The record-union., 1898-04-22
MORAL EDUCATION.
INSTITUTIONAL AND
PERSONAL ENVIRONMENT.
An Interesting Lecture by Pro-
fessor Griggs on the Subject
Last Night.

The lecture of Professor Griggs last
night at the Sixth-street Methodist
Church was well attended. His sub
ject was Moral Education Through In
stitutional and Personal Environment"
He said that the child has a little world
in which it lives and which is as i'm
portant to it as ours is to us. Facts
are important in relation to the ex
perience they represent or their rela-
ton to US. When we are trying to un-
derstand the value of certain facts to
children, we must measure their eX-
perience in regard to others. 1t is the
principle of our Government to afford
opportunity to work out, on the whole.
the freest and most perfect life. We
want TO prepare children to develop
most in the great world of nature.
We should train a child to the freest
obedience, but not from fear. Home
and the school are for the purpose of
bringing out the strongest children, to
make the strongest men and women.
There must be obedience first of all,
and next the most rational, reasoning
obedience We can develop it best at
home and in the school. Children are
influenced largely by personality OF
those with whom they come in contact.
We see how their playmates influence
them; so do older people.
He spoke of the influence of parents
and teachers on children and the best
way to exercise it. The parents func-
ton is not only executive, judicial and
legislative, but he is also an instructor
of children. The teacher also is eXecu-
tive, judicial and legislative in his au-
thOrity.
The lecturer said that honesty was
the best policy in respect to dealing
with children by either parent or
teacher. 1t was not policy to allow
children to believe their teacher or
parent were not infallible, but what
should be taught is that every effort
of such parent or teacher was for the
best welfare of the child. If a mistake
be made, an apology should follow but
to allow the child to believe that it's
instructor is infallible, would, in after
life, cause a reactionary shock to the
pupil when it discovered that it's pre-
ceptor was neither Intellectually or
morally perfect.
The theological or religious education
of the child, Professor Griggs consider
ed of incalculable Importance. He
thought it was always best to teach
ones best belief to the child, and not
something which the teacher doubts.
Absolute sincerity is, he said, the only
line to follow in religious teaching, ana
that which is insincere should never
be advanced.
Children, the speaker said, demand
perfect love, honor and justice. The
change of a great principle is demoral-
izing to the child. Favoritism to one
child makes it egotistical and makes
the one against whom it is shown, be-
lieve right-Iife is against it. The re-
action is too great, and a spirit of
vengeance is generated.
Such things, he held, bred criminals,
and the proper method is to cure the
defect, or make the disease impossible.
Many of the punishments meted out TO
children, he said, are irrational and
illogical and, consequently, reaction
ary Every punishment given the
child against which it's will rebels, is
a failure, for justice without heart of
love, is cruel With love, punishment
is good without it, it is arbitrary. If
punishments We're all for the good of
the child there would be no rebellion.
One of the things which ruins so
many teachers, ministers and others, he
said, was because they attempted to
pose as morals No one, he said, is
worthy to act in such a capacity, While
if teachers should act naturally, set
examples of virtue and show courtesy
to the child, it will echo the action. The
child is great imitator, and what it
learns to do becomes habit with it.
The most wonderful force in education
is the contagion of a great spirit.