Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-06

bilities of another year; We are anxi-
Gus to re-enlist in that great army who
direct the energies of our social, eco
nomic, intellectual and national life.
In the year just closed, there have |
been many things of serious moment; !
much that appealed to our better ma
ture, our philanthropic spirit, our in
dividual interest, and to our intellec- |
tual keenness. With the passing of |
the year, desire to come within a
sphere of your sympathies, to discuss
certain matters of Importance, to call
your attention to certain conditions
and tendencies. to offer admonition,
and to exult with you in the triumph
of battles.
Did / not realize the critical test OF
public sentiment and its dictates; did
not appreciate the varied expert
ences and manifold nature of the
teacher; did l not understand the
thousands of characters who will look
into the faces of two hundred and fifty
three teachers on that next Septem-
Der morn; did not enjoy those smiles,
those dimples, that mirth, that laugh
ter, those frowns, those dagger eyes,
those stern words, those tears, those
did l not appreciate these things on
the part of both teacher and pupil,
would not seek your Indulgence.
Life is composed of the comedy and
the tragedy, the pleasing is the come
dy-the serious, the tragedy. The
daily events of a single school room
are manifest expositions of battles and
conflicts of courage and cowardice; of
strength and weakness; of hopes,
fears and disappointments; of ease,
satisfaction and happiness-such trag-
ic and comic scenes as are only en-
bryonic of devotion to principle-in
short, miniature and undeveloped con-
ditions that compose the history of
human progress.
A year ago l addressed you at some
length on certain general conditions,
inseparable from the work of teach
er, and educational factors and values.
The last year has only emphasized
certain of those conditions; the trend
of educational thought in that time
I has been of attractive interest. Some
of these will be emphasized and reiter-
ated.
/ There is an evolution in the animal
/ world, there is an evolution of intel
lectual growth, and there is an evolu-
ton in the existence of nations. 1t is
the principle of 'the survival of the
fittest." No year in the history of the
world has recorded such attention as
has been given in 1900 to education;
university growth has become colos-
sal, unheard of departments have been
formed and Immediately taken advan.
20 Nf. inc
established and thousands have drunk
at these fountains of knowledge. Ger
tain forms of employment have arts.
; en- to the dignity of profession; vari-
ous departments have resulted from
absolute necessity. General universal
enlightenment has wrought these
. magic chances; the undeveloped west
, ern continent with its exhaustless
treasures of natural wealth gives rise
to the statement of John w. Brook
: walter that "the American farmer is
the uncrowned king of Europe
p The discoveries of certain facts il
7 science, are so rapidly changing our re
8 lations to our fellow creatures, tina
, our. civic and industrial life must, from
: necessity, undergo alterations. Some
/ of these changes confront us 81
+ abruptly that we can scarcely realize
, the same. AS result We experience
r difficulty in bringing about adjust
= ment AS proof of this We observe
y kaleidoscope changes resulting in thu
c great union of capital, Industrial I'm
ions, trades union, labor societies, fra
ternal associations, insurance com
4 panies, and professional regulations
a New and special schools are founded
4 institutions are established; new re
!, ligien and sects are frequent; creeds
i. dogmas, and doctrines are modified o
4 born anew; rituals undergo revisions
s philosophers and philosophers are pre-
d scented for consideration; scienc
q dumbfounds us with apparent super
naturalness. In the domain of educs
ton, the change is no less true; grea
v institutions of learning are becom
q integral in their nature which befor
>. have been departmental; department
v multiply with almost geometrical re
il ito; philosophers in the educatione
n world are perhaps more metamorphi
10 in the nature than any on account {
e the extensive fields of education. Gu
ar methods, devises, plans, didactic:
IT psychologists, child's studies, physit
A. logical, hygenic, and mental sciences
,e yea, moral standards-are evanescer
,r in their character. in direct propo
,e ton to healthy growth in pedagogic;
10 and general education. This leads I
a realization of the situation that col
fronts us as teachers, to the discu
sion of questions most pertinent to /
We all.
- The people of the United States pa
80 an enormous sum of money for publ
:, schools! In some districts in Wapel
~ county, more than one-half of all take
v is expended in the support of the pu
9 lie schools Under free government
10 g public schools represent the want
=; 10 spirit, and ideals of a nation. Until
NJ European nations. we have no stron
10 ly centralized national system of ed
~ cation. We have a multiplicity
"a state laws, many special provisions
nj the city charter, widely and different
constituted boards of education; tho
sands of town or country school OF
GERS; thousands of district trustee
under these diversified conditions al
m. management exactness in uniformi
T.