Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-14
Superintendent Stetson's Lecture.

State SUPERINTENDENT of Schools w. w.
Stetson opened the eyes of good many
people. last night, at the Baptist church.
He was to lecture on Good Citizenship
in the Public Schools He did He gave
the matter a thorough airing and some OF
the teachers had something to take home
and sleep on for the night. You nave all
seen that piece of art in clay. where the
moulder has set a small boy who has
stuck silver in his bare foot. You re-
member the expression on that boys
countenance as he tries to pull that
silver out. the grimace on his face and
the Wow on the front of the work
That is about how some people must
have felt when Mr. Stetson got through
with his talk. last night. 1t was just the
kind of an address that has been wanting
around in Maine for a long time. People
have got to believe that they are all right
anyway and have fallen into the habit of
letting things shape themselves and then
finding fault with everybody but them
selves for all the disastrous results to
that kind of citizenship.
Horace Purinton of the Civic League.
presided at the meeting. and after few
words of caution to the people about how
things should be conducted municipality.
introduced Mr.. Stetson That gentleman
went at once to the subject. He began
by saving that many of the people are
hoarse from talking of the lakes and
rivers and institutions of the State; what
we have done and what we are doing.
Maine has sent out many famous men.
SO many that they have come 10 occupy
the high positions in public life. IF we
don't own the earth. we are running IT.
said the speaker. Maine once Dragged
over the fact that the State possessed less
illiteracy than any other State in the
Union, but now Maine is 18th in the class.
1t may be some cold satisfaction to know
that Vermont is oath. But shall Maine
continue down the scale until she stands
18th or Goth? Fifty years ago we had one
criminal for 340O people, now We have one
for every 400
There are more native-born persons in
the State of Maine. today, that cannot
read or write than ever before in the his
tory of the State. The greatest loss we
have met with is in the Willingness to
obey. to abide by constituted authority.
People have come to do things that they
have no right to do with an air that re-
fuses to acknowledge that they are
wrong. In this way children have grown
to rule the home and the school II we
not find obedience in the home. we do
not find it in the school or in the munich
pality. Subsection to law. to the natural
way that things should go. Citizens. the
parents and the teachers should teach
obedience first. The teacher has his text
book, the preacher his sermon. the doctor
his patients, and the business man his
pursuit. All cling to their particular posi-
ton in the makeup of the municipality.
but none devote their time or any portion
OF tnelr time TO Otner tn1nSS III winch
they are directly or should be interested.
We have got to get to a point where We
can grasp other things than those that
come regularly into our lives. 1t would
be well for us to stop to eog,idewr where
have erroneous ideas of what constitu-
ties education, what it really it. Teach
ers have got to learn to love to work.
Education makes us all we are. Famous
men of the olden time were born in those
conditions where they had to get into
work. to dig out knowledge for them
selves. In the old days the education of
the child was like putting him in front
of perpendicular wall and compelling
him to climb up. He began by cutting
places for his hands and then for his
feet. and so he climbed up until he
reached the top and there he cut his
name. Today, education is like an in
clined plane. The teacher says to the
pupil John. won't you please. go up?'
He says 81 won't" and then she has to
take him in her arms and carry him up.
When she gets to the top with him and
sets him down the chances are ten to
be made to come into things with work.
1t is what the teacher is that makes her
influential with the pupil.
Mr.. Stetson spoke of the little attention
given the public schools. of an antago-
nism among certain class and then he
paid attention to the condition of the
school grounds as indicating direction
in which the youth may be bettered by
grounds. People speak of the ground
about a schoolhOuse as yard" What
is yard? Why place where things are
yarded. herded brought together. You
never hear anyone speak of school
house lawn. Go down to the Capital of
your State. pass in front of the county
jail. see the nicely kept lawn. its sur
face as smooth as the carpet spread here.
Then go out to your schoolhOuses and
see if you see any of that there see if
you don't find a different condition of
things. Don't you suppose that when
that scholar goes down past that jail
ne notes the fine lawn and realizes that
the criminal of today is surrounded with
prettier things than he has been at
school? He will. you may depend upon it
draw his own conclusions. School yards
have much to do with the quality and
character of the scholars"
Mr.. Stetson spoke for more than an
hour upon this subject. The speakers
aim seemed to be to call attention to
some evils that had crept into our school
system. which righted and kept moving
along the proper lines means better
schools better children and therefore bet
ter citizenship. Mr.. Stetson should be
heard in every school district in the
State.