The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1900-03-15
THE NEWs-HERALD HILLsBoRo, THURSDAY MARCH u.s. 1900

where it comes most directly in con
tact with the farmer. While the
fields of higher education have broad
ened largely, while the opportunities
for advanced culture have become
many, the farmers school, the dis
trict school, has not made enough
progress in the last twenty years.
Farmers have not been slow to make
progress in other lines. They have
adopted new methods and new ma
chinery. Why should they be satis-
fled with educational methods in
vogue thirty years ago? But what
methods shall we pursue in improving
our country schools? This question
contains so many points for discussion
that in order to give the solution we
could not do it Justice in this paper.
But it is one that should be decided
by the farmers. When they demand
more effective school system and are
willing to work for it they undoubtedly
will be successful in their efforts.
In all the countries of Europe the
farming class is not rated very highly
in the social and political scale. Til
lers of the soil are called peasants,
who, in Germany and some other
countries are deemed inferior to ar
tisans, and perhaps are so in respect
to education, intelligence and social
standing. In this country it is differ
ent: no class is ahead of farmers in
intellectual requirements, in enlight-
ened citizenship and in social respec
an American farmer and feels that
he is his superior proclaims his own
ignorance and inferiority. 1t depends
on the farmers themselves whether
this condition is permanent or wheth-
er they shall gradually sink to a lower
level and eventually become peasants
as in Europe. God never made man
to be trodden under foot: he was cre-
ated to rule: commanded to have do
minion, and the best subject on which
to exercise his God-given power and
also the subject of his most dismal
failures. is himself.
Does an education consist alone in
what is learned from text books used
in our schools and in our home litera-
ture and from the knowledge derived
from the pages in Natures great
book ? Every scheme of education
should include all the factors that
contribute to the training of children.
And parents are responsible for this
part. Teach them to be brave. strong
and true. Teach them to be pure in
thought, word and deed: to despise
meanness and falsehood. Teach
them to respect the aged. Teach
them to show kindness to the brute
creation. Teach them to be self-sup.
porting and ashamed of idleness.
They must be taught to hate the
that which is virtuous. Above all
teach them the fear of God, which is
the beginning of wisdom.
The most perfect development OF
Slllil lllS SolhSS IL Olll lllC loHlC, NlClS Z
culture and industry combine in the
influence thrown around the young
1t is from the well ordered farm that
the powerful impulses of joyful activ
ity are made use of for the good of the
4 child and those around him. In the
labor of the farm home the child be
r comes helper at very early age
His work is useful in that he helps tt
increase the comfort and the wealth
) of the home. He aids and gives rest
to those who are overworked and il
some degree comfort to those who
" love him. 1t is joyful to him that he
6 takes part in the work others are do
ing, in that he sees it's value and alsC
, in the fact that he calls out the high
f est powers of which he is capable
t Under proper guidance this work Of
p the child in taking part in the indus
+ trial life around him, in the work il
y which he sees value, becomes most
$ powerful agency in securing for hin
e the habit of doing something, the be
n lief in success, a calm sense of power
n to do, and conviction of mastership
8 which are so essential to the fullnesl
of life and are indispensable to sue
q cess in intellectual work in school nj
after life. These splendid results
I which come to the child from the in
$ dustrial life on the farm may bt
n reached in the home of the village o.
t city provided it is possible to add t.
J.. the culture of the home broad in
$ dustrial training. But homes are rar,
q in cities or towns where there is al
l. opportunity to provide useful occupa
: tion for the child that vii utilize hi
f innate active force in a way that vii
< tend to his development.
!. In no other home are the member
: of a family so dependent upon thei
own resources, both for recreation
| and improvement of the mind, as i
r the country home. Merchants, work
+ ers in factories and mines. profes
+ sional men and women come in cor
d tact with other persons, all througl
@ the required number of hours of thei
: work, and when that is over the
+ turn to outside attractions-the Sc
Is cial party, entertainment or lectur
tO sDend the EVENINGS In the cOl,pt,-