Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-17

History Miss Ida Richards
While the entire programme was both
interesting and instructive, the event OF the
day was undoubtedly the essay of Miss
Harper, Principal of Washington District
School. Miss Harper began her paper BY
saying that
lone Of the objections urged against our
public scheol system is that it contains no
provisions for moral culture; that all effort
is directed to the training OF the mind, q
consequently the result is mental develop
ment, without a corresponding growth Of
the moral faculties. This alleged omis-
sion is made q point OF attack, not only BY
its enemies, but by some OF its supporters.
Il has become q subject OF considerable
prominencei 10 the educational journals and
teachers are urged to give more attention
to moral instruction" .
The charge, she said, was suggested
by the low condition Of public morals. Peo'
pie read of defaulters, broken contracts,
public swindliug, and private dishonesty,
until it is questioned where upright and
| high-princrpled men may be found. In
every trade and profession, fair dealing
seems 10 be the exception, not the rule. A
general want of uprightness manitests IT.
self in a multitude OF ways that do moi
come within the bounds OF the law
Reformers and philsnthropists are jealous
in d~eyising means OF prevention and cure.
| Churches, Sunday schools and missions
are u~ntiriug in their LAHORE, and still the
sad fact remains that immortality is not de
creasiDg. Some, more Jealous than dis,
eliminating, have traced the cause to the
deficiency OF moral training IN the com
mon schools. They conclude, since there
is no text book on ethics, or distinct reli
gious instruction, that, necessarily, the
principles of right and wrong are over,
looked and the pupils higher nature neg
lected."
Mrs. Harper took the ground that the
schools we're not to blame Tor this wide
spread lack Of moral principle. True, the
school took o certain part in moldlrg and
building up the character, but the home,
the church end the State had each a duty
to perform. She asked if the schools we're
responsible for the crowds of youth who,
upon the Sab5s.h swarm to tie suburbs OF
the city, and there openly violate the laws
OF common morality. Investigation would
show that these boys were mostly made UP
OF those who had never been under school
.nstraction, AMI the same thing was true
( of others given to immortality and lawless
ness. She claimed that il the State would
enact compulsory educational laws and pro-
vide reform schools, that q remedy
would have been iopnd for the evil. In
the school the child Was always surrounded
by good influences. There every condition
is Of an ~elevating kind. All requirements
pertain either to his mental, moral or ply
sicel good. His character ia CONSTANTLY
receiving impulse in a quiet ana natural
way Ii there we're no counter influences,
he has every bias 10 moral development,
&c far as human feeling will permit. What
ever wrong bias he Gnds is in bis moral
weakness. Ii outside conditions were fsv'
orah!e, the child, through the efforts Of the
teacher, must inevitably grow up with @
high standard Of morality. This stand was
Illustrated by appropriate examples, and the
ideas Of the author outlined in q clear and
unmistakable way. From this point, the
author proceeded 10 point out the fact that
teachers, from long experience with chill
dren of all ages, temporarily ta and dispc'
! s%itions, become far more cs psble Of judg'
ing end managing them than their par,
ents, and the suggcstion was thro~n out
that il parents would cooperate with the
teacher in the training # the child, much
good would be accomplished.
One fruitful cause ofimmorality was the
granting By parents Of The freedom Of the
streets to their children. Whatever CT evil
the child picks up, is while it is absent from
the care of either teacher CT parent. More
misch,efis to be learned in the street in q
day than 8. school or home ia a year, and
parents were counselled to keep their chill.
dren more directly under The influence Of
home duciug alb 'ence from school.
The essay Yves sdmirs5ly written. and
We r6grst mat t csnn't he printed in foil.