St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-03
GRAY MATTERIN TONS
Represented by the Asse M
bled Educators From Over
Minnesota.
Four Important Educational
Organizations Nowin
Session.
The Practice and Ethics of Ed
ueation Produce Facts
and Hobbies
In the Many Interesting and
Valuable Papers Read
Yesterday.

1
half hour behind time in the mornings, !"
said an officer of the Minnesota educa-
tional association Yesterday morning,
iaughingly, TO a bevy of fair school
marms, ''there would be trouble-lots
OF trouble made by the teachers, and
vet when these same teachers get an
opportunity they are the hardest of the
tardy."
The above remarks were called out at
the opening of the morning session Of
the convention yesterday by the fact
that. although the schedule time for
| meeting was o'clock, there was hardly
a quorum present for over a half hour
after that time. When the president
finally called the meeting to order, how
ever, nearly the entire association were
| present and ready to. listen to the
presidents address. After q short
prayer by the Rev. Wallace ii.
| Buttrick, of the First Baptist church,
| President JudSon delivered the custom
airy annual address, which was, by the
way, an exceedingly able and thought
| full Grafton on the MAIN Ends of Public
| Education"
| at Is the failure to recognize the fact
| that education is not an end. said Prof.
Judson, "but means. and a difference
! of view as TO what its ends are that are
responsible for error and dispute about
| educational topics. Since the school is
but machine, it should be built and
| managed in accordance with the pro-
| duet it is to turn out. In a general edu-
| cation there are, doubtless, a number of
ends in view. but it is the disagreement
as to their relative Importance that pro-
| duces acute discord. Sc. that the criteria
| of any educational system are: First,
what is the relative valne OF the end it
seeks, and second, are its means nicely
| adapted to attain that end. Judged by
| these, private schools may legItimately
have any end they desire, SO that it is
NOT DANGEROUS TO SOCIETY.
| it is important that there shoult be sub
| stantial agreement as to the purposes of
public schools, supported by general
taxation. The primary end jnstitying
| education at the cost of the public is
| that the young may get the power and
| the inclination to earn their living by
honest work. TO maintain existence is
| the Fundamental object of the employ
| ment of every one. Poverty is the great
| disease of the age. By increasing eff
! cheney, we decrease poverty. The great
mass of school children leave school
after few years training; many do
not attend at all. Our first duty is to
this mass. who must get little or no
| education. Should we not make them
more efficient. and thus help them to
solve the great problem Of life? Better
manual labor is the great need
yet arrived at the point that
| Germany has where there is too much
| higher education, but the problem of
the hour IN school circles undoubtedly
IS how to organize manual training eff
fectnally and economically in the lower
| grades"
Profs. Fl. W. Brewster and G. E.. Nc
Lean, of the state university, discussed
Language Reform" the result of which
was the adoption of the following reso-
luton, introduced by Prof. Mclean:
| Resolved, That the State Teachers Associa-
| ton of Minnesota earnestly cali the attention
| of the National Teachers association to the
importance of inaugurating national and
ultimately an Anglo-American movement for
the reform in the English language.
liking Caprice and His Loyal Sub
| JectS" was the sensational title under
which Supt. S. S. Parr, of st. Cloud,
treated the common methods of teach
| ing; and, in title at least,waS the fit pre-
Jude to the annual attack on normal
schools and the work done by them.
This time Supt. NJ. j. Bowling, of Rem
| vile, was the spokesman, and heeVi-
| IDENTIFY struck popular chord when he
asserted that the normal schools did not
| provide teachers fitted for the country
schools. He advocated a preparatory
school in each county for tie training
! OF teachers,the subject being recognized
as one upon which there has long been
a difference of opinion, was pursued nc
| farther.
THREE BRANCHES At WORK.
The convention was a three-h headed
sort of an affair in the afternoon, divld-
ing into the following sections: Pri-
mary instruction, Vice President D.
| Steward, of Rochester, presiding: high
school council, Supt. A. f.. Bechdolt,
in the chair. and the convention of
/ county superintendent, presided over
by President Alvin Braley, of 'Winona.
All the meetings were we'll attended,
and the numerous interesting papers
were listened to with more than ordi,
nary attention by the host of assembled
teachers.
The section of primary instruction
was opened by Supt. Steward in a few
| well-choSen remarks, after which Miss
Lora LevenS, of Rochester, read a ESSAY
on the subject of Written Rotations y
which excited the most favorable COM
ment. Miss Levens is daughter of ex-
Supt. G. w. LevenS, of Albert Lea, who
by his work as county superintendent OF
Freeborn county made state. reputa-
ton as an able and Conscientious educa-
tor. Prof. LevenS. however, had best
look out for his laurels, or his very
bright daughter, who is now at Ro-
chester, will outstrip HIM in the race.
The essay was an exceedingly well
written statement of the advantages OF
the written recitation, and received the
most favorable attention of Profs.
Shoemaker, Putnam and Alton who par
ticipated in the discussion that followed.
Prof. McMurray, of Winona, then read
brilliant paper on 1.-The Primary Gle.
ography of the United States" which
was followed by an interesting discus,
sion opened by Prof. Alton. of Mime
apolis. The Educational Value OF
Drawing" by Prof. IL. w. Slack, of the
Rice school of this city, was another in
teresting paper and opened another
discussion by the teachers present.
THE HIGH SCHOOL COUNCIL,
"Ideal Schools" was the subject OF
Vice President Bechd0lt's annual ad.
dress in the high school council, and a
very bright address it was, too. eve
have grown accustomed" said Prof
Bechdolt, Ito regard certain human in.
ventions because of their excellence as
needing lutte medicine and no healing,
but as perfect and immortal. Among
these are the jury system, Legislative
enaetmentS, ward meetings and schools.
Within the past few years hereticS have
come among US and called into
question the infallibility of iurieS
and ward meetings, the wisdom
and efficiency of legislation, and, alas
tor somnolescent schoolmasters. tie
adaptation of schools for the ends de
signed to be accomplished by them
Some very prominent men from out OF
the mouths Of our profoundest reviews
have dared assert that the high school
has no right TO exist at all--tlfat its
being here. living entity, is because
natural and social laws have been VIC
lated" After describing the present
state of the schools and the many rene