The Portland daily press., 1900-01-20

strive to INSTRUCT her pupils In what 10
good literature % distinguished from
bad The pupil should aiso be well
drilled In the fundamental letter sounds,
the use Of the vocal organs and told how
to stand 30 az to give the vocal organs
TOLL play when reading.
"Seisnce In the Elementary Schools,
WIS the subjeot Of the address Of W. X.
Russell, eorham Normal school. He told
how tho pupils could be interested In
science In the elementary schools by
simple methods and careful attention TO
the subjects by the teacher.
Mary X. Davis Of Sprln sneld read an
ether paper In the afternoon which was
extremely interesting. This time she
talked on the teaching Of geography. She
suggested that teachers should give their
pupils object lessons In the reasons for
deltas 1t river mouths, the courses Of
streams, the formation Of m ountains and
the effect Of geographical situation on
tho industries and history Of . people.
She WAS pressed for time AMI had TO
speak rapid ly and was only able to dwell
briefly on each point.
DIR. James A. Spaulding Of Portland
read paper on ''testins the sight OF
school shildren." He said many children
who are bought to be duh In school are
troubled with poor eye sight and II
properly attsndsd to ths7 could be omsde
TO see better and thus follow the black
board work Of their teachers. He pro-
pose that at the beginning Of each term
the eyes of children be tested By reading
cards so o. to enable the teacher to so
place the pnpils In the sohoolroom as to
facilitate the work. In acme instances
such simple eye test with reading
card would prevent much trouble and he
OF ipestimabls advantage to the pupil
ami the teacher.
IN THE EVENING.
| President william Dswitt Hyde Of
Bowdoin college spoke Ia the evening and
his topic was "The Cardinal Principals
OF Moral Education" He said In part
After a decade Of discussion az to
whether morals can or cannot be taughs
| In our public schools, 1t 10 interesting TO
| note that the most recent critic troot-
nose-Mlle. Dugard; La Societe Ameri-
caine) Of American life and Institutions
i
actually giving In these echools the best
In the world. and ore Of the very best
| features In our entire educational system:
This discovery of French professor OF
phiiosf pay doubtless comes as . surprise
10 many an American ''edu ,ator." The
very thing We have tesn so loudly de-
handing 10 In great measure already
here. Like all departments Of the King
| dom of heaven 10 has come not with oh
servation. No pedagogue has said Lo,
here. or "Lo, there and behold. u 70
within us; wrought into the temper OF
our discipline and the spirit OF our In
stru .tion. No educational committees has
prom ulgated IL. No text book has intro
ouced 1t. No normal school has worked
1t up. Nevertheless. here IL IL; to be
gratefully aooeptsd; cordially Welcomed,
accounted for a. best we oan; ana
cherished rs one OF Gods most precious
gifts to this highly favored land.
The secret OF this superiority, ac,ord-
/ ing to our critic lies in the TACT that
children are treated a. free and respon.
| sibls persons rather than as slaves; that
| the teacher 10 their friend rather than
their enemy; that al vice and encourage
ment ara largely supsrseding the neoessi-
i IL for commands and punishments; tnst
| the school Is q modification OF the homo
and In alliance with 1t; rather than a
oheeriess barracks, constructed on the
military model.
The roots Of this recognition Of the
child az free personality lie deep In our
national thought and life; yet are OF COM
paratively recent growth: FIFTY yesrs ago
for neither the political liberty which
/ Jefferson attributed to the abstract citi-
| zen, nor the metaphy steal freedom which
Ewdards ascribed to tine abstract sinner,
| we're sufficiently concrete and rival con-
captions to permeate society and modify
the practice Of the schools. Not until
Harrison and Mrs. Stowe and Whittier
and Lowell and Phillips and Sumner and
Lincoln had proclaimed the emancipation
Of the lowliest. and the nation had rati-
| fed the proclamation In the blood OF the
noblsst Of her sons: rot until Charming
and Parker and Emerson and Bushnell
| and Beecher and Brooks had affirmed the
infinite worth Of the individual and
| taught that God IL not tyrant but
father In his treatment OF him, did the
conception Of mans fres personality
strike deep enough into the national heart
ana conscience to express itself In the
conduct OF our schools. The moral edu-
cation given in our schools TO-DAY is the
fIuit Of these political and religious
| principles which generations ago state and
church together learned.
There are four cardinal principles Of
that moral education which aims to de-
v.lop the child's free personality. First,
nterest In bimself. Second, respect for
others. Third, loyalty to Inst .tutions
1
| than himsslf.
First: Iutsrest In himself. The funda-
mental moral endowment Of the child 10
AN intense interest in himself; In what
he can do; In what he IL going to be
This is the great strategic point In moral
education. Seize that at all costs; hold
1t against all odds land the moral conquest
will be an easy one, Lose that point; let
false aims, base desires, low ambitions.
once get control Of this strategic roint;
aud you will fight a losing battle at ire
msndous disadvantage, until this lost
ground be Iegained. Without IL victory
Is impossible. For this is the very citadel
of self. 10 bs moral and to take healthy
and eager interest In ones true self, and
the doing of one s proper work ara one
and the self same thing. Hence the power
TO develop the ohild's interest In himself
and in his work Is the first moral requi'
site Of teacher.
The kindergarten ID the great pedagogi-
cal device for Swing toe child this In.
terest 10 himself, and In the exercise OF
his own powers. For 1t appeals 70 mis- &C.
III