The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-03-31

Inc lack OIL lOTeStS, WHICH ultilHisiieu thS
rainfall made the lands arid and unpro-
ductive, was one of the causes Of their I'M
poverishment.
1.-THE restrictions did not accomplish their
purpose. Goods were struggled into the
country, and that led to the Punishment of
the whole system.
1.-The system of government was worked
out very simply. The viceroy, who repre-
scented the king in the colonies, had all the
rights, prerogatives and functions of roy
atty and kept all its dignity and pomp.
In a council of administration under him
all power was concentrated. When the
Therapeutics were Increased the people be-
ban to feel the oppression of Spain and
the struggle for freedom began. All Of
ficials and bishops of the church were of
Spanish birth, traditions and prejudicss,
and the contest resembled civil war more
than conflict with a foreign country.
When England had war with her colo
MES the cord that attached them to her
was merely strained, and when relaxed
drew them back to her, but with Spain 1t
was tugged and pulled until it snapped.
The long contest of fourteen years that
Mexico waged for freedom had all the
horrors of civil war"
COUNTY INSTITUTE
The theater was crowded to the gallery
in the afternoon for the closing session of
the county institute. Colonel Otis, who
was to have been the first speaker, could
not be present, and his paper entitled Our
Public Schools as Viewed by the Press"
was read by Professor Stewart, and was,
in part, as follows:
bo, abSprhad tbp immersion that
the bane of the present-day system of pop
ular education is too much detail; that We
overload the minds and memories of the
young with mass of mental food that Is
not and cannot be digested. Too much
routine pals upon the mind and wearies
the pupil to the point of indifference, and
even of repulsion. 1 would not underrate
the value of routine or a method, or of a
standard curriculum in school education
But is it not possible that our educational
methods are in some cases impaired by
too much and too rigid routine? Do not
the modern systems make the teacher too
much of a slave of mere form, that despot-
ism which, followed too unthinkingly,
dwarfs human energy and limits human
achievement? Do not teacher and pupil
become mere creatures of habit, so that
they stand in dread of adopting original
methods?
Anything that has the effect of making
mere form and routine the dominant fea-
ture tends to make education less vital and
vigorous. 1t takes the life and vitality
out, makes the pupil languid and affords
the teacher none of that fine mental re.
freshment and stimulus which comes from
original research. would suggest a modi-
fication in details, something approx
mating a new departure in the established
methods of conducting the higher classes
in our public schools. Give up a little part
of each day to short talks to classes after
the regular tasks have been finished Let
the exercises be original, such as are not
laid down in text books Make free ex-
plorations into those we'll known domains
of human knowledge not penetrated by
makers of school books. These unique ex-
ercises, 1 would call them alf-hour recre-
atoms, could be made absorbingly inter-
esting.
II would have these daily half hour eXer-
cises deal largely with the things of today.
Our own country should be first UNDER
stood by her sons and daughters before
they make geographical excursions into re-
mote foreign lands. Young Americans
should know the constitution of their own
country, it's institutions, history, tradi-
tons, great achievements in peace and
war, SO that when occasion comes for the
proud declaration, Il am an American it
may be uttered with an intelligent appre-
citation of what that pregnant and puissant
utterance implies.
Next comes an intelligent understand
ing of the national government with it's
legislative, judicial and executive func-
lions, and their proper relations to each
other. Our relations with foreign coun-
peace, and how served in time of war, the
powers and practice of the government in
cases of domestic instruction and rebel
lion-all these are live and practical. The
press might be drawn upon
for current information, and the
pupil thereby brought to a realization of
the truth that the press is more potent In
the world than the tabled lever of
Archimedes. The volume of the domestic
and foreign commerce of the country, our
coastwise trade, railway mileage, traffic
in passengers and freight, annual output
of mines, farms, shops. colleges. and uni
might be followed with profit
Last. teach the American youth patriotism
and the history of the flag
THE TRUSTEES DUTIES
Prof. Winship followed in a ringing ad-
dress on "The Trustee and the School,"
He introduced his address by referring to
LETTERS ons work for the people and Web
ster's invention of the iron plow, and the
effect it had on the fate of posterity. We
want 20 look forward today into the future
and know that the men who give to their
children an aspiration for a college edu-
cation do more for posterfty than they ever
dream. Jonathan Edwards, who was the
first college graduate in his family has
given through his descendants president
of Prince on university, three to Yale, two
of the greatest inventors the world has
ever known, many physicians. jurists. emf
nent lawyers, legislators, congressman,
senators and governors and a member of
the continental congress. The habit of
college training is an immehsurable bene-
fit; think what it shall mean to This coun-
try century from now. If it shall be said
that America produces the best brains in
the world, shall ii not be due in some meas
ure to these men who say that the educa-
ton Of today shall be higher, nobler, better
than the world has ever seen? You are all
training boys and girls to meet problems
as much more complicated than President
Mckinley is graphing with than his are
more so than any confronting his prede-
cessor. When the strain on the intellect
and character shall come, we want then
to be prepared so that they shall not stand
ifc ria IL It,N 9Th oil