Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-01-10
THE STATE.
THE STATES INSTRUCTORS.
Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth An
nual Meeting.

nual Meeting.
The thirty eighth annual meeting of the
state teachers association was held in Ian
sing Dec. 26-2S. The program of the first
session consisted OF a brief greeting by
President Angel of the university, which
was appropriately responded to by Super
intendent Grawn OF Traverse City.
The address of President Il. H. Church
reviewed the work of the association and
dwelt at length upon thenecessity OF teach
ing the principles of sound economy, 10y
atty and patriotism as tending TO insure
peace and perpetuity of the union.
He referrod TO the growth of
anarchy land Socialism ID thegreat body of
ignorant people that come to America
among advantageous, and he declared that
our motto should be Intelligence, n Pre-
requisite TO Citizenship" and our battle
cry, Educate all the people, both native and
foreign BORN He believed the bible should
ever be the foundation for teaching moral
ity, and that teachers should thwart every
effort TO keep it out of the schools He
thought that no nation had ever met with u
greater problem than the question which
now Ionfrents this nation in its cndeavor
to harmonic the discordant elements now
coming TO our shores. IL we do not Ameri-
canizc them they will de.AmericaniZe our
children. In conclusion he recommended
The continuation of the college mems sec
lion of the association and suggested that
reformatory and charitable institutions of
the state that all branches ofthe education
al system, might work in unison aud har-
monX. --.-.E:
At the opening session on the second dNy
President Willis Of the Michigan Agricul-
turalcollege read n paper ON the "Relation
of Intelligence to Crime" He said that
those who have had much TO do with Grim
inal character have noted that but few
criminals are destitute of moral knowledge.
AS rule they know they have done wrong
Many have had careful moral and religious
training; they have 'memorized the ten
commandments; they can conduct theo-
logical controversy with skill and accumen.
Some are really religious to a degree that
almost disarms suspicion Of hypocrisy.
Conditions have been adverse, so that the
moral sense has not been developed, or the
stress of temptation has been more than
they could bear. Our worst class of Grim
inals are not heather. Moral training,
therefore, will not be the sole remedy,
Somehow the conditions must be changed.
A large proportion Of our convict popula-
ton live by their wits. They are intelli-
gent, they have been educated TO idleness
and have grown up without habits of labor,
or the ability to labor. EX-President Hayes
says
''If there is any specific for crime in all
ats stages, it is labor If the young of all
conditions of life. of both sexes, were
NTdlIlCtlIO luuuSlIOub uuDlbS, Taught SOluG
form of useful labor, If education gave
them the love of labor, we should soon see
the tide turn in our prison Statistics
Again, "Teach every boy in this country
an honest trade by which he can make his
living, and you will greatly diminish the
number of criminals. Our present school
system is admirable" he continues, yet
our girls and boys come out of these schools
without any profound respect for labor or
for the laborer, or with willingness to
make living by the labor of their hands.
There is the weak point of the present
system"
President Scott of Hope college at Hol-
land, read a paper much in the same vein
as the address of President Church. His
subject was "Moral Training in Our Pub
lie Schools
Dean Alfred Wright of Boston, we'll and
favorably known in Chautauqua circles
gave an address in the evening, on the
"Value of Classical studies" just after the
governor and Mrs. Luce had given a recep-
tion TO the members and teachers in attend
ance, at the executive parlors.
At the closing session of the association
resolutions were adopted inviting the OH
GERS of the charitable and reformatory in
situations of the state to participate in the
annual meetings of this association, recon
mending young folks reading circles, and
instructing representatives TO the ma
tional association TO seek TO bring that and
the state organization into closer relations.
The state reading circle, which was an
adjunct of this association, was disband-
ed and the funds thereof absorbed by the
latter.
The scheme TO hold a summer mec ting at
Bay View was defeated.
The following officers were elected
President l.. X. Fiskc of Albion; vice
presidents, A. +. Haynes of Hilisdale, and
j. w. Simmons of Dowagiac; secretary, G..
M. Seamson of Coldwater; treasurer, Miss
Mary h. Tilton of Lansing; executive com
mittee, for three years, DIR. G.. +. Hunting
of Alma, j. n. Mccall of Ithaca, Orr Shurtz
of Charlotte; to fill vacancy, for one year,
Miss Mary e. Fisk of Greenville.