St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-07
THE OTHER SIDE.
TO the Editor of the Globe.

In your leader on Shortening the
Course" in last Sundays issue, am
surprised that you should countenance
such theory. The inevitable result
will be that we, as nation, will become
laughing stock, if we continue as a
nation even. Do you suppose that had
Mr.. Carnegie a liberal education he
would be the rabid protectionist that he
is? Why should he be cited as an au-
thOrity? Verify, | suppose, because pa
ternal government legiSlated in his IA
yOr and enabled him to rob the people of
this country and amaSs such wealth
that he can sit on his pinnacle of gold
pointed steel and discuss political econ
Omy, moral training and the true sys
tenn of education, or else debauch those
who are sworn to legislate for the good
of the people at large.
Truly there is a glorious prospect for
the future if this progress in the i'm
provement of educational methods con-
tinues. A person can hardly get good
education in the country, is statement
made by some of our best minds. Take
our own city schools. will venture to
state, and l will undertake to prove,
that in these United States poorer re-
suits cannot be shown. We hear of
graduating exercises. commencement
exercises and exhibitions of work said
to be done by the pupils, and to what
does it all amount? Nothing; perhaps
worse. refer to the majority now. A
short time ago an examination was eld
to license teachers, and twelve out of
SiXty-twO made the requisite percent
age. What reflection on our schools.
One of two conclusions must be drawn
either the questions proposed were
cOnundrdmS, as one young lady eX-
pressed it, or the general information
was SO sadly deficient that the aspiring
the failure of the unsuccessful ones.
And yet what else could one expect
when in the training school such nom
sense as the following has been heard:
Lesson in anatomy, or physiology, or
some kindred subject-Teacher, hold
ing up frog-painting: "This is
muscle, this is a tendon. Where
would you. find another muscle
or tendon?" Answered by future
teacher-"In the other leg" Cor
rect. Good markw How they love to
revel in the lore of past greatness is
shown in the avidity with which they
expose the laborious methods by which
Adam got his education, or rather how
GuO Abueuidu yOuGu ldUolcu W dCquuO q
little knowledge. The trite saying,
"There is no royal road to learning"
has no present meaning. Our children
have become receptacles into which
knowledge (D is poured, and how much
remains any parent can easily find out
by few minutes questioning. We are
treading OH dangerous ground, and may
we'll ponder the verse: "a little learn
ing is dangerous thing" Whittier are
we drifting?
We hear of gymnastics to strengthen
the memory-gYmnasticS for this, that
aud the other, but in the name of our
country and the future men and women
of it, give US little real education.
Require of our teachers at least the
knowledge that there are such letters as
final consonants, and that they should
be sounded. We would then not hear
such exhibitions of orthoepy. Perhaps,
too, boy of fifteen could tell the cir
conference of a wheel if he were given
the diameter without taking the manual
training course. believe the state
alone has the right to determine the
minimum amount OF education, giving
parents the right to educate how and
when they please, but insisting on the
teaching being patriotic. and in no
sense derogatory to the best interests of
the commonwealth. Z. II. d.