The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-06
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

This was the subject Of the interesting
| symposium at Council hall Sunday even
| ing, the fourth in the excellent series at
that place under the auspices of the Unity
| club and the Unitarian society. DR.. w.
/ r, Stevenson, the able and amiable super
| intendent of the city schools gave the open
ing address. He was greeted by one Of the
| largest audiences yet assembled in the
course. His subject was, Training for
Citizenship" The lofty and broad views
he gave were exceedingly refreshing TO
moral lassitude. 1.-The active thought Of
our dayfs entering he said, in the great
problems of ethics and economics. The re-
lation between ethics and religion is close
and vital. To break the last half of the
decalogue would be to break the first part
also. Ethics is indispensable 10 civiliza
ton. No benefcent relation between men
is possible without truth. The true dis
ciplinarian does not rule by deceit, by
pandering to low motives out of fear, GU
pidity or ignoble ambition" He looks into
the soul and plants there the seed of
integrity. Without being secular
or sectarian the school can teach
to moral virtues and by appeal to noble
motives and the nurture of reverence for
God and parents can inspire moral ideals.
The school can train and cultivate a spirit
and habit of obedience, integrity and in
dustry. Obedience yields cluster Of vir-
tues.
The ineficiency of school curricula to
prepare pupils for life as useful citizens Is
evidenced in the many attempts to change
and modify the same. Industrial training
has a pleasing sound But moral training
can not be dispensed with. 4 boy with
cunning hand and sharp wit Is only the
more dangerous TO the state if he Is weak
morally. Pupils should be educated TO
look upon labor as honorable. They should
be educated in patriotism and should early
learn to distinguish between partisanship
and politics. They should commit TO
memory selections from the speeches of
the great statesmen who have been honor
ed for their service TO human progress
Let patriotism be inculcated. Let the flag
of the nation wave from every school
house. Let the economic system be such
that every citizen can secure for his own
possession home. A country where the
citizens own their own homes will never
want for defenders
Miss Marie Mathis followed with de
ngltlulIy written paper ulScuSSlnS Tue
question, "Can the schools teach morality
without theology She gave an admira-
bic resume of the discussion on the subject
that has taken place in the public prints
during the last four years. Cardinal Glib
bons would say no, many representatives
of Protestant churches would say no, but
less emphatically, the liberals would say
yes The latter class numbers some Of the
leading educators, essayists and states
men, Among the number mentioned in
the third class were Prof. William 7.
Harris, Solomon SCHNEIDER and W. 5.
Lilly.
DR.. Pratt gave brief, but pointed and
well put expression of opinion. He
thought the parents should be teachers
too, especially the mothers. He empha-
sized the duty of the school to teach the
honor of all industrial employment. He
believed in educating women along the
same lines as men.
The next meeting will be May IS. The
leaders are Col. Emmett Callahan and Miss
Alice Oyerstreet; the subject, Our debt
to genius"