The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-27

boy of today the citizen of tomorrow
Especially is this the case in a republic,
where the citizen is king, and where We
must add to his responsibilities not only
the duties of the present but the untried
problems of the future. First, those
which are foreign and take in the char
acter of our public school education.
Many say boldly that we have made a
mistake in educating the intellect at
the expense of the moral, the social, and
the esthetic nature As a corrective, we
hear loud cries for the establishment of
institutions 70 promulgate the law of
social service. Others advise intoxicating
in the child mind the formal idea of the
reign Of law and the necessity for JUS
tice. Nearly all agree in the necessity
for the teaching of literature and his
tory, SO as to give no uncertain moral
influence. The same might be said with
reference to the need of music, physical
training. and the plastic arts. But
above all these, the paramount neceS-
sity is the direct teaching of moral ideas,
so as to inf1uence-yes, more, so as to
form-the mind of the child and to give
permanent direction to his character.
For some reason there has been a
strong aversion to the idea of moral
teaching in our American public schools
This has probably arisen from our anx-
iety to avoid the idea of religious in
StructiOn in way that might violate
the spirit of the constitution. The con-
fusion of morals with religion is a,
natural error into which it would seem
Americans are extremely likely to fall.
At least, if you will look over the bibli-
ography of moral teaching in the vol
une published by Commissioner Harris.
you viii find them arranged in almost
equal division. under the head of Sun
day schools, the Bible in the public
school, religious instruction. and lastly.
ethics proper, showing plainly that even
the bulk of our authorship has failed to
distinguish religious from moral ideas
Indeed the very objections which we
encounter plainly teach the same les
son At the first mention of moral in
struction in the public schools. we are
likely to be asked, Who is to give the
instruction? Is it to be the rabbi the
priest, or the Protestant clergyman as
If the relation between morals and re-
ligicn was absolutely acknowledged
and unqueStiOned. Or, we may be
asked, with equal earnestness, whether
morals are not the sole function of the
church. again making the mistake of
Identifying morals with religion
Tn this backward state, or at least
experimental stage of our science, it
is interesting to observe that the whole
problem, of moral education has been
thoroughly worked out by a neighb0ring
country, and that too, many years ago.
At least one-half of the teachers of
modern Germany are today governed
by the moral system of Herbarf The
same thing is true of many teachers in
this country All such will recognize
the sources of my information Those
who do not may readily identify them
Ito their own great advantage by con-
sulting the volumes on Herbart in the
great pedagogical libraries of Heath and
Appleton.
The other members on the programme
We're the opening PRAYER by the Rev. f
W.. Emerson, vocal solo. ARIA FROM
Elijah. by Mrs John A. Kleinhans and
(Continued on Sixth Page)