The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-25


ruling one of the day or gem
Grafton is so well known that it has
become proverbial. Yet that knowl-
edge fails to check the mounters of
any new hobby, no matter how much
they may revle or scOff at the hard
riders of other hobbies now relocated
to the dust rooms Of Time. In nothing
has this been more clearly excmplifed
during the last two or three decades
than in the manner in which certain
theories of cduCatiOn--dcClarcd to be
vastly superior to older theories and
practiCcs-havc literally "bccn run into
the ground"
Could John Amos Comcnius revisit
the GlimpscS of the moon he would
stand aghast at the manner in which
his name is invoked by theorists gone
wid-thc fashion in which they strive
to make him responsible for their mis-
representations of his ideas and their
reforms" that are as far from his
principles as are the north and south
| poles from each other.
Particularly is this true in the line
| of "chld study" 50 much in evidence
| in many worse than useless ways just
now. There is a true "child study
| study of individual characteristics
| which is of ineStimable value. There
have been educators in all ages of the
| world who have practiccd it. There
| are such today who are striving to
| follow it out in despite or the wrong
| ful and hindcring methods of the new
| school of what arrogatcs to itself the
| title of advanced psychology as ap-
| piled to the child. That new school is
| ClamurOus in educational conventions:
it is not less so in many educational
| publications: it is tyrannicaI in the
orders it issues to teachers in many
| places in regard To physical "mcasurc-
mcnts," and records of the same, by
! means of which it rs assumed that
| mental and moral capabilities can be
measured, and children assigned to dir-
| fcrcnt grades of intelligence in study
or amcnabiity to certain methods of
training and discipline.
While protesting to consider tho child
as of supreme Importance ii makes of
him in. actuality only the living thing
of which psychologists of the now
school may make subjects of expert
mcnt, at any cost to the subject.
Where these prorcssed reformcrs
psychologists, and "studcnts of In,
child' may bring up it would bo dini.
Cul to prophosy. Encouraging just now
are the signs of reaction against then
and their claims and methods in som,
communities. Tho one that is to bC
noted today is "the rising protest il
Chicago" against the proposition I,
test the "aigometcr," just invented by
the psychologist of the IGducationa
Bureau in Washington" on the publi,
school children of the first named city
by this device pressure is applied t,
u child's temples aud gradually in
creased til the child cries out from
pain. The quicker the cry comes tn
greater the child's scnsibility and b,
the theory, the greater its cleverness.
The object, we are furthermore in
formed, is "to establish the relation
between the keenness Of the sense
and the intellect"
TO cap the climax of all this we ar
told that "every suggestion of crucIt,
has been removed from the test" Thi
Is beautiful in speaking Of AN expert
, mcnt in itself worthy of having bee
! devised by the inventors of the mos
refined tortures OF the lnquistion tina
grew up in Dark Ages of the world
history, Pressure on the temples Is /
, itself torture speedily amounting {
agony. 1t is quite enough In some case