The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-27
PEDAGOGUES IN TOWN
State Teachers Association Opens
with Good Attendance.
County superintendent Also Gather
ElocutiOnists and Orators Also on
Hand-PrOgrammes.

The educators of the State convened in
annual convention, in the hall Of the House
of Representatives last evening. very
large contingent of the school officers and
teachers are already on the grounds. The
opening session was marked by a much
larger attendance than in previous years.
BY o'clock the seating capacity of the
hall was taxed to its utmost, and if the at
tendance increases, more seats will have to
be provided. The increased number of lady
teachers present last night was remarked
by the officials of the organization. The
associati ton was tardy in coming together,
and II was suggested by a y0ungster pres
ent that the teachers should be treated as
they did their charges under like condi-
tions and be kept in" 1t was nearly $50
O'Clock when President ]. n. Study, of
Richmond, Ind, called the convention to
order.
a duet by Misses Emma and Leila Parr,
of this city received the plaudits of the
assemblage.
Prayer was offered by DR.. d. w. Fish
back, president of Hanover College. The
retiring president, j. y. Study, refused to
'infict upon the association a valedictory
address" as he stated there was no prece-
dent for such a proceeding in the history
of the organization. The incoming presi-
dent, l.. o. Dale, of Wabash, was intro
duced He began his address by citing in
stances of fraud and corrupt methods prev
alent in elections, exposing the shameiul
practices coming under his observation of
men who were seekers after office. He con-
tended that to guard against these practices
the youth Of the State should be Instructed
In a higher grade Of morals. They should
frown down the men who stoop to such ex-
tremities to obtain political preference he
said: 1--WE must look TO the schools TO de-
ternine the intelligence and character of
the future citizenship Of our government,
upon which it's strength and perpetuity de-
ponds. Our schools are consecrated TO
the young people. They are set
apart for the work of bringing to
them instruction which will make
them strong in intellect, strong in charac-
ter. and which will aid them to realize the
ideal self in this life as we'll as in the life
TO come. 1t should be urged upon our Leg
islature by the teachers that the law be 50
anne nded That the elements OF civil govern
ment shall be one OF the required branches
to be taught in common schools. Let
the schools assume this task, which prop
erly belongs TO them, OF giving such specific
instructions to the pupils that they will be
equipped for their duties as citizens. and
thus insure TO the future government what
Is truly .of the people by the people; and
the State Normal School, followed with an
address on 1.-THE Generalization of Studies"
being one of the best thinkers in the
State, and 1s address was listened to with
marked attention throughout. He said;
limits the discussion to the relation Of the
studies already in the course-to their in
tefrelation-to their relative Importance. 1t
does not permit the consideration of what
studies are TO be included in the course
1T requires the examination of their
ordination and their SubOrdination as well.
1t really raises the question as to whether
reading. writing and arithmetic to
cupy longer their place of prominence.
While raising this question, IL still recOg-
nizes their essential Importance In con
sidering the question three things will be
brought into view.
philosophy is the source OF the principle
that Is TO be employed in determining the
coordination of the studies. This leads
to the inquiry as to whether philosophy is
practical enough to give a working princi-
pie for the determination of the relations
the well-known statement by Novalis, the
young German philosopher of the eight
6ead bt rg cam c9 s6r no
freedom and immortality"-was quoted and
discussed, in order to show that philosophy
Is practical enough to furnish the princi-
pie for the problem in hand. The testi
mony of w. T. Harris, the Commissioner
OF Education, was also cited.
FOLLOWING the consideration OF tnlS HIST
thought the principle furnished by philos-
ophy was given, explained and illustrated.
The principle was this: The world Of ma
ture and of man is a series of beings, ris-
ing gradually from a passive form of
istence to one of self-activity. freedom.
This was illustrated at some length in order
to show it's force in determining 1.-The
ordination of studies" Attention next
turned to the actual relations Of the various
studies to each other as seen i'm the light
of this fruitful thought. These relations
were found to be four, in a genera view.
/. The main lines of advance in the educa-
ton of the child are in the realms Of ma
ture studies, the institutions as treated in
history and the ideals Of the race as re-
vealed in art, especially In literature 2
The grading of these three as determined
by the degree to which they reveal and de-
velop the childs full nature as lowest,
nature studies. higher history, highest art,
especially literature. 3. The fact that each
one Of these lines has the grading within Ii
determined by the same idea, 1. e.,the various
degrees of self-activity in ii. T. The fact
that life in the child is the center of each
study and the goal toward which each is
ending. Hence in the development
folding of each study the child may be led
to behold his own progress. Each of these
topics enlarged upon sufficiently to
render clear the thought to be expressed.