The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-03-29

MankatO people in the audience had
been born and grown up since he left
the city. He then took up his subject,
and spoke of the especial need of the
development in the public schools of
the love of country. He said that
patriotism is popular. Wars are now
few, and few people are called upon to
risk their lives in battle. Patriotism
is always loyalty to the national ideal.
Have we replaced the soldier ideal by
one higher? Our ideal is to furnish
everyone the opportunity of making
the most of himself.
Patriotism in times of peace is
more grand than in war. Patriotism
is the need of the day. Selfshness
and greed are all about us. There is
corruption in politics, as is shown
strikingly by the recent exposures in
New York and the contest over the
election of janitor in the closing
hours of the Indiana legislature. The
assembling Of congress is looked upon
as menace to the country. When
the people become as patriotic in
times OF peace as in times of war, no
trouble will occur with our institu-
tions. The general moral sense of the
masses must be elevated.
The churches exert but little influ-
ence over large portion of the
people. Few people, comparatively,
60 to church. Many hate it as an
obnoxious institution adverse to the
poor. While the influence of the
church is good, it does not reach
those for whom it could do the most
good. The influence of the family is
not always good. The advent of the
new woman has destroyed the unity
and usefulness of the home.
1t is possible to mould public opin-
ion so that an Indiana legislature, a
Dakota legislature, and shall l say a
Minnesota legislature, shall be impos-
Sible. The necessity of the child
entering society has not entered the
mind of the average teacher. Unless
the power of discrimination can be
inculcated into the child, it would be
better that he had never been taught
to read, The speaker referred to the
corruption found in the columns of
the newspapers and in the novels sold
from the news stands. The mere pur-
suit of knowledge makes dreamers,
useless idlers. The ideal citizen is the
ideal man, the altruistic man.
Modern society is hydra with
many venOmOus heads. 1t develops
such pernicious institutions as the
Ku-KluX, the Malta, etc. Those
teachers who do the most for their
country are those who have high
ideal and live up to it. What our
teaching profession most needs is in
spiration. Avoid doing foolish things,
but the fact that person does foolish
things is nothing against him, for he
who never does a foolish thing is a
nobody-a corpse.
The child should be made acquainted
with the social order in which he
lives. 1t is possible to make it SO
that it will be but one step from the
school room to the larger circle of
society. The schools can cultivate an
altruism that shall save the state.
The two elements that give character
to school are the curriculum and the
teacher A taste for the good, the
true and the beautiful should be
taught in the schools, and the various
arts should not be taught for them
selves alone.
In referring to child study, the
speaker said that he was glad to say
that we have here in our midst one OF
the leaders of this in the country
Prof O'Shea.
He urged that the best men be
placed on the board of education
which should elect the best teachers
Nothing else can compare in import
ance with the teaching profession
The teacher should not merely teach
school and draw her salary. The
speaker said that he would select
beautiful women for teachers, anC
have them clothed in beautiful
dresses.
At the conclusion of the address
which was of an hours length, Presi
dent Soaring announced the following
committees:
Nominations E. Hubbard, Of
Waseca; w. E. f. Selleck, of Austin
and A. n. Farmer, of Window.
Resolutions Edgar George, of St
Peter; H. c. Hess, of Sleepy Eye; anc
V. R. WATSON, of Blue Earth City.
The business of the meeting was
transacted at this forenoon's session
The committee on nature study
presented partial report, and was
continued until the next meeting
when full report will be made. f.
V. Hubbard's name was substituted or
the committee for that Of A. M. Web