Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-12-01
PUBLIC OPINION.
AMER1oAN GUNS AND ARMoR.

This country is more than keeping up
with the Old World in many, if not all
the departments Of offensive and defen-
siye warfare. Commodore Folger, Chief
of the Ordinance Bureau, officially re-
ports the progress in armor construction
and great gun building which has been
p,ticed from time TO time as experiments
nroceeded. The nickle-steel guns with
which the new navy is being armed are
stronger and better than the ordinary
steel guns, and their. method OF con-
struction permits their rebuilding when
tha tubes become worn Great improve
ments are noted in the rapid mechanism
of these guns. The Commodore is also
able TO announce that in smokeless pow
der America has produced an article
supestor to any in use in Europe. In
this field. it will be recalled, there has
baan a vast amount of rivalry among
Furonean nations, and large sums OF
money have been spent in. experiments.
The tests of new nickle-steel armor
mates. which have been alluded 10 Id
these columns before, occupy considera-
BILE space in Commodore Folger's report,
and show that in defensive armor as well
as in offensive weapons, this country is
in advance of others.
Experiments now being made with
the submarine boat at Chicago are men
toned by the Commodore. He says that
while full success has not been attained,
the invention is promising, and be sug-
pests the combination with 1t IN e1ectlve
warfare of a controllable floating torpedo
and submarine gun.
SHORTCOMINGS OF THE PEDAGo'ohs'
Pittsburgh Times.
The place of honor is given in the
Forum for December to an article by
President Eliot, of Harvard University
in which he shows wherein popular edu-
cation has failed to meet the expecta
tions which were had of it.
He finds that after all which has been
done by free schools, free libraries, cheap
literature, cheap postage, and the many
other things which contribute to general
intelligence and contentment, that men
and women, no matter what their educa-
tion. "seek advice on grave matters from
clairvoyants, seers, Chris ian Scientists,
mind-cure practitioners, bone settlers,
Indian doctors and fortune tellers"; and
instead of rational contentment among
the people there have never been wilder
outbursts of passion and revenge than
since the arts of edacation hava ap-
proached what is called perfection.
The particulars in which popular edu-
cation must be reformed if it is to de-
velop intelligence properly and produce
general contentment are these:
First, pupils must be taught the habit
of observation, alert, intent, accurate,
so that a fact wherever found may De
rightly estimated, for "facts firmly es-
tablished are the only foundations OF
reasoning"
Second, they must be taught to make
a correct record of the things observed.
whether it be on the memory only or ID
writing or print, for "in this constant
drill the conscience can not fallto be
refined and instructed"
Third, they must be taught to draw
correct differences from recorded oDserva-
tions. at is often long way from the
patent fact to the Just inference. For
centuries the Phenecian and Roman
nayigators had seen the hulls of vessels
disappearing below the blue horizon of
the Mediterranean while their sails were
visible, but they never drew the infer
ence that the earth was round"
Fourth, they must be taught to ex-
press their thoughts clearly, concisely,
and cogently.
Now what are the schools doing for
the develerment of these capacities!
In New England, President Eliot says
that 80 per centum of the pupils do not
90 beyond the grammar schools, and in
them construction is confined to "read-
ing, spelling, writing, geography, and
arithmetic" with of late "some practice
in observation through drawing, manual
training, kindergarten work in general,
and lessons in elementary science"
In his long article the Harvard Presi-
dent draws up severe diIdlS nHcnc VI
the methods of general education, but
that it is just any newspaper man may
know who recalls the many instances in
which he has had to correct the errone-
Gus observations, the laundering records
of facts, the false differences from them,
of persons who have come to him with
stories of what has been done, in a
strike, at public meeting, or what not,
after racking his wits to make out the
meaniug of those persons who have not
the faculty of expressing themselves
clearly, much less concisely and cogently.
At the bottom of the superstitions, the
follies, at the bottom of much of the
labor trouble, of the discomfort with
government, and the social order, lie
these defects of education. 1t will take
long to cure them, but until they are
cured the worst ills of society will re-
main. The Importance of the subject
with which President Eliot deals in his
long article entities it to the place OF
honor which it occupies.
Mr.. J. P. BLAZE, an extensive real
estate dealer in Des Moines, Iowa, mar