The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-02-03
com MON SCHOOLS.


Com MON SCHOOLS.
Continued from First Page.
heart. the honest training OF the child.
To impart knowledge without also rem
dering some practical aid to the child.
how to use this wondrous and danger
GUS power, is to entruet to his unskilled
hands two-edged sword and to supply
society with tends in human form.
knowledge never made nation great
and glorious, and knowledge alone never
crowned an individual with the diadem
of his fellowmen's esteem or won for him
heavens rewards. The sages Of Athens
in the palmiest days of Grecian learning
dazzled the world with the brilliancy of
their genius and the fame Of their pro-
found philosophy. But short-lived aud
shameful was Grecian glory, for the
learned men of that classic age were
powerlees to lift society from the degra-
dation to which their varied learning
without virtue had permitted it to fall.
The ruins of Pompen and the relics pre-.
served in that marvellous museum at
Naples left in unmistakable language
the sad story of Roman learning and Ro-
man genius, "shaming all our later art, !"
but helpless, powerlees to save most
gifted people from moral ruin, for they
persisted by internal decay. The Egyp-
tians who raised those enduring monu-
ments of royal greatness, that still chal
lenRe the admiration of enlightened ma
tions, sit in listless gloomy melancholy
by the lambs of their Pharoahs and aim
lessly seek for consolation in pondering
over the arts they have lost and their an
Gent glories, gone, never to return. Ig-
norance is misfortune. knowledge is
power, but virtue is more enduring than
learning, and an illiterate but virtuous
people possess more priceless elements
of strength and of greatness than a
learned nation deficient in morals aud
virtue.
Tenuyson we'll says:
Let knowledge grow from more to more
But more of reverence in US dwell,
That mind and soul, according WE'LL
May make one music as before.
The teachers best and highest duty is
to train the character Of childhood, to
direct to better things all the energies of
untamed youth committed to his care
Under our system OF maintaining COM
mon schools the difficulties in the teach
er's pathway are multiplied, for not only
must he encounter rebellious tendencies
of thoughtless children, the peculiar
whin,s and strange vagaries of parents,
all of whom imagine their children are
prodigies, but he must steer clear Of the
religious prejudices of parents and OF
children and often guard himself against
the religious fanaticism of some of che
good district fathers" Under our con-
stitution the state cannot recognize any
sect or religion and We cannot permit
any form of religion TO be taught or pre-
ferred in our common schools supported
by the site. 1t is proper here to re-
mark that, by taking this position, we.
Americans do not ignore religion and
are not unconscious of it's blessed inhu-
ei1ce upon our country. We do not un-
derestimate the Importance Of religion in
holding the public conscience, but our
American state admits it's incompetency
in spiritual matters and treats all forms
of religion with impartial esteem and
reverence. Our constitution does not
sanction any particular form Of religious
belief, and simply tolerate others, but
ali stand on a footing of perfect equality
before the law, and all have equal rights
at the bar of public opinion. The faith
ers of the republic pledged their lives,
their fortunes and their sacred honor"
with firm reliance on divine provi-
dence for tho final triumph of the'glori-
GUS enterprise of founding upon this con-
tinent nation of free mon, capable Of
governing themselves. We cannot there
fore admit that this is an irreligious ma
ton, that we are hostile or indifferent to
religion or that our common school sys.
tenn is goddess system.
Without any reserve, with perfect can
dor and with abiding confidence in the
sense OF fairness instinct in the Ameri-
can heart, unhesitatipgly declare that
our common school system is the best
and only practical system that under
our peculiar conditions the American
state could devise. Dishonest disturb
ers, mischievous meddlers, narrow
minded bigots and noisy busy-bodles
generally have done their best to cast
odium upon the system, and to impair
the harmonious efficiency of our common
schools. For all this our public school
system is not to blame. Its worst enc
mics have been it's fool friends, who
falsely interpret it's purpose and cause