New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-03
TEACHERS FOR THE STATE,
MISS CRANES DISCUSSION OF MUSIC.
Mr. HARDY AND Mr.. MAXWELL TALK ABOUT
BOOKS AND LlTERATURE-AN ADDRESS
IN THE EVENING BY DR. PATTON.


pals and teachers nom all parts of the State About
1000 OF them were in attendance and gave close at
tenton 10 carefully prepared papers and interesting
discussions. Blue badges gave free entrance 10 mo
members and souvenir programmes and copies Oh
educational journals were showercd upon them Many
men, prominent In educational works were presoht'
Including President H. L. Webster OF Union College
Professor Oren Root Of Hamilton College; DIR. W.
II. Maxwell. of Brooklyn; General Horatio c. King
NJ A C,lkips Calvin Patterson, a. NJ. kellogg u
W. Bardeen James ". Milne. James Murphy. Con
erai r. A. Merritt 4, p Waterbury, Colonel Jonn L.
CuiyeN ". H. Smith and Charles II. Verrili.
half hour was devoted TO business. f. H. COOK
d the Potsdsm Normal School. who presided. made
brief opening address He referred to tho fact that
a was proposed to make Saratoga Springs the perma
nept meeting place hereafter A letter was read from
Charles ". Sanders of this city. The following com
mittees appointed:
Committee on Nomins t!on-PrOfessor oren Root Of
Clinton Superintendent L. @. Foster. Of Ithaca Insl-
tute; Conductor Isaac A. Stout; H. NJ. Lowell. OF Ell
mira John II. Hsaren Of Brooklyn; Frank S. Capen OF
New.Paitz end Commissioner Frederick e. Payne. OF
Oneida.
Committee on Finance-Superintendent G. A. Ellis Of
Rochester; George H. Carmen. OF Brooklyn and W. H.
Bennett, OF Port Henry
Committee On Resume OF ProceedlnGs-Presldent Har-
rison f. Webster OF Union College Mary p Simpson, OF
New-York Superintendent Edward Smith OF Syracuse
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN TO READ
Tho first OF the papers on the programme prepared
BY the executive committee was entitled The Schooi
Library Factor in Education" 1t was written and
read by George e. Hardy principal Of Grammar School
No a. OF this city. He presented reasons for stem
ming the tide of low and ashy literature Tor boys
and girls Among other things he said:
An extended Of such milkand-waer reading as
to-day unfortunately constitutes the staple library OF our
Sunday wi short tlme transform the reader
from flesh and blood boy TO smugfaced young
hypocrte or else 10 pulling, sentimental creature inc
side OF whose nature has been developed al 'no
expense OF the practical IL would seem TO BE- measure
fraught with much worldly wisdom for those having
charge where these books do most abound
to conscn funeral pye and substitute In their
stead healthy bacng books where the lessons presented
are not objeeonaNy obvious, and where the moral comes
fn a. IL WERE by the way. Books bringing thus INTO
the lives children Of love for COD ana country
higher regard truth and purity ana greater resec'
for authority viii make successful appear 70 tisO
thinking and right doing their part and oner 70 theh
strong incentives TO loiier ideals
The paper discussed by II. NJ LoVeii, vi
Elnlra; Professor Oren Root of Clinton; a. NJ hel-
logg, of New.York. and Dr. Nils, of oneonta' VINO
agreed with Mr.. Hardy in tho usefulness Of good
SCHOOL libraries.
MISS CRANE ON THE VALUE OF MUSIC.
The second hour devoted to paper by Miss
j. Ettie Crane. Of Potsdam, upon :" The value OF
Music IN Education" She said in part
we trace the history OF schools through their various
stages from the past the present we find that the
ecjency OF the present system has been reached by at
tetlon the great laws Of nature, and that the power
which has been gained reach oil minds Of whafever
type has come through the understanding Of the laws
which govern the growth of the individual. physically
mentally and morally The true educaor Of today Is
student laws Of human nature and Of the laws
that govern its devcloDment He understands that MS
pupils are msny-sded beings and reasons soundly That
no system Of education is complete which aims at the I'M
folding Of intellect regardless Of the needs OF body ana
soul To him the word Education means the expression
and development OF the whole nature Of man
In practice however the physical. moral and aesthetic
eaents largely wanting in the education OF today
Refinement OF and purity Of soul are treated as
secondary intellectual development One oil the best
kinds physical training is vocal music as the fouhha-
uon Of the culture is deep breathing and when chia
learns this It possesses powerful preventive against
lung and throat Could we but teach all our girls
10 sing many diseases prevalent amongst our sex
would snnbilated. Corset bones would give way 70
strong muscles and era OF freedom from weakness
would dawn upon the women OF our land
AS 10 those who had no ear for music. they were
the very ones who most needed attention. said MISS
Crane as It was a shame for them TO 90 through lie
deaf 10 sweet sounds. Children who hah deVeiopeo
the new sense had found in it pleasure and enjoyment
which nothing else they might have attained could
be compared with The refining influence OF GOOD
music was most noticeable in tho discipline of school,
and the children learned TO take genuine de-
light In the exercise. The music aroused spirit OF
good will and created harmonious atmosphere, and
where harmony and goodwill prevailed the dis
obedient unruIy spirit found resting place. She
continued:
An element which helps to make the schoolroom
pleasant cheerful place which lifts the thoughts above
evil things obedience pleasure and creates love
for the good the and the beautiful assists in the
moral training Of the young That music does this none
aenv Herbert Spencer puts final OF plan Of
culture form Of question: docs create pleas
urable excitement the pupis Judged by this criterion.
music deserves the rank work done in the
schoolroom is surely creative of pleasure singing
Vocal music, then. has power to benefit every side
OF the child nature, and such an aid to
the formation substantial symmetrical and noble char
acter should by means be neglected
That many the attempts thus far made to introduce
music into the schools have proved failures cannot be
denied but this arises from natural causes Properly
trained eachers-that Is persons trained for teachers
have not been educators discerned
where the trouble lay, and since musicians had failed
In from lack Of knowledge OF the principles
of teaching the regular teachers, who misunderstood
these principles voted the ones upon whom the
duties of the music teacher should fall. In cities
the edct has gone FORTH Every public school teacher
must teach music
Skill In teaching important requisite TO good
results than profound knowledge Of the subject taught
but nobody we'll teach what he has not learned him.
self H. therefore, the importance OF musical culture In
the schools conceded facilities must be provided for
the teachers 10 learn music In the normal SCHOOLS Tor
until adequate means for the preparation OF teachers
Is afforded music can hold the place IT deserves
IN any system Of education
This paper was discussed by Professor F. H.
Damrosch, of Now-York; Professor Holt OF Boston,
end Professor Norton, of oswego.
THE PROPER STUDY OF LITERATURE
The inal paper was upon "Critcal Reading
scholarly and instructive essay by W. II. Maxwell,
PHI D. Superintendent of Public Instruction In Brook
lyn He discussed the need of thorough, critical
reading and study OF literature in schools, and said
IN part:
The first question that arises Is What shall we read
For our purpose anything will serve in which the moral
tone is high and expression reaches the dignity Of
fine art. Poetry, fiction. history criticism oratoywe
nav choose any or ALL The only proyisos that the
niece selected shall be- matter length and language
wen within comprehension Of the student and that
when selected IL shall be studied In It's entirety The
ordinary reading books do not furnish whSt we want