The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-03-27
4 STRONG LETTER.
Prof. A. g.. Sears Voices His
Opinion Without a Sense of
Fear or Favor.
THE QUESTION OF FREE BOOKS.
Not a Timely Reform for the Neihart
Schools, Because Other Reforms
Are More Urgent, Demanding Mo-
new For Their Communication,

views on the Free Text Book Law, | will
say:
During the past few weeks l have been
repeatedly asked if l am Tin favor of free
text books" To this question I can an
wer both yes and 40. In the older set
tied states, where schools have been thor
oughly organized, and are well supplied
with apparatus and working material, I
am in favor of it. In the west | am OPP
posed to ii, and under the conditions o
existing in Neihart, l am decidedly OPP
posed to it.
According to report of the U. S. com
missioner of education the following
states have adopted the free text book
law: Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, YER
mont, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Mime
sofa, North Dakota and Arizona. 1t has
also been adopted in the District of Col
umoia. In Massachusetts the law has
been in force for about ten years. Most
Of these states report satisfactory results
from the workings of the law, but near
ly all agree that there has been an ex
travagant use of the books, ana especial
ly has it been SC with supplies in the
shape of states, pens, writing materials,
| etc.
Here indeed it seems to me tact and
skill are required to prevent waste; and
the teacher who fails to develop the hab-
it of economy, and to inculcate its les
sons in the minds of his pupils, fails to
fulfil his duty to them.
1t is human nature to shrink from an
unpleasant duty; and teachers are hu-
man. Will they not shirk the duty
which will undoubtedly be the cause of
friction with parents? The moral lesson
which should be taught young America
in the care of his books and supplies will,
it seems to me, be wholly lost by the
teachers non-action. This, however, is
not my greatest objection TO the adop-
ton of the system in Neihart.
The public school of today is a differ
ent organization from that of twenty
years ago. 1t is no longer a place where
a certain amount of the fundamental
three "R's" is drilled into the mind OF
the child, until he feels that he is mere
ly doing penance for being young. To-
day the public school seeks to draw out
all the faculties of the child, and to mold
his character into a better and noblel
manhood; it endeavors to shape the raw
material which comes to the school-room
into good citizens--to make the school.
room an attractive place, where the pu.
pill will be taught to gather knowledge
for himself. We must now do more thar
teach and govern; we must stimulate
and inspire. The best part of a teachers
work is not a beating in of so much ar
ithmetic, language or science. but a wist
oJlIluldOlOHs Al WI liz u Ia
skilled, can do but little without tools
How is our school supplied with SUCH
We have a few maps, and a few, a We
ry few kindergarten supplies-that is all
Next year a class of from ten to twelve
will begin the study of natural philoso
ply. 1t is absolutely necessary tina
there be a certain amount of apparatu
used to make the study effective. Their
: is not one cents worth of such apparatu
at the school-and how are we to be sup
piled? This is but a single illustration
! During this year, we have been muc'
a hampered and crippled because of lacl
of funds to purchase needed supplies. I
is certainly unwise for a district to tall
e of supplying free text books when it ca
not supply the school with necessar
3 working apparatus.
The mental achievements and mora
attachments of an individual depend o
degree of perfection of the physical be
ing. The foremost reformatory institu
a tons of the world are now acting upol
n this truth. Diseased minds and moral
3 are now known to be the outgrowth c
4 physical causes, and are so treated. TIL
e foundation of disease, the tendency t
3 which is not inherited, is in 95 per Ger
0 of cases laid before the age of 20 year
d and SO percent of that number can saf'
ly be placed at the door of poor sanitar
Is conditions of homes and schools an
v carelessness or ignorance on the part {
teachers or parents. No race of peopl
: can be mentally strong, who are not mo
ally and physically strong. To secul
this moral and physical strength is I'll
work of the teacher of today. The grea
IS est lesson we can teach our pupils
e cleanliness and the care of the physici
Is health. Example is ten-fold better tina
Y precept. There can be no example give
r where the district scan not afford" I
le have the school-room cleaned more tha
h once a year. Where forty or fifty PEI
If pie are gathered each day, a proper sal
g itary condition requires tina the schoo
IT room should be thoroughly scrubbed
n. least once a month. and that the rOoD