The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-10

promised their captains large rewards.
But the migration of the American pio-
neer was to subdue the wild forces OF
nature, to erect homes and to establish
well-ordered communities. The school
house. the court house and the meet
ing house are the trinity that repre-
sent the purposes and the methods OF
these people.
Our young bride and groom built
their log cabin in the savage woods
surrounded by the still more savage
Indians. In the course of time an in
teresting little brood grew up in that
Western home. With this high minded
couple the question of the proper edu-
cation of these children was placed
above every other consideration. The
school privileges Of the district and
community having been exhausted,
their thoughts turned naturally to the
new State university.
The good-byes are said the great
farm team drives slowly down the road
and is soon lost in the forest primeval.
This Ohio farmer travelled back and
forth, taking his children to the school,
bringing them back to the home for the
vacation. until he had made the round
trip 120 times, thus devoting 30 weeks
of his productive manhood To only one
part of the education of his children,
that of taking them to and fro from
home to school. AS he thus drove back
and forth. he had ample time to reflect
upon the sacred task he had imposed
upon himself. His neighbors grew
rich, adding field to field. fine houses
and large barns marked their thrift,
but our farmer lived in the log house
while the results Of their industry and
frugality were applied to the education
of the children. The neighbors even
referred in terms Of derision To the
vagaries of this couple. for devoting
their years to the education of their
children. AS firmly as the father adj
hered to this great purpose, as he
Travelled back and forth through rain
and shine over the rough and often inn
pasSable roads, as the weeks grew into
years. nearly two years and a half he
must have often asked himself and his
good wife. "Will all this pay?' Did
it pay? What does the sequel show?
The son to whom we have referred,
upon graduation. was drawn into pub
lie life, afterwards serving his state
as governor. and in various other ca
pacities with great public appreciation.
The second son graduated. engaged in
the practice of law, became chief JUS
tice of the state, and by his distin-
guished legal attachments, left a last
ing impression on the Jurisprudence of
the Buckeye State" Another son also
graduated. became an eminent physie-
ian. The fourth son, entering the min
stry. rose high in the councils of the
church. to which he had dedicated his
splendid attainments. The fifth and
last son rose to high rank as an officer
during the late war and lost his life
in the service of his country. The sixth
child and only daughter. likewise grad
uated and left a lasting impression
upon the social and educational life of
her state. Did it pay? Certainly 1t
did. This authentic incident is one of
thousands that might be given, and Is
probably not more conspicuous than
many that are familiar to you.
Notwithstanding the frequency of
such illustrations and the fact that we
know that knowledge is power, there
is not yet the interest in public educa-
tion that should be. While it is a good
thing in the abstract, too few of us
made it personal family affair, being
unwilling TO make the sacrifices for it's
attainment. This question is frequent
ly asked in derision, Does 1t pay to
give a thousand-dollar education to a
10-cent boy?" Now, I desire to enter
an emphatic protest against this dero-
cation of the average boy. Primarily
and naturally there are no Decent
boys except those that have been
cheapened by bad birth, had home
training, bad example and bad associa-
tons. In the second place. every boy,
whatever his ability or however rated,
should have the privilege and should
be aided by public education to come
TO the fun par value of his possibilities.
Such is the character of our free insti-
tutions that he has the right to say to
this community or to any community.
Il demand the best, the broadcast and
the highest education it is possible to
give" In the third place, IA true sys-
tenn of popular education must pro-
vide for every variation in mental ca
Fa..., . H.
education of the defective or unfor-
tunate youth. Many years ago the
teacher in the rural school semi me this
copy: Many men of many minds
If many men have many minds. many
boys and girls have many apttudes,
while the three "R" are funda mental,
and must not be suplanted the time
has passed when they equip the youth
for the demands of life. A certain
class OF writer's and educators dis
parage the so-called fads. The condi-
tons of our modern life are such that
drawing. music, manual training, ma
true study and physical training, each
in its proper sphere. properly taught
and properly related To n consistent
scheme of mental development. are inn
peratively necessary. While the three
RS" may have been adequate, under
certain social conditions. that is a past
era. He who insists that public school
instruction must be restricted ta the
three RS" either desires our youth
to have the narrowest possible prepa-
ration for the work of life or he for
gets that the world moves. The state
is not a philanthropist in its system of
public education. 1t is prompted solely
by self-interest and the instinct of self
preservation. The state educates that
it may have citizens, FOR without cit-
Zens there can be no state. no social
order and the expansive life under
lawfully constituted public authority.
Should / be able to read that that
may be able To read the ticket ] am
o., lNnrtnil,lA. illnt