Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-12-26
The life Of any representative Amen


acceptable theory of education. Our
model citizen represents the enterprise,
the intelligence, the skill and the NOR
al qualities of the race, and we inquire
what influences have combined to pro-
duce such man. Nine times out of
ten the man himself will inform you
that his early home influences were
most powerful in developing his char
aeter, in fixing his tastes and in deter
mining his success in life. The school
comes next in order as force in char
acter building. Originally, the intelli-
gent home employed the teacher to
perform duties that could not be other.
wise provided for. BY common con-
sent, several families appointed such a
person to instruct their children, in
common, and we have the evolution of
the private school, reaching through
centuries. The public school adds a
new principle in providing for the edu-
cation of children whose parents could
not or would not furnish educational
advantages. Moreover, the spirit of
the school is as changed as that of the
home. A few years ago corporal pun
ishment was not only common, but
was regarded as especially beneficial to
the child in large amount.
1t is now we'll understood that in
structors of the highest ability never
strike blow upon the quivering flesh
of helpless child. AS rule, parents
and teacher who punish children ment-
ally ute an apology and confession of
their own weakness. Cruelty or sever
lty is repugnant to the modern mind.
The teacher is in the parents place,
and is responsible for the existence of
the best influences. The more incor-
rlglble the child or the school, the more
need of the spirit that the best home
furnishes, and such we find to be the
conditions in the approved public
school of today. Where there is real
companionship between teacher and
pupil, body and mind and spirit may
thrive together. The hope of our mod
ern civilization is largely centered in
our school system. The public library
is another powerful factor in our edu-
catlonal system. 1t is a most import
ant duty to lead children to read books.
and to estimate books at their proper
value. A careful record should be
kept of the books read by children.
IHome reading should stimulate inter-
est N. school work and, to degree, be
co. ordinsted with it. The child who
| is interested inrSood literature has just
begun his educati6fTs|nen he leaves
school. The child who doesSoC De-
come interested in good literaeaes
early, is likely to lose entirely the d.
light and culture it supplies. If We
are educated men we are, or have been,
readers. If we have not read widelr,
we suffer severe limitatiations in edu.
Gated circles. Of late, we have been
told that the fractional life of chill
is, at first, mostly confined to animal
functions. Potentially, a child's actiF
ity broadens indefinitely, beyond tie
limit of what is implied in the tenn
animal intelligence. But every new
movement and utterance comes by
some form of muscular effort, and any
perfect art follows long practice. The
multitude of new acquisitions thus
made are definite and permanent and,
to large extent, the individual be-
comes self-governing machine. Ear
ly in life additions and improvements
may easily be made upon that ma
chinery.
The brain is at the center of this
mechanism. Every experience, every
impulse and wave of feeling, is said to
start from the brain, to involSI, a
chemical reaction, to consume given
amount of fuel, and to leave physical
record and tendency in the brain and
nervous system, as whole. The
/ POI 10 Va uLOuo VI JilC Uldlu
are said to be developed and what was
potential becomes real. Each part
once made alive by use, and made to
work in harmony with other parts,
continues to act and react automatic
ally upon the slightest stimulation
The child's tastes, his sense of beauty
his love of truth, his hatred of wrong
his habits of industry, his intelligent
skill in any occupation, all these be
come part of him, and by that we
mean that they depend for their
expression upon the regular action of
physical forces. If this is true, there
is an economy possible in methods of
education, that calls for the most
careful consideration. Neverous pros.
tration or break down is physi cally ex-
planned as clogging of the system,
and the consequent accumulation of
waste material in the tissues of every
i mart of the hodv An ahOundinO phv