The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-08-24
A LETTER FROM 1RS. S. c.
STEVENS.
To THE PEOPLE OF BLUE EARTF

To THE PEOPLE OF BLUE EARTH
COUNTY:
AS l am again candidate for the
office of County Superintendent OF
Schools some review of my work while
formerly in that office is appropriate,
the more so as / was not in the habit
of informing the public through the
newspapers of everything that was
being done by me in advancing the
educational interests of the county.
What did was done unostentatiously,
without display, for the welfare OF the
schools, and not to impress the voting
public and secure reelection. That
failure to insure the widest publicity
in the newspapers for everything l
did or endeavored to do for the schools
was a mistake, so far as my own in
terests were concerned. l can now
recognize that the newspaper is the
appropriate, because the most effect
i've means of securing public hearing.
appealing to the public functions or to
the justice, or the generosity OF the
people. AS the newspaper is the
medium of attack it must also be the
medium of defense. l will say here
that long before the expiration OF my
term in addition to the prompt per-
Torrance of all the ordinary and pre-
scribed duties of the office, l had
made good beginning on many Valu'
able lines of work, the practical bene
fits of which are still felt and appre-
ciated by many The following points
are well worthy of note by all interest
ed in the welfare of the schools of the
county; meetings for school trustees
were held for the consideration of the
interests of the local schools, the
mutual communication of informa-
tion, the interchange of opinions, and
the discussion of school law; the lat
ter a work which | intenedd to make
more general had | continued in office,
thereby lesSening the confusion and
illegality of proceedings too often in
cident to the management OF school
affairs.
Numerous teachers meetings were
held. attended also by school trustees,
and the people generally. The absO-
luUG uCCcSSIUy lOl UllCSC llOSUihSS w III
be quickly recognized by every think
ing man and woman in the county.
Veterans of the civil war tell US that
recruits joining them in the closing
years of that struggle made more rap
id progress in becoming effective SOL
dierS than did the veterans themselves
when they first went South, and that
the mortality from sickness was much
l. Ia cir,,1n1u hn-
cause they were surrounded on every
hand by experienced warriors, achO had
aLreddy made all the experiments and had
learned everything for them. Our coun-
try teachers perform their duties
under the great disadvantage OF isOla-
tion, and it is to partly overcome this
disadvantage that teachers meetings
should be frequently held that each
may profit by the experience of all,
and all by the experience OF each, and
especially that the inexperienced
teacher may learn from those who
have sampled all the trials and tri-
umphs of the teachers life. And
Furthermore, surveying a larger field,
it is by the interchange Of ideas
among teachers, and in general the
stimulus and enthusiasm resulting
from the coming together of all the
friends of education, that has been
one of the most efficient means in
raising the standard of teaching from
the birch rod and Webster's spelling
book of fifty years ago to the govern
ing influence of mind, the attractive
and numerous school books, and the
child inviting methods of instruction
of today.
| felt that there should be in the
district schools, as in the city schools.
some instruction in the elements of
music. Even the singing OF songs
learned by imitation is not practiced
in many Of the country schools, al
though song, and that very way of
learning to sing, are as natural to
children as to birds. And whether
such singing is practiced depends al
most entirely upon the teacher, who,
if able to sing and to enjoy singing,
will usually teach the children to do
the same: but if the teacher is not
singer the matter is usually neglected.
Some notable exceptions are known,
however, in which teachers, not gift
ed with song themselves, yet feeling
the Importance Of cultiyating the
singing disposition in children, have
with patient labor succeeded admira-
bly, in encouraging and teaching the
children to sing. | had recourse to
correspondence with publishers, Sc
lected and introduced book contain
ing the elements of the science in
such form as may be readily taught by
teachers not well verSed in music
themselves, supplemented by fine
collection of songs for children, and at
the expiration of my term OF office it
was in the hands of many of the teach
erS and in use in number of the
schools of the county.
During the last year of my term,
the Teachers Reading Cir
Gle, and also introduced to the notice
of the teachers of the county, and
placed in the hands a goodly number
of them, course of reading recon-
mended by committee of our best
and especially designed to
aid the teachers in obtaining a more
extensive acquaintance with the liter
allure of their profession, and with
general literature. Had l continued
in office, regular meetings would have
been held for review and discussion,
and an examination at the end of the
year on the course of reading pursued.
A very favorable interest in this i'm