The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-20
MOULDING THEIR FUTURE
Rev. F. 7. Webb Speaks to the
Teachers on the Training
of Pupils.
He Favors Keeping Formulated
Religious Doctrines Out Of
the Classroom.
A Craed Which He Thinks Would be Ac-
ccptable to All Charlottesville
Days Proceedings.

Rev. F. T. Webb addressed the teachers
of Lewis and Clarke county last night on
the subject of Souls" His theme was ex-
haustively handled, and the talk made
quite an impression on those who heard it.
''Ther esults Of your labor" he said, never
appear SO quickly as if you were dealing
with material commodities, but they are
more abiding; indeed, they are eternal.
II YOU grow wearied over your task, as you
must needs at times do, n discouraged
because yor cannot SEQ the immediate eff
feet of every touch upon the plastic ele-
ments which you are trying to shape, none
the less isyour vocation ahieh and holy one.
It is of souls that / would like to speak to-
night, not from the religious standpoint as
the theme must be treated in the pulpit.
but as indicating what it is you are daily
called on to work upon. If it is only on the
bodies Of your pupils or with minds OF the
same p~erishable composition that you are
commissioned to expend your strength,
how sadly as it seems to me
is your lofty calling. brought down.
we are apt to associate all thought of the
destiny and culture of the soul with the
dopmas OF the church. Blu you must not
offend the convictions of those patrons and
supporters of the public schools who do not
believe with the churches. Religion must
be excluded. 1t il right to respect convlc-
tions. Still, it is only q question as to how
you will formulate your creed. state IL
thus; 4 believe in the Catholic nebula,
self-existent evolver of Heaven and earth,
and in the differentiation of Its original
homogeneous mass. It's first begotten pro-
duct. which was self formed into different
worlds, divided into mi and water, self
organized into plants and nlmal repro
duced in like species, further developed IN
to higher orders and finally refined, natural
lied and perfected as man. He descended
from a nomad, assembled to the philoso-
pher and stitch down in the rites and Gus
toms of civilization, under the laws OF a de,
yelopine sociology. From thence he snal
o~nlminated heterogeneousnees, back to thu
original ho-mogeneousness of chaos. l believe
in the wholly imperBonal absoiuts, the sur
wal of the httest, the desperation of the
body and in death everlasting Would the
opponents of the Bible in the public schools
object to its repetition? 1t is mot likely. I
to provoke a controversial mood,
but recognizing the necessity, even the JUS
tice, of keeping formulated religious doc
trines from the class room. Is 1t not posi-
BILE for the teacher still to think OF the
pupils as beings, not things, as possessed
of consciences capable of gr9at achieve
ments in the realm of principles; not mere
nuantities like ore or m~erchandise, whose
value is determined by weight and scale;
as spirits, not bodies only; as not simply
possessing souls, but by their very essential
constitutions, their origin, their end, being
souls? Development is a word that 10 now
in the air. So completely is all the htera-
ture of the day saturated witp the idea, that
we are apt to lose sight of its correla-
tive-the fact of retrogressson. Can we
escape the observation that as marked as
the tendency upwards, is that also which IS
downwsrds; the tendency toward retroRres-
sion. If we accept the one let us recognize
also the other"
After dwelling at lsrge on the existence
of the soul, its relations to the body. and
the separate functions OF feach, the lecturer
continued: "Such a separate entity has
each of your pupils behind his clean Or
soiled garments, within his noisy body,
looking at you out of his 1pischievous or
{ Dubbed eyes. And what IS the prospect
than the battle of life. That 10 uot the
strife for bread. Without much batting
enough will be forthcoming to keep the
body alive. 1t is the q between high
ideas and strong passions, between intense
impulses and an exacting conscience-the
decision to be rendered whether the soul
should lift up the body or the body should
drag down the soul-the eternal struggle OF
the fttest to survivs.
1.-The application of these thoughts con-
~stitutes in my mind the dignity of you,
calling. 1t is not clay you are fashionine
into human shape, with a genius howeve,
sublime, but souls upon which your hands
indeed cannot stamp the image of God
that is already there-but in which your in
fluence may awaken anything that is divine
OF course you cannot treat YOUR classes al
if they we're pupils in a Sunday school
But without even a reference to any formu-
lated UNCONVENTIONAL or religions doctrine
you may still deal with them as souls. 1
the best teaching always that which is don
with the tongue? 1t need only the quick
ening of senses we already have to feel con
sciously and with discrimination the feel
ing which is dominating one by the atmos
phere around his person. Believe in you
pupils; the TREMENDOUS possibility of ever
one of them for good, and they will be in
spired without their knowledge, by tn
grandeur of your faith.
Zone kind of philosophy of which "
read proposes to govern the mind as COZ
querors sometimes legislate in the countrie
they subdue, by annihilating everythin
that can resist. A rebsllious body ca
easily be brought to order and a stupid
i%nattentive mind, not easily but to SON
- SA NAcSi : VIII Ao
about the timid or reserved? In your 81
ounte with this are you not in the real
of soul? And do you not consider that ii
tact you display here is the measure of I'll
greatest skill as a teacher that you posses
and the success you achieve in handlir
these subtle qualities which diferentia'
the pupils of a classroom, n all individ1
ais in the wide world, is the hottest an
highest triumph of your work?"
Sixty-one teachers answered roll call
the morning. and more dropped in durir
sion with a paper on Methods in ungrade
schools" Messrs. Ryan. Hutchinso
Bramble, Fisher, Kay and Benjamin, MI
Cummings, State Superintendent Ganno
County Superintendent Turnkey, and Gil
Superintendent Young took part in the di
cussion which followed. Prof. H. T.. Ell
gelhorn gave a treatise on writing. MI
Aver gave an illustration of the metho,
which may be employed by teachers wi
are not efficient. Drawing was treated
by Miss Josephine Mason, and ''Tact
and cut of the school room," by Miss Ed,
Gorham. Prof. s. A. Merritt, in bis ia
on School carriculum," advanced a gre
many good suggestions. DIR. Maria I
Dean read a practical treatise on "Hypie,
in the school room" Miss Hopper's ella
in synthetic reading was very highly cor
mended. superintendent Iurnley max
An excellent presiding officer. When S
finds a discussion getting too near the Ii
of dispute she deftly calls a halt and tur
in the secretary, Mr.. John Nj. Kay.
Bon Ton open day and night. stric,
frat class.
Weber Concert Co, at Ming's opera ho,