Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-20

well rs Democrats and made 50 great an
impression upon the House in his favor
that in view Of CAElLSLE's election to
tho senate # is now said, that, should
the next House be Democratic, his title
will De Speaker. WILSON.
THE DAWN or A NEW ERA IN EDU-
CATION.
The subject Of Manual Training Is
one Of paramount Importance and OF
iuexhaustible interest, for the pres
emit Manual Training School move
ment. which Is going on AN over the
country. is the dawn Of new era in
education. Heretofore our educators
have paid attention only To the mind,
leaving the body, the hands. the most
important factors in the lives of more
than three-fourths Of our people 10 take
care OF themselves and gain what train
ing they could in the hard school Of ex-
perience In this practical age such a
system is manifestly inadequate TO meet
the necessities OF the people. II we
were AN clergymen, lawyers, doe
tors. authors or clerks it might
do well enough. but these
represent only a very small percentage
Of our population: the masses Of the
people must work and the present
system Of educating the mental facul-
ties only g, Of little use TO the average
citizen in his battle for a livelihood
with tine hard. practical world.
The sooner our educators Get this
fact thoroughly fastened IN their minds
and get ON; Of the old rut the sooner
will Manual Training come, and the
better chance Of scholars on leaving
school of becoming useful citizens.
One Of the best articles upon this
subject that has come under our notice
is the following from the Industrial
World. Of Chicago. We commend it to
the careful pcrusal Of our Board Of
Education:
This and other schools Of its kind involve
"a radical departure from the Old method
and fhe old aims of Instruction. depart
ure which is the elimination of long Sc
ries of struggling, stumbling, halting steps
extended through number OF centuries
For a long period the mind was treated, III
the processes Of education, as something in
.H HrrsHa for Nfl moi -
INDEPENDENTLY Of the body, yet limited IN
its functional activities and manifesto
tious. 10 some extent, in some mystic
rious way. by its corporeal environ
meut. The old philosophers, such as Plato
and Socrates, believed that the essential
value Of education was 20 elevate the mind
far above the Unitarian commonplaces OF
the ignorant pOpulace. So as % dwell IN the
regions of pure thOuget. commune with the
stars. and formulate abstract truth. Ac-
cOrdiug 10 this view. Archimedes, solving
deep problems in mathematics, was an OBJ
iect for the highest reverence. but. invent
inc the screw long used beside the Nile 10
lift waters for purposes of irrigation. was
engaged in an ignOble performance, and
letting himself down 70 the mean level of
the rabble. That false estimate has yielded
slowly and reluctantly before the assaults
of common sense. Even vet il has ti0t en-
tirclv released its hold upon popular preiu-
dice: for there is "a current impression that
"A collegiate graduate has climbed so high IN
learning that he is above the unfOrtunateS
who have 20 soil their hands with physical
labor
The manual training school proceeds ON
the opposite idea that man. at every step OF
his path through life, is brought into con
tact with material things, and constantly
needs 20 use the forces of nature as the ser
wants ofhis wants He, then, is best equip
ned 90 win success who possesses the great
est amount of practical knowledge about
these materials and the natural forces with
which they are imbued or 20 which they
may be subjected. Moreover ii has
been ascertained that, while the
movements of the feet and the low
er limbs are almost mechanical nm
walking. themOvements OF the arms, hands
and fingers require, i'm signal degree, the
directory action of the brain, and are there
fore highly educational IN their character
heworkshOp thus becomes the best school
room. where the student, not Of abstract
ideas. obsolete systems, and much DINER
rubbish. but of actual substances, operative
tools. and utilitariau accomplishments, pre-
mares himself 20 step forth from ms
Surroundings into useful place re-
ouiripc hi, knowledge and services.
He is not. as the university grad
uate often is. so polished as TO be unable 70
endure the scratches OF contact with the
rongh and tumble of business life. nor is
his memory crammed with lore which only
one person in q hundred or more regards
with even a languid interest. On the con-
trarv. he passes from his work bench 10 the
world Of practical activities. furnished with
those qualifications which are coming into
prompter demand as the perfection OF me-
chauical appliances renders more and more
requisite the training which has added 10
skill the power 90 think and plan.
These schools are sure 10 multiply. IL IS
impossible 10 keep IA knowledge of their
benefits and advantages from spreading.
The few now in existence are destined 10 DC
the progenitors of "a mulutudinous brood,
until AN youths capable of receiving the ap-
poiuted tuitition shall find "a laudablc ca
I recr open 90 their cNertiOus. Ia this age OF
I rapid changes. when suailpace progress
win not bee tolerated. the science of educa-
tion cannot long bee held captive in the
chains of precedent. and may be expected
soon % break away INTO the unrestrained
action of q robust and oXultant Freedom.
I The next generation is likely 20 be amazed
al the foolish waste of time and effort In
overlooking mems memories with the mere
husbs and chan of knowledge, when the
solid substance was al the while within
L .Ns