Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-22


of the revolution. Everybody knows
that Samuel Adams and James Oas
and John Adams were Harvard men
Ii would be easy to show that the grea;
leaders Throughout the colonial period
were men who had received similar
education.
Now, the fact TO be emphasized in
all this is that the state cared for edu-
cation in all its branches. The COM
mon schools, as the foundation for
that which was to follow, were con-
sidered indispensable. The best OF the
lads were encouraged in every way 20
go forward through the secondary
schools. and finally through the col
lege. Such really was the educational
spirit of the Puritans, and wherever
that spirit has been most closely imi-
tated in he development of the coun-
try, there education and the country
itself have been most intelligent and
most prosperous.
Now, am not sure that it is best
to claim that the determination OF the
Puritans to make liberal provision for
their children was altogether exeep-
tional. 1t was carried out under the
leadership of the educated men OF that
period with exceptional intelligence
end with better results than has been
customary in modern times, but IN the
development of this country nothing
is more marked than the determination
to make liberal provision for educa-
ton. There is nothing for which the
people tax themselves so willingly as
for the education of their children. 1t
is commonplace to remark that large,
and commodious, and elegant school
houses are to be seen everywhere.
But while this is the case, | am not
sure that the real spirit of the Puritans
in educational matters has been so
general. Often, l fear, schoolhouses
have been erected largely as a matter
of local pride, aud that the educational
impulse has, so to speak, exhausted 1T
self in the erection of quarters in
which the processes of education are
to be carried on. Now, it was not the
famous in educational matters. 1t
was rather the work done in such
school houses as they had. 1t was the
bringing of the intelligent teacher into
immediate and personal contact with
the intelligent pupil that accomplished
the results. Too oftea by the descend
ants of the Puritans has this fact been
forgotten, and so it has happened that
whenever large and commodious
school houses have been erected, there
has been a danger that the people
would be unwilling to pay what Is nee
essary to put into those schoolhouses
the most earnest and conscientious
and competent teacher that could be
found. This, suppose, Is the reason
why at the present moment we are
hearing as perhaps never before com
plants that the primary schools are
MOI doing their work so successfully rs
they should do it. People are begin
ming to inquire whether this is the
fault of the system; whether 1t Is the
fault of employing too many unframed
teachers; whether it is the fault of a
general system of employing ignorance
to do the work which ignorance can
never perform. But whatever the
cause, certain it is that throughout the
country complaints are heard that the
boys and girls at the age of ten or
twelve or fourteen are not so we'll ad-
vanced as they should be as result OF
the years they have spent in school.
Only the other day l asked father
laboring man-how his eight year
old boy was succeeding. Oh he said,
he Is a bright boy and he goes to
school; he is in the second grade, but
| do not see that he learns any thing
that is of value excepting what he
learns from his mother. He comes
home and tells us dreadful things that
he has heard from the boys, but from
the teacher he seems to learn nothing
whatever. Then he added: Ii there
were a good private school, would
certainly take him out of the public
school, although am poor man and
couldn't afford it. He then went on
to explain that the teacher had been
several years in the position then held
that she went on in kind Of hum
drum way, making no advancement
and seemingly taking no interest ex-
cept in getting through her work
Now, l happen to know that the school
house which the boy attended is thor
oughly equipped; is perfectly ventilat-
ed; is even elegantly furnished; but
the teaching was certainly not done IL
the spirit of the Puritan fathers.
fancy that the feeling of this father
was not altogether exceptional. How
widespread such feeling Is / have nc
means OF knowing, but think 1t is GER
tain that our schools will not be whai
they should be until we come to real
ize far more than we are realizing a.
the present time that a good scnoo
consists, first of all, OF good teachers
and / am glad to say, and to say will
emphasis, in this city where so much
is done for the training Of good teach
ers that the first and the greatest in
crest of education today Is the creation
~ a cpiri4 which will niaaa far lee,