Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-10-01
STUDY OF HISTORY.


How IL should he Pursued In order 90
Obtain Good Results.
II is OF course always allowed that II
Is necessary in any course of education
to give an important place 10 the con-
sideration OF history, but there re-
mains still much to be done before
there will be any proper and general
appreciation OF the great importance
OF this branch OF knowledge. This is
largely due TO the fact that history has
too often been taught as n mere dry
ard repelent collection OF dates and
uninteresting details Perhaps nine
men out OF ten are in their youth so
strongly repeled by the method Ia
which an attempt Is made TO cram
history down theirs throats that they
never get to any thing like fair com
ccption of the interest and richness OF
the study: and Of those who are more
fortunate there are not many who I'M
dersiand what the true object Of study
Ing history should be.
This Is especially unfortunate In "a
country like ours. where all the people
are supposed to take an intelligent In
terest In the affairs Of state, and whore
every individual il more or less likely
to come sooner or later into active par
ticipation, AT least by his vote IL the
gravest issues which present them
selves for the solving. 10 know what
should be dono tn any situation II ia
necessary 10 know both what others
have done, and what was the result OF
the course which they took The tried
adags that history repeats Itself Is ut
least 30 far true that II Is not easy TO
lind problem in government to-day
which has not at some time and in
soms place presented itself before, and
we have the advantage II we are but
wise enough to avail ourselves OF 1t, OF
living In an age SO late in the recorded
history OF the human race that there Is
waiting for MS the accumulated expert
enee Of mankind for thousands Of years
IN graphing with the very problems
that trouble and challenge us to-day.
II our predecessors have not solved
them oil, they have AT least eliminated
nany OF the solutions which might
present themselves. aud spared Us the
labor of proving many things false that
are to the eye speclous and alluring
No better illustration Of this could
be- found than the so-called National.
list" movement. which - making II
somewhat bravo show to-day, One
has only 10 study history to discover
that the greater part OF lis proposed
reforms have been thoroughly tried
before and their fallaoy proven beyond
pcradyenture. 1t Is certainly not the
part Of wisdom to go over the same
ground again, morely to demonstrate
once more the truth that socialism is
not the solution Of the riddles which
have veSed man from the dawn OF civ.
ilixation, II IL pitiful waste OF hu
man energy TO thrash anew the straw
ihat has already been again and agoiI
SO thoroughly beaten that there has
DOT grain OF wheat been loft clingiug
10 the bare husks.
The unframed mind Ia always liabl,
To fall Into the error OF surprising thai
because n fact or a theory Is new to IL
II Is new "a mankind; and one Of th'
most Important uses Of the study o
history Is TO correct this natural mis-
take. In tho painful zeal which earn
est souls feel % right ali that may b,
wrong, or which may seem to b'
wrong upon this complicated planet
they are almost inevitably led into
this danger. No man should dabbl,
with the social and moral regcneratio,
OF the race until no has made himsel
at least iolerably familiar with the OK
pcrImonts OF hla predecessors; an
many IA prophet would have bee
spared much frultloss and tho worl
much miscellaneous prcuehipg hs
he but taken the preeautiou to assur
himself that the revelation he hrough
forward Ms new was not in reality AT
old and -disproyod dream of th'
thcorlst,
History must be studied with u min
appropriated aud willing to roceiv
the truth, even although 1t demau
the sacrifice OF the dearest of theories
II Is useless to 20 20 history with IN
determined purpose To establish som
eunnmgly devised scheme, rs Il
useless to go 70 nature 10 collect fact
To prove some theory framed before
hand II must be examined. more
over, rs & record OF human eNperiouc
aud not as chronicle OF the doings ,
unreal puppets playing their part
martonotte-like upon the stage. Ills
tory Is not dates aud wars and migry
lions; Il Is the record OF human strul
glcs 10 solve tho riddle Of cNisteuc,
The dilemma hus been the SAN
throughout the ages, and Il can onl
approach solution by the bringing I,
gether the experiences of mankin,
and taking advantage OF all that h,
been done before. How often TIA
principle is forgotten or disregurdul
no one need be told who studied II
history Of social aud economic thl
cries. which perhaps afford the mo-
striking illustrations uf the sad rcsul
of such course. Clumstiy handle,
nothing could be more sonseless tina
the study of history; rightly consi,
cred. there Is nothing more impo
tant nothing more pregnant with 90,
results Boston Courier.
The Meanes, Man on Record.
Husband (kiudly) My dear $,
have nothing decent to wear. ha,