The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-02-25
Mrs Lew Wallace on Educational
Cramming.

PROM the Baltimore sun.
Under the suggestive title. The Mur
der ui the Modern Innoceut, blrs. Lew
Wallace, in the Ladies Home journal
makes an eloquent and earnest protest
against the crushing educational burdens
imposed un children by the medern meth
o,ls Of our public school system Her
indictment Il powerful one. uot only be
cause Of thc manner of it, presentation,
but because Of the facts by which it Is
sustained Every parent who has child
l- ~chuW will recognize IT, trnth. The
tremendous educational pressure and strain
to which public school children are sub
Iected ry,ul; IN a yeri,able slaughter Of the
Inuleeuts IN wrecked or euleebled cpnsti.
tutiul,,. which leave heritage OF weak
mes, io the next generation ''t'o into
any public school SAYS Mn. Wallace,
aud You viii ,ec girI> pallii y day lilies.
and boys with aat chests and the waNen
kin that has been named the scs2ool com
pl,.Nion Every incentive and stimulus Is
Lcll uut-drrai Of blame. love of praise,
prizes. medals. badges. the coveted flour
i>h IN the newspaper strain never
-la,kcu> Watch the hong lines fling past,
each pupil carrying books-three, four,
hvc-ta b, studied At nigh, IN hot rooms
by 6er,e. sigh, destroying lights fime
wa, when spectacle, went with aye They
E are ~ sign uf aze now MANY must wear
glasses ,o help eyes worn ptematuTvly old
by night work
The vitality of the nation Is obviously
impaired bs M educational system that
turu, ont women who are physically unfit
,o be mo,hcr~. Boys a. Mr.. Wallace
. points cat. couc through this ordeal bet.
;rf than sirl,. Their constitutions and
nerves arr stronger. and their oul Of door
,gvF,s tend {" couuleri,i the effects ot over
study Ba, after the diploma and sehoo
bouors for thousands Of girl> epmes lt,
ot III health Ia ~anilariums. rest cures.
water cures. aud other refagrs iurloru
wrecks of women he on beds Of paiu, ~wal
I lowing cod liver 0il. matted miN and be
. guiding fo,,l, aud drugs in order to build
up Eat there sre no foundations To build
uIau The fault l. not that uf the rank
and file pf the teachers, many pf whom
+ work aisus-t Ike slaves To keep up with
the multiplied requirements Of their posi-
. lions Most glady would they see a re.
( turn % reason aud common sense in the
matter 81 public education bnt back Of
{ al anal harder than uulouiiug rules, a,
Mr. Wallace observes. Is the meTcilcs-
ambition of parents American children
mus, do. Dc aud have everything Pro
. g.ee 50 cut down. drop the least consenia
I study, anl there j. an outcry-Why, then
+ Mary could uo, get her diploma What
+ will she do with il IT she does get it Lay
. &c away ia a forgotten top drawer OF fram,
aud hang !; in the guest chamber "a e,otly
. document buusht with great price.
Ii the intellectual results and benefits 1,
the individual OF the community justified
+ the dangers 10 health. the case would nol
I be 70 bad But ii j, largely waste ot
7 timc aud energy The uverloadiug Of the
mind Is ike the oyerl5adiug Of the stom
ach Nature iuteryeucS IN this cae, as II
the physical economy, and refuses 20 at
Z tempt to a,similate all that Is eramme,
I into the mind only remember the-,
answers a few days >aid one OF tue over
worked girls described BY Mrs Wallace
There is 80 much more coming on all th,
I time As to the plea that ali this serve,
/ the purpose Of mental discipline, Mrs
\ Wallace maintains that it has M NOR,
value than Chinese puzzle and l.
merely 50 much rubbish under the attic
I The true theory aud object Of education
I she holds, j. 10 prepare students for tn,
! places they are to occupy aud the work
/ they are to do in life The boys are t,
/ be bread-wiuuers. that is decided They
must hurry through and hustle for living
1 The girls let Us believe it, are the futr,
/ homemakers II they have diiiereu
ambition and purpose their education car
I be regulated by that view. But in mos
/ cases il is at least doubtful whether in en
I deayoring Ia master the varied branches o.
I the modern public school curriculum they
are not riskiug the loss Of things that ar,
/ better than learning.
/ There Is wise suggestion to this gen
eral effect in Helen Watterson Moody ,
book The I'nquiet Sex, TO which /
correspondent of the Sun called attention
/ in recention communication. The
higher education of women without refer
I ence to sex. saws Mrs Moody, seem,
/ thus far to have resulted greatly in the
/ Qualification of men and men ; work and
in dissatisfaction with women and women ,
work Our correspondent added in the
communication from which we take this
/ quotation
If mind and body stand the strain, the
Young woman leaves college well equipped
with what, in the vast majority Of cases,
will be of little use to her even as a train
ing, and quite unprepared for what, in the
vast majority Of cases will be her future
life Exceptional talents may receive ex-
ceptional training; make your Caroline
Herschel or your Mary Someryille a great
mathematician and astronomer. but do not
plan your system of education ON eXcep-
tions, but on the average Let your
scheme Of training girls never lose sight of
the fact that they are to be wives mothers
and the mstresses of households So long
as this end is always kept in view, let the
young woman's education be as high as
you like; it may do her some good, and, to
quote Mrs. Moody again. possibly it will