develop
the intellect.
President Eliot's views on moral educa-
ton has drawn out more condemnation than
anything else, said the speaker, and then
proceeded to read at length from that gentle
man s opinions and then to discuss them at
still greater length and arguing that the
presidents theories regarding religious train
ing in the schools by minister, priest and
rabbi at the public expense were entirely i'm
practicable.
On conclusion of DR.. Hinsdale's able adj
dress, of which we give but brief abstract,
Miss Gaffney, Miss Mansfield and Mr.. Arthur
w. Jepson sang very sweetly trio entitled
:'Sweet Dove That Up to Heaven"
This concluded the evenings exercises and
an adjournment was taken until this morn
Nv
held in the High school building in three sec
tions. The "High school" section will be
presided over by Mr.. Joseph Hall, principal
of the Hartford High school; the Gram
mar school" section by F. F. Barrows, prin-
cipal of Brown school, Hartford, and the
Primary SCHOOL, section by M. s. Crosby,
of schools at Waterbury. In
the afternoon at 2 o'clock all the sections
will unite in High school hall and listen to
an address by Colonel Jacob L. Greene,
president of the Connecticut Mutual Life In
surance company of Hartford, his subject
being, ''What the Business World
Demands of the Ds GGm%on ssessary
of the State Board of Education, Boston,
Mass, will also deliver an address, his sub
ject being ''The Province of the Public
School," At this session also Prof. B. Jep-
son will deliver an address on the "Elemen-
tary instruction in Vocal Music" illustrated
with five classes from the New Haven gram
mar schools.
In the evening at 7:30 there will be ad-
dresses by His Excellency Gov. H. B. Har-
rison; DIR. Timothy Dwight, president Yale
college; Judge William G. Robinson, Yale
Law school; Hon. L. w. Sperry, ex-Mayor
of New Haven. Also an address by Prof.
w. II. Payne, professor of pedagogy in Mich
igan university, Ann Arbor, Michigan. There
will of course be excellent music under Pro-
lessor Jepson's direction.
There will be special session on Saturday
morning at O'Clock, and the final adjourn
ment will take place at IL O'Clock noon.
New improvements
The electric light men were busy yester
day in the work of erecting new electric
lights, one at the corner of State and Veto
streets, one at the corner of State and Hum
phrey streets and one or two at Jocelyn
10 IN he
business men and other taxpayers and resi-
dents on State, Edwards, Foster, Lawrence
and East streets for an electric light at the
junction of State, East and Mechanic streets
and for one at Neck bridge.
THE SECOND ANNUAL
of the Connecticut Young
Peoples Societies of Christian I'm
deavOr I'm Bridgeport Yesterday.
Rev. Erastus Blakeslee, of this city, pre-
sided at the above convention which was
held at South church, Bridgeport, opening at
$50 p. m. His address was a very able one,