Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-03-18
One Of Many More.

EDITOR CITIzEy:-In your issue of the
4th instant. one signing herself, "a
Teacher" discussed with some vehemenee,
under the caption Zone of Many" the
mooted question in Allegheny twp, viz;
"Does Literary Society hinder the pro-
gress of the Scholars in our Common
Schools"
On account of the respectable, and with
al, competent source from whence. the arti-
Gle emanated deem it proper not to LET
it pass noticed.
The writer, while advocating technical
IL the affirmative of the question as above
stated, forcefully argues that Literary So
cieties, Clubs or Lyceums are highly bene-
fetal, and should be organized in every
community in order to allow the parents
and post graduates of our common schools
to attend aud absorb all the benefits to be
derived therefrOm. We have, therefore,
no war to wage with the writer on the
general subject of the utility and propriety
of Literary Societies However, the ex-
| elusive limits in which she would contne
those benefits would seem a little selfish
to say the least. "a Teacher" as l un-
derstand her. would not have anyone at
tend and participate in the proceedings OF
a.Lterary Society until after they shall have
ceased, from actual graduation, or other
cause to attend our common schools. The
writer seriously and earnestly insists upon
this, apparently unmindful of the fact that
a well organized Literary Society contains
gradations in its curriculum which are
adapted to the age and mental calibre of
every one We would not, for instance,
expect the boy of eight or ten years to
| take part in debate, particularly if the
the question selected involved great pro-
fundity of thought; but We would expect
him to commit to memory defamation,
and deliver it before the Society, and thus,
not only strengthen and develop that most
important faculty OF his mind, his memo
~, but az the same time, and so far as
possible, Danish, or wholly extirpate the
natural embarrassment with which poor,
weak humanity is universally afflicted,
when rising to speak before an audience,
knowing that be is the focus Of all eyes.
This latter frailty is oftentimes so deep
seated that it requires all the persistent,
unremtting. persevering effort which can
reasonably be crowded into all the years,
running from early boyhood to mature
manhood to eradicate. And yet, this is,
oftentimes the material out Of which some
of our best public speakers are manufac-
tured.
The faculty of the memory, like the
muscles of the body can only be strength
ened and developed by its use. We con-
clude, therefore, that the training which
the mind and memc-y of the young stu
d Mt receives in a Literary Society, if it
were to be admitted that no other benefits
are derived therefrom, only fit and qualify
him or her all the better TO master the
studies composing the curriculum of the
common or day school The truth of this
proposition is too apparent to require
much, if any, elucidation. The writer OF
the article in question says that ''as the
branches of study taught ia tbs common
schools are the essentials toward fitting
the scholars for lives of usefulness, it is
best To give them all their time. and
thought"
If this be true in theory and correct in
practice the student having the legal pro-
fession in contemplation should study
nothing but Jurisprudence; the medical
profession, nothing but materia medtca and
surgery; the ministry, nothing but theolo-
gy. Who ever heard ofa minister of the
gospel making any practical use in his
sermon of geometry, trigonometry, di fer
entail calculus, comic sections, or SURVEY
ingl And yet every well equipped minis
ter mas studied all these things; and why
has he studied themf
The answer obviously is, for the develop
ment Of mind which the study of them
afforded. IL is very certain, l think, that
the only possible practical use which he
could make Of the science of surveying
would be- to maze survey of his congre-
CATION, ascertain how many of them Were
sleeping, and accurately locate them.
Indeed, the only pracrIcle use, so far as
can see. that preacher can make
even of arithmetic in hi, sermon, would b.
by telling his co gregation that they could
only be saved by what the ari.hmetician
used to call "The Rule Of Three, the
Trinity, you know. No, learned writers
and educators everywhere aver that this
whole matter of education is not nearly so
much the acquisition of knowledge. as it is
the development of mind. Students,
therefore, should never hesi tate TO avail
themselves Of any and everything, compat-
bie, of course, with guod, moral char
actcr, that will, in any degree, tend to the
development of the intellectual faculties.
whether it be the faculty Of memory, their
reasoning faculties, their OratOrical facu-
ties, or what not. Lawyers, doctors,
preachers, editors, philosophers, and Others
study geometry because there is nothingiu
all this wide world so we'll calculated To-
develop the reasoning faculties. We con
cluded, therefore, that ii this development
of mind be attained, it is a matter of No
moment whether iG may have been acquir-
ed in Literary Society, or Public
Schnol, or ont sid of both. The history
of Mr. Lincoln furnishes an example in
which it was most thoroughly attainet
without the aid of either
Again, we would not have a young
Miss, of thirteen or fourteen years. under
take, in Literary Society to give us
a thesis on thensophy, for instance, or a
disquisition Of Dialects but we would
expect her to take mp some simple, easy
subject, one upon which she might be
competent to speak, aud write an original
essay of reasonable length, and thus
acquire the art of composition, so that, a
few years later, she might be able TO write
an acceptable and creditable epistle to her
sweetheart. II such an essay be not pre-
! pared during school hours, but at home
during the long, winter evenings-as in
fact. believe they always are-how it
can possibly interfere, or conflict with, or
retard the scholars progress in her school
studies, frankly confess l am wholly
unable TO discern. The art of composition
is, believe, taught in the public schools
of our large towns and cities, but nothing
of the kind is down on the cirriculum of our
schools in the rlral districts. Thus do
scholars, the accident of whose residence is