The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-03
7HE State TEACHERS.
Second Day Of the Educational
! Association Meeting. ''
AN INTERESTING ADDRESS
ny DR.. Allen last Evening to n Large
Audtcncc..Systcm IN Education.
Interesting Exercises Ycstcr.
day..school Books, ctc.

Audicncc..systcm IN Education.
Interesting Exercises Ycstcr.
day..school Books, ctc.
Tho West Virginia Educational Aas
citation was called to order again ut 0: <
o'clock yesterday morning. After sin,
Ing "Nearer my God, to Thee" prnyt
was offered by Rev. Mr.. Woods. Nlll
Stella Hart, Of New Martinaville, an
Prof. Chaliant were appointed enrollin
clerks. n. T".. .I...
A paper-"The True Functions Q
Our Normal Schools" read b,
Professor K. A. Armstrong, Principal O
the West Liberty Normal school. Th,
paper was well prepared and was
thoughtful production. Il ~. .'-''-
Professor Armstrong said that in 1891
there were but six norma, schoo!ain tht
whole country. Now there are more
than 200. His purpose was 10 show The
true functions OF these schools. We
have a great variety OF normal schools.
IT is impossibleto have these schools all
alike. They must conform to tho con.
ditlons surrounding them, approach rs
nearly to the perfect model as tho sur.
roundings will permit. Tho science OF
education and tho art OF teaching should
be thoroughly taught. Itis one Of the
legitimate functions of q normal school
to give instruction in the branches. In
our normal schools we are forced to
give large portion Of the time in Civ.
ing academic instruction. Though this
ia the case, 1t is the true. function OF tho
normal schools to equip teachers thor.
oughly for their work. He spoke OF the
parsinony OF the Legislature in dealing
with normal schools. They can never
succeed properly until more money is
raised to run them. They are on a
smaller basis today than ever before,
Prof. Fleming opened the discussion
OF the paper. lie spoke earnestly, com.
pllmenting the writer and emphasizing
many points made by him. Prof.
Lorentz, Of McMecLen, claimed that the
only way to improve the normal schools
was TO abolish them and begin anew.
F. II. Crago said the true function Of
the normal school was "to teach teachers
how to teach" l{e also spoke Of the
great improvement in these schools
since twenty years ago. Dr.. Blaisdell
spoke in the saine strain, especially tes.
tiiying to the good work Of tho normal
schools OF West Virginia. He urged
that the teachers demand:oi the I.ecis.
lature to be more liberal. He favored a
State College for the express education
OF the teachers. The digcussion was
continued in very lively manner, by
quite number OF teachers. 7i1 -
Prof. J. A. Cox, Suneriptepdent Of
the Martinsburs Public Schools, spoke
briefly Oh "The Renewal OF the Contract
for Text Books" He said he was op.
posed to the renewal of the contract,
Competition Is the life OF trade. He
thought that the matter should be
thrown open to all publishers.
In the afternoon the discussion Of the
text book question was continued by J.
+. Ogden, who favored the renewal of
the contract. Professor Fleming op.
posed The renewal, favoring lres text
books BY each district. T. II. Craso
favored the renewal Of the contract, but
was in favor OF free text books. Professor
Arnatroag favored State uniformity.
Professor Lorentz argued that uni
tormity was opposed to all progress. DR..
]. A. Myers favored uniformity in every.
thing, especially in the system OF eiu-
cation. Prof. A. L, Wade spoke in his
own inimltable way in favor of uniform
ity, He said thati this Association de-
cided in favor OF destroying the State
University, it would deserve and get
the anathemas Of the people. -
Hon. S. 4. Hauel, member of the
Legislature, was called on and spoke to
on tho question under discussion. He
said that the people Of the State are
being imposed on by the publishipg
houses. lie spoke also OF the bill pro.
posed by the Legislature. 1t was not
the intention OF the last Legislature to
destroy the uniformity Of text books in
the State. It was the aim to secure uni.
iarmity alta less cost.
Quite a number OF questions we're
asked Mr.. Hanen concerning the school
bill before the last Legislature.
Superintendent Morgan aaid he had
intended to speak on the question, but
he would postpone it until this morn.
ine's session. s. e l,wa
The evening session Was opened with
music, the Eutefpian Club singing
"Moonlight will come again" Being
loudly encored, they sang another se-
lection. Superintendent Morgan then
in few well chosen words introduced
DR.. Jerome Allen, Professor Of Pedagogy
In the University OF the city OF New
York, who spoke on the subject, "a
State System Of Public Instruction."
There is no such thing, said the Doc
tor, US too much system in education,
provided it is education. But there may
be too much OF the machine and too
little OF the system. We can have too
much Of machine education, but we can
not have too much systematic education.
The world is to-day what it is because Of
system. If We could keep our bodily
forces systema.ic We could five forever.
We die because We ret out OF system.
The pledge and proof Of the eternal
God is found III his eternal system As
far removed rs the human is from the
Divine, so lar is the infinite from the
machine. God is infinitely and eternatty
systematio. No machinery can ever be
made to take the place Of mind; nor is
it possible to reduce mind action to
mature movement and still keep it
mind. Tho whole universe Of matter is
constructed on systematic principles,
but throughout all OF it, there is not q
particle machinery, and yet there is an
inAnita texactness md perfection no
wonderful that it Is impossible for the
mind Of man to conceive Of anything
more perfect or more exact than the
system Of the material universe with
which We are surrounded. ,,,-ta i i, IL. z
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