San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-09
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

ter Fair, and Is published by request Of
the Fair management;
The undisputed verdict Of the
highest educational authority in
the United States awards San
Antonio a place among the first
four educational cities: of this
country. This award was made
upon comparison Of her public
school system, in its practical
workings, with the school systems
of the other cities. Being first in
this department Of educational
work, it is greatly to be, desired
that she should pioneer the way
In the direction Of enlarged in
struction, at public cost; instruc-
ton through which the children in
her public schools may be fitted
to face lie, equipped for the fight
for existence, the battle for bread.
This enlarged instruction can only
be Afforded through the orgsniza-
ton and maintenance OF "Industri-
al Schools"
Industrial education, for the
purposes of this paper, is defined
as the education OF the physical
senses, notably those OF touch and
sight, in such special directions
as will fit those thus educated to
employ themselves in remunera-
tive labor. Education is, in its
last analysis, simply the drawing
out of that which nature has put
in. To education, then, there
must first be natural adaptation. To
correctly DISCERN that adaptation
and Wisely develop the powers
along that line is the first and
highest province OF the teacher.
To discover the induSttrial bent,
as stamped by nature, andSeveiop
1t into skilled and successful eS$er-
else, is the work of the industrial
school,.
Four plain postulates will be
presented. Upon these self evident
propositions some brief comment
by way OF illustration will be
made.
First-Industrial Education &
Necessity.
The work OF the world is to b'
worked out as we'll as its though
thought out The boys and th'
girls must be taught to do thiI
work, or the men and the womer
into whom they grow will no
know how to do it. This work
largely hand work and eye work
has fallen into discredit. Tn
average youth thinks it beneath
him to work with his hands for
living. Times have changed sine
Cincinnatus left his pillow at tn
call of Rome to be her dictator
since Roger Sherman, the Masss
chusetts shoemaker, left his benc
for a seat in the United State
senate. This change has been a
evil one for this generation. Thi
false idea of labor is the fruitful
parent of idleness idleness Is tn
parent of mischief; mischief Is tn
parent of crime; crime is the ours
of community. Raise manus
labor in the scale of idea, make
as respectable as head work an
as renumerative, take away 1t
curse by putting it on the sam
plane as the education OF tn
mental faculties, and you restor
it to consideration that it ha
lost. This is all that is necessary
By its own inherent force and wis
SpEacticsbleness it will do the rest
INastrial education is the tru
education for the people, as
whole, for as a whole the peopl
have to work. Wanting any pre-
vision for education of the hands
the eye, that these may be employ
ed in useful labor, the idea grow
that such labor is mental. Fine
ing so little remuneration i
manuaA labor, in the haste to b
rich, suah labor is rejected as
means OF present supply an
future gainA. Labor is voted SLOW
out of date, apd the attempt to liv
by ones Wits is made, The evl
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