The Portland daily press., 1890-04-01
A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
Mr.. Baxter's Address at the Frater
nifty Anniversary.

By an awkward accident nearly one-half
OF MIR. Baxter's address at the Fraternity
anniversary was omitted from our edition of
yesterday. 1t was the more important half.
too, because it contained practical hints as
to the best methods of abolishing poverty
or at least of greatly diminishing it. We
subjoin the omitted portion:
l have sometimes thought that the aban-
aoned farms OF which we often hear, might
be utilized by an association, greatly TO fhe
benefit of poor but honest folk, willing tn
work; and. that such an association couid
maintain itself without loss 1t would be
necessary to put property at low rent, and to
supply moderate outfit of farm tools and
what seed might be neces sary to begin with.
allowing repayment to be made for such sur,.
plies by installment, and, also, allowing the
farmer tne privilege OF purchasing and pay
ing ior MS farm at cost, by installment. or
otnerwise, whenever he desired SO to do, he
would thus be encouraged to make improve
ments which would belong to him whenever
he acquired title to his farm, which. with
out doubt. he might do by diligence and
economy.
have endeavored to outline briefly few
methods by which the incompetent and
thriftless, and even the depraved and worth
less, who have. reached maturity, may be
made In some degree, useful to themselves
ana society, but the principal work before
III
assume that the children of the wefl-to-do
will be we'll educated, as matter of course.
and though what may have to say on the
subject Of the education of the children of
tne two classes OF which have treated may
apply to the children of the well-to-do. 1
shall not make the application nor discuss
questions relating to the higher education,
Inc pubic school, Is, without doubt, the
most beneficent Institution which has been
devised Dy man, and the most far reaching
in rASultS IL IL aritiaicad
standpoints, and no more freely than by its
staunchest friends; but by most critics. ON
account Of its shortcomings.
IL cannot be expected that perfect system
OF general education can be created at once
hence, for long time, we may reasonably
expect methods to be zealOusly discussed. We
may lay down as general proposition, that
the public school should give to all an educa-
.io t winch pest hts its subjects. to become
not only self dependent but useful members
OF society. Does the public school of the
present day accomplish this? Manifestly it
does not, though it does great deal towards
accomplishing this result. The fault seems
from which our educators have not been able
to emancipate themselves. They still hold
TO the old creed, that the three Rs, with some
splicing OF modernisms, will bring about the
regeneration OF the ignorant. and fit them
world into which the young man comes after
leaving school, and the struggle in it for ex-
istence is hard and cruel. He finds himself
possessed of knowledge which would be very
helpful to him in the office or shop, but these
places are always loyercrowded, and if he
would go upon the farm, or undertake any
KIND OF manual employment, he must again
go to school to learn something, which will
enable him to procure living by such labor.
he mas perhaps, spent several years in
ss!cnool, ana cannot afford. to spend more
time on education, and he is discouraged at
the very opening of life. He must live from
day to day, and he hangs about the streets
and wharyes. picking up odd jobs and bad
habits and In time. if health fails, or bad
habits gain the ascendancy, he becomes de-
pendent upon those who are better equipped
1or the life struggle than himself
HOW would 1t have been il he had been
taught during his school years, agriculture,
Wyo1 q printing or some useful in
nifty, when he left school, for the exercise of
his knowledge? And this leads me to speak
OF certain farm schools in Denmark. which
ought to be initiated in New England, whose
soil is similar to that of Denmark, and fully
as as capable OF yielding to the husbandman
are established upon farms of moderate size,
ana In them the pupils are practically taught
now to get living from the soil. Not only
are they taught how ito pillow and to sow. to
Plant ana TO hoe, to reap and to m0w," but
how to treat various soils so as to make them
most productive; how to feed and care for
animals IN manner most conducive to profit:
In fact, when these boys leave the farm
school, they are competent to take the entire
charge OF farm and to manage it profta-
bly,. AS result, they are always in demand.
and merchants and others who possess
means lind In farms favorite investment.
Wnen they can secure graduates of the farm
WboV 70 them These schools are
them SO, and thus learn the important lesson
that the soil can be depended upon for liy-
ing. In this faith they leave school, not
CUES. ioning their ability to win their bread
from tne soil. How much of this faith is
cherished by the graduates of an American
agricultural college, supported by the state,
where the lesson is practically taught that
farming Is Improbable; that the
expenditure upon the college
farm is largely in excess of the
Ject lesson for the student, and one not cal
culated to lead him to seek agriculture for
livelihood. With so much land lying idle; |
with SO many men without work, is it not
strange that the two do not come together?
This is question often asked, and to it
reply, no, not at all.
. Inc men do not know how to go to work
10 get living from the land If agriculture
were practically taught our youth, you might
i ,in wonder at the spectacle, but you have
Ho more reason to do so in the present condi-
tion Oh affairs than 20 wonder at the inabill- |
" OF an llllterate man to read Greek. Is IL |
tnen TO be wondered at that SO MANY farms
are ss abandoned? We have no men educated |
- 10, " Mork 10 cultivate them. | took time
Tries, and was satisfied that the soil of Maine
much as 1t Is decried, averages as we'll with |
lew exceptions. as the soil of any mart of /
the Old World, and, yet, one sees no ahan-
doned farms in Europe. Nv QUILL
Inls is not the occasion to discuss methods |
OF agriculture, but, discussing this Question
with a Danish gentleman, who had travelled |
in New England, he remarked, your peonle
are not trained In the science of agriculture:
indeed, the want of method in all their oper,
atoms struck me forcibly. Why, your New
England farmer expects the plant to get its
living from the soil, which is Numerically
wrong. The soil Is only intended to hold the
plant in place, so that it can be fed. The
farmers work should be to manufacture
plant food and protect the plant from enc
and | mention it only as an illustration of
the point, that agricultural education is
needed by American youth. All The trades |
should be taught. am told by a contract |
ing carpenter, who acquired a thorough |
knowledge OF his trade, that skillful carpen- |
ters are becoming scarce; because young |
men are no longer obliged, as they were |
thorlnerIy, TO serve an apprenticeship; hence, |
~ cVtntlhued, men pass for master workmen |
S anu TAKE important contracts, who possess |
ness VI 'neii JUDI
Ia argue then, on the ground of the public |
Whonale, tnat education in mammal industry |
and tbo 20 part Oh our public school system,
s Iilat as lar as practicable pupils ShonId |
pc privileged to exercise their chpice 81 tho
industry to be learned. onoice Vi the
All tnat the state er community should nm
dertake is to give its youth a good nracticaI |
e ep Dut every boy and every girl in |