The Daily bulletin., 1889-12-23

talked of "systems" for teaching
reading, until the Copernican and
Newtonian systems of my own cult
were beggared in profundity by
comparison. At length l lost my
philosophic equanimity and hlurt-
ell out, The best way 10 teach
reading is to teach it, and not per-
plex the child's mind with a tangled
mess of shorthand notes, diacritical
marks, and demi- semi-quavers, such
as you have in Capt. Swinton's
series" A very modest gentleman
in gold-bowed spectacles was more
than half agreed with me, but ven-
tured to correct me as TO the author
ship Of the trashy books. 1t was
not Capt. Swinton of Honolulu who
had the discredit of the distracting
tumble Of didactics referred to. /
was glad to hear this, not being
willing to harbor undeserved re-
sentiment against fellow citizen.
when was boy" (you must
always look out for wisdom after
this preface), l resumed, 1.-the
readers given us TO study whenever
we were through our n, b, abs
were filed with useful information
in natural and political history, to-
gether with bits Of the masterpieces
Of English poetry. II we ran
against hard word it was the
teachers part to stay by us until
we could pronounce it correctly,
and understand its meaning and
connection, so that besides getting
iudelible impressions of accurate
photography, etymology, and Or
thoepy upon our plastic minds, we
were having laid the foundations of
Il broad intelligence and q liberal
education. Thus equipped we have
been less of nuisance to the teach
ers and preachers, the politicians
and editors, whom it has been our
fortune or misfortune to encounter
in after life, because however we
might have worried these worthy
people with what they might deem
10 be erratic 'ologies' or 'isms, we
have not eXasperated them with
proof that in dealing with US they
were vainly endeavoring TO incul-
cate knowledge in craven images.
l mean those of that rising genera
tion who were superior to stocks
and stones in receptivity of intel
lect at the beginning, and for VIII ON
there could not be anything hoped
but the fate of blockheads all
through the chapter. When chill,
dren are presented you for tuition
in circumstances promising only the
opportunity of n common schoo
education, do not rob them Of theil
time in making them puzzle out the
Specification Of those Disagreement;
of Swinton, allied as they are with
such puerilities of literature as
Billy has yellow dog - 1t is goot
beast Fanny has pet goat !;
'She lets it follow her to school,
and similar incentives to imbecility
Give them books of information and
leach them the sounds and meanings
of the words as you go along. DC
not batter algebra, and geometry
and Latin, into their heads, at leas'
until you are sure that they have. :
grounding in reading, writing, ant
arithmetic which will never depart
from their understandings. IL they
have so much as this, they viii
never be part Of an ignorant clas
in the world should they have to g
out from your hands to earn thei
living by daily labor, and they vii
have more thorough basis for tn
higher education should il be thei
better fortune to have the entry L
colleges and universities. Tn
solemn faces Of the pedagogues re
laxed in astonishment at hearing s.
presnmptuous an effort in their pro
fessional style frem nomadic anna
teur in social science, and the pan
intellectual conference was on m,
own motion adjourned, ostensibly I,
give the educators time TO prepar
Il refutation OF the argument, but il
reality because feared / could no
survive separate lecture from eacl
Of them in their confirmed sesquipe
dalian diction. ] shall be glad L
hear them in detail after the holi
days.
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POLITICAL INCONSISTENCIES OF