Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-10-18
COMMUNICATION. |
Latin Out Of Place in Public Schools.

letter advocating classics and especially
Latin TO he introduced in our public
schools. ] beg 10 differ with the writer
and give my reasons for same.
The attendance at public schools is from
the middle classes whose children can NJ.
tend only part of the scholastic year, and
expect not 10 enter q college door. Now Is
IL expedient for them, whose every second
is precious, TO spend part of their time
learning TO decline penna or to conjugatc
dm0E Will it be of any good to them? /
answer, Eyes" of good. If good, why not
study them. This is my answer. We can
not study all that is good for US To know,
as life Is too short to acquire such an
elaborate knowledge, and therefore, our
guide should be, study that which is most
useful; acquired in the shortest possible
time. From this standpoint would we
study Latin? | think not, as years Of APP
plication and hard study are necessary ere
we have accomplished much in this branch
and how many of the ordinary public
school children have their youth, or even
50 much as half their youth, to devote 10
the study Of English, Latin and ect taken
conjunctively.
But ii is argued that we can not get a
good, thorough knowledge of English with
out we understand Latin. Igrant this, but
ask, do all who study Latin become Eng
lish scholarsy am inclined tn think the
major pGrt does not. My argument against
the above assertion is that few Of us have
time 10 become classical men and women,
and that by applying ourselves TO the sew
eral branches of English we acquire a
knowledge of the English language equal
10, if not surprising, that which we would
have acquired from Latin e twice the
time, and to us of present date, time is OF
vast consequence.
And also thus argue the supporters OF
Latin. Nothing can surpass Latin as a
disciplinarian, and further the reasoning
| powers are brought prominently forward
in the study of this language, while at the
same time he must observe the examinations
Of every word with the greatest vigilance
or otherwise he will ere.
Again do grant that Latin is good
trainer OF the mind, but ask, if we have not
studies equally as good, if not better, and
sure more attractive to the young student,
such as Mental Science or Psychology and
Mathematics?
Regarding the development of the reason.
ing powers of pupils what is better than
! Mathematics, Geometry especially. 4
study, seldom if ever, taught in our public
schools. To bring the observative faculties
into play nothing surpasses the Natural
Sciences. Store away such knowledge in
the craniums of our youth, and in after
life he will be able TO utilize To advantage
this elabOratiye warehouse. While supply
ing the same amount of energy to Latin,
and what is the result? Simply enabling
the pupil to understand the derivations OF
a few words of the English language. And,
even here Latin can be dispensed with by
studying Etymology a comparatively short
time and not seldom applying to the die.
tionary.
Study Latin say some that you may
learn TO be concise and to the point or to
express yourself "multum IN pdrro" Task,
why need we resort to these ancient writers
to acquire such an accomplishment when
We have the writings Of Bacon and others,
equaleG by few and excelled by none, in
this, much to be desired, accomplishment
We should study Latin for history, is
another of the arguments used. Must we
spend years in Latin for the history learned
when by studying the history of those his.
torical countries one or two years we have
a knowledge rivaling that which would be
acquired from Latin after spending your
whole youth.
AS 10 the inspiration derived from Latin,
would ike TO know if the writings OF
Homer and Virgil Or any other writer of
antiquity are more inspiring than are the
verses of Tennyson and others too numer-
Gus 10 mention who have been students OF
nature.
The craving for Latin is constantly dying
out under the influence Of this progressive
age in which we live until at present we
fad Latin taught in colleges only as
secondary, when few wears previous, this
language was predominant, and farther yet,
from the middle of the Sixteenth century
TO the eighteenth. Latin was the only con-
versational language allowed in institu-
tons of learning. From these facts the
conclusion is evident that Latin is fast
losing ground, And have we not Just
cause for neglecting the study of said Ian
guage, for are not the sciences more devel-
ope1 and offer more attractions than they
did centuries ago?
When should Latin be studied? Ny
answer is, that Latin should be studied
only when we have plenty of time and
wish to make n scholar of ourselves, bu. as
few of the boys and girls who attend our
public schools, have time, even should they
have the desire TO become q scholar, l say
that Latin is entirely out of place in public
schools of Maryland or any other State.
Yours truly.