Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-07

conversation with the czar of Russia, as
the speaker said he had been that day.
He was also in the house of commons in
England; he travelled the entire globe in
a very short space of time. and all for q
small sum of money. He did so by read
ing that type of our modern civilization,
a newspaper. He had taken a book. and
through it he thought the thought of the
poet; had heard the song of the singer
he had studied with the philosopher,
painted with the painter, and had carved
with the sculptor. He could enter
into the toll of a farmer, the
shoemaker, the tailor; their trades were
all his and all he had to do was to make
them his. What does all this mean2"
asked the speaker. 1T all means that /
live in great social organization and
that | may participate in all that 1t has to
offer" 1t is this participation that brings
it all about. The time may come when
the individual may become the race by
participation. The first movement of the
race toward national freedom, was an
effort toward participation. The forces
of nature are mans obedient subjects
The lightning is snatched from the clouds
and subjected to mans devices in various
ways such as light, power and transmission
of voice and message. All things came
from that desire to participate in our civ
ilization. The great problem which the
race has said to itself is, how shall we
reach spiritual freedom-through partic>
ipationi through institutions such as SUBJ
stitute regularity and caprice. order for
disorder. The institutions which the
professor mentioned as essential TO the
proper advancement of civilization, were
the family, which starts the race; the vo-
cation; which guides it; the state whose
mission is justice and which gives every
man his own. and his own deed, and the
church, which teaches immortality
Through all these, man participates be-
fore he enters into freedom Auxiliary
to all these is the school, go back of
your institutional life and you'll find
the family, the school. The school
is not merely a good thing; it is
the price yon pay for your modern insti>
tutional into life. Entering on the dis
cussion of the theme of school be divided
into three sections-the primary, secon.
Diary and higher instructive departments.
The first eight years are spent in the
primary department, the next four in the
high school, and the rest in the col
legiate- SO 1t is seen the high school
occupies very unique position at the
summit of one point in our advancement,
| and the base of another.
The first lesson which the youth learns
when he leaves home is that of obedience
to the established requirements which
lead TO freedom. He adjusts himself to
| the established order as he pro.
gresses. So you will see il you
watch HIM progress until you
find him in the High school where he
has learned to control himself-be has
learned the established order and he is free.
Five different worlds were mentioned to
which the schools he SAID must introduce
the youth; the organic, the inorganic. the
world of intellect, the world of will and
the world of art. The child must first be
taught to read paper or book trans
parent.y; he has read through the paper
or book. He must be taught to read
geography which is the organic wor Id;
arithmetic, which lets him into the inor-
ganic world; grammar, which is the OUT
put of intellect; history. which is the
record of the will of the race; literature.
which is the highest form of art, which is
the world of emotions.
The scientific idea is encountered when
we enter the high school. Arithmetic,
geography, history and all these earlier
studies here widen out and make thinkers
out of the pupils. They reach the age of
conscious recognition of things. The
high school is the point where our civil
ization Is determined; where the relation
ship of Intelligence to the scientific idea
manifests itself.
He spoke of the wonderful develop
meIt of our times as attributable directly
to the high school. There the child first
finds the strings of thought and sentiment
that ages have produced Take out your
high school and you take away the most
indispensable age of our civilization.
Here it is that character is formed which
is the unity of obedience and intelligence,
and the speaker closed with hope that
the schools might continue to follow the
lines of strength, purity and perfection,
which promise everything for the future
of the race.
At the close of his address Miss Fans
ME Rosenfield presented Prof. Cook with
magnificent basket of flowers from the
graduates. The graduating class ren>
dered farewell song, when President
PRESENTED THE DIPLOMAS.
speaking as follows:
Graduates of the Glass of 1890:
The board of education rejoice to see
the results of patience. pluck and per.
severance" as represented by you on this
occasion. This evening We celebrate
with YOU the successful ending of twelve