The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-08

from the German and French, pub
lished in Barnard's School Journal.
There were also William c. Woodbridge,
Thomas Gallaudet, of Connecticut, the
latter being the founder of schools for
| the deaf in this country; in Massachus-
| etts, Joseph G. Carter was a pioneer in
common school education: Rev. NJ. c.
Hall had already started a nor
NAL school IN small way in
New Hampshire. but there was
needed strong guiding spir-
| it., a statesman, scholar, educator! One
cannot conceive of any development in
the common school system of America
without this grand combination.
| Horace Mann was instrumental in
| bringing the matter of the very low
| state of education in Massachusetts be-
fore the state legislature. He was the
leading spirit in getting bill through
the general court for the forma ton of
board of education. This board had ad-
vsory power only: it could not put in
| or take out a teacher, or make a course
of study. It's duties We're to collect sta
tistics. look into the state and condition
of schools and influence the people in
the direction of better education. Hor-
|
board. Then it seemed of the. first i'm
portance that the board should have
secretary, one who could give his whole
| time to the matter of education. This
position was offered Horace Mann. 1t
was the turning point in his life. He
was Al years of age, and fast becoming
prominent in his profession of law. He
was the contemporary and equal of
yl.., Co at
was no man, with the exception
of Daniel Webster, in Massachu-
setts. who, in prospects, stood
ahead Of Horace Mann. Every
thing in the way of fame and fortune
was easily within his grasp. The ques-
ton with him was, should he give up
| all these brilliant prospects and take
up a cause that seemed lost and almost
| hopeless-that of common schools? He
accepted the position at $1,000 n year
and threw himself into his work with
all his might and main. The story of
his early struggles in this direction has
not yet been written. " hen it is it will
reveal profound depth of heroism
rarely eGualed in the history of the
| world. Horace Mann had for his sup
port few of the strong, intelligent men
of New England, but the people We're
against the great man; they were sui
lenly Indifferent.
| Horace Mann undertook a task with
out nrecedent-to educate all the chill
dren of the commonwealth in common
schools. There existed no general
guide for him; there were very few
books upon education-indeed, none
worth mentioning. The problem was
entirely new, and traditional education
stood firmly In his pathway. 1t was
his task to work out with an indomit-
able spirit and a noble purpose the
crude beginnings of all that educators
have valued since his day. He believed
with all his heart in the great destiny
of the republic: he loved children: he
was controlled with the idea that by
means of the common school the re-
public could be perpetuated
Horace Mann was Il great orator
logical, eloquent. impressive. He saw
that he mus! arouse the people; that
the common school was born of the
people and by the people he must reach
them. His first work was to travel all
over the state and lecture in hundreds
of school houses. His diary reveals the
terrible struggles he had in doing this
work. His mastery eloquence was met
| with sullen indifference. OfttimeS he
| spoke to but a dozen people, in n miser-
able school house lighted by three or
four candles. Had he talked on poll
tics he could have aroused the greatest
enthusiasm. but his eloquence was
spent on a subject about which the
! cornl 1tttlp
HIS FAMOUS REPORTS.
He wrote for the people twelve annu-
al reports. which are classics in educa-
ton, masterpieces of cloquence, enthu-
siasm, zeal and wisdom. In these re-
ports he covered the whole ground of
education. Indeed, there is very little
that we have today that cannot be
found in his prophetic writings. First,
he argued at great length the immense
| necessity for the education of all the
people at public expense. He showed
clearly that the life Of the republic, its
growth and development depended fun
damentally upon the common school.
In one report he presents the necessity
for good school houses, good heating
and ventilation. The school houses Of
those days were little better than sheds
and worse than barns. One of
his early reports he devotes al
most entirely to the subject of
better schoolhouses. The misera-
BILE teaching showed him that
there could be no progressive movement
without better teachers, and he gave
himself up for a time to the question of
how to improve the teaching force. He
made up his mind that the establish
ment of normal schools was the only
way to accomplish this end. He ap-
pealed to the public and to the general
court. In 1888 Edwin Dwight, a dis
tinguished citizen, of Massachusetts,
offered $4,000 to be used by the sec
retary of the board of education as he
| wished, providing the state would du
plicate this. sum. Horace Mann pro-
posed to establish normal schools with
| the money. BY great eXcrtiOn he got
| the $4,000 from the state and founded
| the first normal school of America. near
the old battle-ground of Lexington. He
! called to the head of this school Cyrus
| Pierce, whose spirit was like unto Hor-
ace Mann's.
! Josiah Quincy, who was mayor of Bos-
ton at the time Horace Mann was i'm
office. told me this story: Horace Mann
entered my Office. one day, apparently
much excited. He said, Mr.. Quincy, do
| you know of man who wants the
highest seat in the kingdom of heaven"
Mr.. Quincy suggested that he would like
some kind of a seat there. We'll, you
can have it for 81, 500! There is an old
building in Newton that can be bought
| for that sum, and we can put our normal
| school into a house of our own Mr..
Quincy gave him the desired check; he
| bought the building in Newton and
moved the school from Lexington"