The Iola register., 1889-08-16
An EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT.

Education Is not the mere acquisition
Of facts. 1t is not synonymous with
intelligence. nor can it be impaired by
instruction. That was once the popu.
lar notion; but better philosophy Of
mind has corrected our definition. Edu-
cation, according to our most advanced
thought. is the development of the
whole being. and in subjective sense
has reference to the training and disci.
pline of the intellect the sensibilties
and the will.
Now, it follows, Of course, that the
sentient subject does not receive all his
education in the school-room. The
true teacher seeks to arouse the DOR
mant mind, and to put it in receptive
state. He supplies the datum. gives
the individual implements by which he
can work, puts the powers into harness
and applies the goad. This is all he
can do. He knows that, If the true ed
ucation ever comes, it will come in the
experience and lifetime struggles of
the Ego. Under this view, the world
becomes a school-room, and life one
continued school term.
1t would be we'll for the humanitari-
ans to remember this. We spend mill
lions on the education of the youth.
This is right But if the adult man
and woman should be learners. too,
would it not be well to give more of our
fostering care to such an institution as
will tend to keep the intellectual ma
ture in the ascendency. and call out the
gentler graces of humanity and the
nobler passions of the heart?
The Jews were well educated peo-
pie. They were subjected to peculiar
methods of instruction. They were to
be fitted for a certain mission. God
gave them pictorial religion. His
miracles were object lessons. This was
the most effectual way of teaching an
infant race. 1t is well for us to study
the problems of the Jewish economy.
The visual impressions of their gor-
geous ritual passed away; but the les
sons of that ritual became interviewer
into their very being. So We may
establish such institutions as will tend
to develop in America a valuable ma
tional character, and prepare us as a
people for our great mission on earth;
and l maintain that among the many
instrumentalities that might be EN-
plOyed for this result. the ballot stands
pre-eminent.
The powers OF the mind. when pas
sive. are called capacities; when active,
faculties; and the faculties may be di-
vided into mental and moral. We
make this distinction because some
may think our subject has no ethical
side to it; but the soul is a unity, and
must be developed as whole. There
can be no successful education of the
head without the heart; so whatever
strengthens, regulates and guides the
emotional nature is an educational fac
tor.
l. In the very nature of things. the
ballot will constrain to Independent
necessity take into consideration men
and measures. This will promote re-
search and discussion. and call up his
torical "reminiscences. and bring into
contemplation the problem of political
economy. The important questions of
administration are often submitted to
the decision of the people. A people
SO appealed to must of necessity become
more or less versed in the science of
government. In exercising the elective
franchise the intellect will be called on
to deal with the facts of currency. in
terstate and international commerce,
relation OF labor to capital, and many
intricate and abstruse questions, and
the intellect will be called upon to
master the problems of our moral in
terest. We must consider the cOndi-
tion OF the poor. and food supply, SAN
itary law. public instruction, and all
the diseases that affect the social Or
ganism. This will tend not only to
stimulate the intellect, but also to
humanize the heart; for all the facul-
ties. mental and moral, grow with their
exercise.
2 The elective franchise recognizes
the nobility of our nature, and this will
tend to make us nobler. Treat a child
as if he were bad. and he will be bad; !;
treat a man with respect, and you will
increase his self-respect God gave
man reason and conscience. BY his
conscience he recognizes the moral
quality OF acts. His reason approves
and directs. and his conscience urges
him to faithful performance. So man
is capable OF giving himself law. (He
is law to himself) To subject him
to the will of another, to make him
obey the law which he has no voice in
creating. is to degrade him. 1t places
him in the catalogue Of minors and i'm
beetles.
g. The ballot will educate the will.
The will is the finest part of our being.
Somehow the intellect and sensibility
are connected with the organism. but
the will is pure spirit. The person who
has the most will power is the greatest
character. In training the will power,
we can not but see the incompleteness
of the school-room. Here we live the
life of thought; but not till the life of
action begins will the finest part OF our
being be energized. If the life of ac-
ton never begins. the individual sinks
down to supineness. and becomes a
mental cast-away. The intellect and
emotions exist for the sake Of the will
God will not Judge us for what we
know or what we feel, but what we do.