The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-01


| ton and though. A business education
| gives on.y routine exercise for che mini
| and in consequence arrests mental de-
| veiopment, 50 selat while We Eave Ge-
veloped wonderful shrewd business men,
We have not produced original and pow
| erful thinkers. But perlianps the great
| est evil cf utilitarian education is its
| baneful influence upon character. 1t IS
| not expected to give breadth OF mind, or
| nobieness OF character. 1t deals with
| ideas that belong 10 the baser feelings.
when business, trade or profession is
| constantly dinned in the ears Of boy
| ne naturally learns TO think business
| He does TO; rise abov., that because he
| is wnat mis- teaching makes him. and We
| cannot DEW that the results Of such
| training are pernic.ous. Intellect is
! smoothered and character degraded
| from what ii should be. Utilitarian ed
ucation has r1ade millionaires bua it viii
not make poets or philosophers.
IF il be tue, than, than from false
measure of life. educations assumes
| low form, we cannot hope for any gen.
eraI improvement until this false stand
| Of the people and nighar ideas Of life
made to predo-ninate When men cease
| to look upon life as if il were only
, board OF trade when wealth is not
| placed above character and knowledge,
| We may then hope for a better concep-
! ton OF life snd consequently higher
| ideas Of education"
PROF. BAXTER'S PAPER
| Superintendent L. W. Baxter Of Guth-
rie edited the convention with a paper
entitled "The Ethical Value OF School
Life" This paper was received with
marked attention, and was discussed by
| President David r. Boyd OF Norman,
Prof. F. H. Umholtz of Edmond and E.
NJ. Hoag OF Guthrie. The following is
| the paper:
Beside yon struggling fence that skirts
the way,
| With blossom'd furze unproftably gay.
There, in his noisy manson, Skifd 10 rule,
| The village master taught his little school;
/ A man severe he was. and stern TO view.
1 knew him well, and every truant knew;
Well had the bod-ng trembiers learn'd TO
| trace
The DAYS disasters in his morning face;
Full we'll they laugh'd with counterfeited
glee
At all his jokes. for many joke had ne;
! Full well the busy whisper circltnS round,
Conveyed the dismal ttdings when he
frown'd:
Yet he was kind. or if severe in aught,
/ The love he bore 10 learning was IN fault,
The village all declared how much he
! knew,
Twas certain he could write. and cipher.
| 100;
Lands ne could measure, terms and tides
And zen the story ran-that he would
| gauge:
In arguing, TOO. the parson owned his
| skill.
For cen though vanquished. he could argue
still.
While words of learned length, and thun-
dering sound.
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around;
| Ard still they gazed. and still the wonder
That enc small head could carry all he
Rut nsst ss all his fame. The very spot
/ Where many a time he triumphed, is for-
| got"
Forgotten? No. The memory is as
green in our minds as the shamrock on
the hills of Tara-memories which are
| strung on life's cable as pearls on
threads Of gold: memories which have
dominated the character Of the individ-
ual through the 'green-skirted spring
and flush summer Of life. 1t is our
privilege today TO recount the pas, and
estimate the ethical value OF the happy
romping days of school life and the So
berer hours of the college. There Is a
notion prevalent that school life has no
ethical value. Say our political friends,
The school should not and does not
teach ethics
'.Says the Catholic, Give me the child
the first seven years OF his life and you
may have him ever after. In earlier
times the schools were connected with
the priesthood and are the direct out
growth OF the priesthood.
Today the fundamental object OF the
school has somewhat changed. The OBJ
iect is no longer TO teach a particular
| religious creed. but is to develop a high
standard OF manhood. which is built on
the broad principles and moral teachings
OF Christianity.
'sThe state or nation can be no purer
nor have a higher tehical standard than
| tine schools present ard envelope. The
| morals OK the teacher, in large measure,
| reflect the morals Of the state or times.
A race of honest, pure. devoted and
/ seIs-secrifcing teachers. holding up a
standard OF right, naturally suggests an
enlightened age.
Teachers touch not a wire but vi
brates in electricity-breathe not a
thought but reports at the throne OF
God
Pupils initiate character as well as
book learning and language Teachers,
armed with truth and virtue, are more
effective than many ministers ro5ed IN
their long, black frocks and great dis
tantness.
'I repeat: The true ethical standard
OF any nation is what its schools make
it. This has been true OF ALL bygone
ages and Is true of today.
I'm early Italy the teacher was slave.
In the beginning ot our own history, he
must dig graves for a livelihood. Today
ne is a man, free man and a citizen
Nowhere is the ethical value Of school
life more thoroughly and completely
shown than IN the development OF, me
capahili;y OF the child TO appreciate
higher motives. Many beginning school
life can but appreciate the fear o. pun
ishment.
Says Byron. Il pray ye. teachers. hos
the yoaths upon all occasions. 1t mends
their morals
: "Oftnes the teacher must induce the
!, desire for right acting By the aPpliea-
ton OF the birch 90 the dJ7sal aspect
OF the child's lower exJrernities, very
low motive Step by step the child IS
: taught 10 appreciate a higher motive,
, ] l., . h<a non