Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-22

hAnds and fasU tesrss Dust hse%aiiy Dc
keps tamp.se TO DO the work reqared-
Edcc stica and LsbN.
The Nes Easiani Farmer. r~eog1Iisias
that d,ese 10 feeling sms1z nsaEy zS-icai-
taraI thinkers and writer's tass the public
school syssea, q to-day is cTeX.ioy fAiss
ss.ndar. in the minds Of the ysusa by de
velo,iez ~ AVERSION TO manual labor, al
edu .a:irs them a~xy from eccapasions
which rseessi,are is. thssebg unsaly In
eres siaz ,ae TANK. VI nliis men I'D non-
2.a3acsrs All ai;.=z az cities ~.rh hs-
yers. brokers'. saeca'ato CLERKS, book
keepers, etc, in excess o; the nssis OF
business; asked the question Of several
prominent edac.ro,s OF New England If, in
their opipicu. the modern public school
SYST "a teEded TO neli.sle the dignity If hon
est manual labor, dirsczei BY bright. active
brains. While se can hardly see the reason
for asking this question, and wee no ground
upon which il can be bssed. The ans ssrs are
OF Interest as cJDi aiming views OF souno
and discreet men upon IT,
President u. C. Fernsld Of the Maine
State College thinks the modern public
school system tends in 10 way to belittie
the dignity Of homes; manual labor direc-ed
by bright. active brains. Naturally the
drift Of trained minds is toward mental
rather than manual occupations. ITO
limi, this tendercy,r says President Fer
uaia, .-the Introduction into our schools Of
BRANCHES Of study treating directly Of he
prodL Give Industries and encouragement; OF
the manual training system 10 the fultes
extent practicable are undoubtedly in the
right line"
Dr. Dewitt Hyde, President of Bow
dom College thinks the aversion TO
manual labor, on the part Ut the sons OF
our New Ensl.nd farmers ard mechanics
10 due parsly TO the original sin OF lsziness.
end partly to false social standards.
Far from bsiDg the cause Of it. the public
school sysssm and sound educati IN is the
only hope we have of overcoming il Pres
ident Hsde says: "A little educ .tion is in
,his respect q dangerous Thing, and often
absurd notion that the honor Of 3 calling 10
| in proportion - its ease. But thorough
education wiil maxi pupils realize thst honor
| /. propcr;ioned TO the difficulties overcome,
the energy displayed. and the service rem
dered il any calling and will lead them 10
| see in the Independence. the invention, the
strength the manliness developed by hard
outdoor work, the true dignity Of man.
| Manual trsining. systematic physical exe:-
else, the study of morals and political econ
omy in the schools, and ev ry;hins that
tends to make study practical aud the student
sy.,emstical. will help to briag about the
recognition OF the dignity OF manual labor,
and lead the youth to choose the free, nat
ural life of the farm to the crsmped. artii
cial, muscle-weskening, nerve destroy ing
machine life Of the desk and counter"
Prof. w. J. Corthell. Priacipal Of the
Western Normal Sehoo! at Gorham replies
to the Farmers question in the following
language:
| Do the schools educate the pupils away
| from common manual work? II the ques
ton means do they do 50 intentionally and
directly the answer must b. All emphatic
no. II the question means do they do this
unintentionaliy and indirectly the answer
must be As an emphatic :es. How ex-
plain this apparent paradox. Education
does not make man lazy. The educated
boy or girl, man or woman has no more
disinclinsiion t, manual work than the iguo-
rant, nay all experience shows that he has less
objection to it as such, is less likely 10 be q
loafer, q good for naught. He in common " itb
| the ignorant. man will find something bet er
or easier or more profitable 20 do if he can,
and his education simply gives him bet
ter chance than his ignorant brother to
find the something better. The healthy hu
man enjoys activity, enjoys work to such a
degree of intensity and continuance as is
sutii cient tor needed and enjoyable exer-
else. Ali manual work hey end this 10 dis
agrs cable The compulsioa is work be-
You'd this pleasurable amount whether it
comes from his needs crying out for food,
clothing. shelter, welfare and support of
loved ones or from the lash of u master
makes him a slave. Human nature rebels
against this slavery. desires to escape it
and therefore seeks other kinds of work
less wearisome.
Ali manual work is unpleasant when he
body ID not in perfect health. Nearly sil
bodies inherit disease from ancestry, so
manual work becomes burden and each
desires to be free from it.
Superior power of thought and superior
skill have always got the bes; places in the
social arrangement. Every one notices
this. Each man wants for himself the best
place. the place which give, the most re
turn for the least work. or place among
that class Of workers who get the highest
good with the least mannai work, or whose
work is rsther held by the people to be a
little more honorable than manual work.
These reasons impel every one to get out
| of manual work The schools help the
pupils out OF the ranks Of mere manual
workers by giving them greater thought
power and greater facility for acquiring
skill. So they indirectly educate the pupils
away from manual work. Brains do the
same. A man utterly ig lorart of book
knowledge, if he have su efior though;
power or natural tendency to acquire skill
faster than his fellows, gets away shortly
from mere manual work.
Can the schools do better for the pupils
than now? Most assuredly. How? LIST,
By introducing 50 much of induetrisl or
m nuai training as has distirctively intel
lectusi value. I'd, By making the end of
all school study and instruction. develop
ment. growth. physical, intellectual and
moral activity, instead of mere examining
Of memory.