The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-06-26

AhOSC Will WIOlu l. nave tldu 10 uedi
have a remarkable capacity to acquire
knowledge, but little to assimilste it. A
weak mental digestion is the trouble
with the races We are called TO help. The
power TO learn is universal savages have
good memories. l would risk the most
benighted children O. a ustralia or Africa
in your class room; their lack of power
to use their learning would be their
weakness. Gumption," perception,
guiding instincts, rather than capacity to
learn, are the advantages of our more IA
vored race.
Drill that develops thought and moral
force is the thing in school life. The
children OF thinking parents will learn to
think in spite of stupid teaching, but the
children OF thoughtless people, with the
finest facility in learning from books will
get little good unless the right all around
training is given.
There is much waste in all educational
work; not many things but much " is
the true idea. Educators are now as
never before trying to get rid of nom
essentials In their work, and by a right
correlation OF studies make it tell upon
lie; Improve the reasoning powers; in
crease appreciation of geography, history
ana science, and the love of truth on it's
own account. Not how much we learn,
but how much we love it is the great
thing. The teacher rather than build
ing and apparatus is the main thing.
General Garfield said that sitting at
one end OF 10y in the woods with DR..
MARK Hopkins at the other end was bet
'er than being at any University.
Ihe power To think cIaor ond ctrsf 4
comes from proper training, but is most
successful when that training is obtain
ed through self-help which underlies the
pest work OF all men. The destitute. ex-
slave has the advantage of his disad-
vaatages in the poverty that taxes his
utmost energy to secure an education !;
While many youth has the disadyant.
age OF his advantages in that he does not
earn his education by a struggle which
IN itseii creates the finest thing in man
hood.
The child who wonders. thinks and
wishes to understand. To improve the
power OF observation, practical science
lessons have of late years been intro
duced, and some of Americas best
teachers are telling us how much can be
uohe at little cost to stimulate inquiry
ana reasoning. At Hampton, we plan
10 give each graduate at a cost not to
exceed $500, an outfit for giving lessons
In elements OF science, consisting of an
aicohol lamp, half a dozen test tubes
WIN holder, some glass and rubber
tubing, few chemicals and tin baking
pan with perforated shelf; these to be
supplemented by articles which can be
iound In every community, such as bot
ties' corks, lamp chimneys and candles.
Let us not De deceived by APP earances,
or iaii 10 discern the difference between
real ana apparent progress and values.
innings are not always what they seem.
There may be individual, as the
ancient patriarchs, high in spiritual
growth, who are but partially civilized,
while there may be an advanced and re-
nned ana contemptuous civilization that
IS we'll nigh hopeless" says DR.. Hopkins,
Hawaii has known no finer characters
than those OF Kaahuuanu, kapiolani.
John ii, and kekuanaoa and others.
born In savagery. uneducated; who is
there like them to-day? America has
no nobler men than some of her iRnor-
ant lndiant chiefs-not even Christian
lied; but in their wild life thew saw
. We know God, but we do not know
Jesus Christ" All men do or NAV know
God in way that we do not respect az
we should, and Natures light sometimes
becomes in selfish, so-called. Chris
tian civilization. Even in slavery there
was sometimes the highest spirituality
In Mrs. Stoves book, "Uncle Tom. -
illustrates the possibilities of character
under oppression, while Legree, the
master, shows what selfshness may
make OF men OF the most favored race.
was there ever truer saints than
among our native Hawaiian men and
women? Lowly, illiterate, simple, often
inconsistent. Our parents have told us
OF their devotion and sacrifices. I have
often thought OF good old Kahinu, whose
PRAYERS that no harm should come to me
in the dangers of war may have been
answered
Only as the land gains in spiritual
power does it gain at all. Life means
more than good bank account.
These lines We're penned in my study
at Hampton in the press OF closing an
nual exercises, with no time to rearrange
or condense statements. | ask your i'm.
diligence.
Half an hour ago said my final words
to the Senior Glass soon to graduate.
We had, with some omissions. finished
the Outline Study of MAN. by DR..
Mark Hopkins, who believes in no
metaphysics which are not capable of
being understood by any man of good.
common sense" The idea, at the least.
was, You have studied man, now Won
60 into the world to study men. In the
class room we study what is common to
all men-uniformities. This gives us
science. In the world we study men
only as they er-differences. This
gives US practical skill, and makes us
men of affairs. Both are needed. Here
tofore theory-now practise. So it is
with you, my friends; first thought, then
action.
| have given enough advice. What
will you do about it | have seldom
followed advice implicitly, which is
sometimes the best and sometimes the
worst thing in the world, according to
the good sense of the giver; but it has
Deen to me OF unspeakable value as
stimulating thought, and has led to
much change of direction. One "caroms"
on 1t as one billiard ball does on another.
Ihlnk ON these things, you of Puma
hou. Each one of you has his peculiar
0olgatlon and opportunity. Each one
has his personal EQUATION" as the
scientists say, and according to that ia
the duty to be done, and the method of
it. VI
1 recently heard it said that the first
Reformation was in reference to our
duty to God, between whom and men a
corrupt priesthood had interviewed: and
mat the Reformation of to-day is with
reference to our relations to men. How
spiendIdly this idea has been carried ont
In Ioynbee Hall in the east of London
and elsewhere |! University men. the
most gifted class, have devoted them
selves to the least gifted. The obliva.
lions OF the higher to the lower are being
appreciated as never before. By and bv
i Will be part of liberal education to
ieVote year or more TO personal labor
tho ,fo NS~DoA