Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-03-13
Paper Read at the Recent Farmers
Institute by Ella Stearns.

A
ers are not responsible for what wrong
ideas may exist, nor can school boards
be justly blamed. The common school
] was born OF the people. it is supported
by the people, and its faults are found
in the people The people must demand
and they will receive; they must knock
and il will be opened unto them"
The future demands an education in
to free government, an education to
meet the demands of these times with
their world problems that are weighing
us down and the ever increasing duties
Of citizenship. Not by the guns Of
Dewey or the batallions OF Roberts or
Kruger must these problems be worked
out but in the common school, where the
quiet, devoted, studious, skilful teacher
works out the nature and laws OF life.
We want an education which teaches
that patriotism consist not in painting
the town red" SO to speak, because your
party happens to be victorious; or in he
longing to political party for the SIM
pie reason that your father before you
did; that to be good patriot you must
first be good man or woman.
The education Of the future must make
character instead Of knowledge have
first palce in the direction OF educational
forces. What boy is Is OF vastly more
Importance than what he knows.
THE object Of Christianity is to make
good men and women here on earth"
The object Of education is to make use
full men and women good citizens.
This also will require an education
that does not educate away from work
but rather one that educates to work.
The Gospel OF Work" should be given
an important place in our Courses Of
Study" We want complete develope-
ment Of hand, head, and hesrt. We
want our pupils good rather than sharp
and we shall not succeed until broader
vision is taken placing character and
soul-developpent first. and knowledge
afterward. knowledge which is not
transmitted into character is abortive"
and may produce Czolgosz or his kin.
In republic it is especially necessary
that the masses be educated. The edu-
cation Of no class can be neglected. at
is only about a generation since in the
southern states it was crime to teach
reading to the laboring classes. Univer.
sal education in Germany only dates
from the fret Napoleon. Until their de-
feat at Sedan the French never thought
Of giving the masses of the people an
elementary education. England, one Of
the foremost nations in higher education
had no system Of public education fol
the poor until thirty years ago.
So long as psople fear evil from having
too many educated persons, SO long may
II be assumed that more education ID
necessary to dispsl such illogical con-
illusions.
To educate boy that he may be en-
abled to make an honest living is com
mendable but this is not enough. Toe
many prize education not because it gives
the nation good men and good women
but because it secures more wheat, NOR,
railroads, more machinery, more tai
chimneys. 1t is now fully acknowledged
that elementary education should b,
free. Free public libraries are bscom
ing general and are considered to play
an important part in education. Free
text books have been adopted in man.
places; and wherever adopted have com
to stay. Selfshness is at the bottom o
any policy which shuts out the children
Of the poor man from gaining an educa
ton. 1t is or the best interest OF thu
state that every child be educated int
an Intelligent, industrious, truth loving
) law-sbiding, God.fearing citizen"
with the beginning of the twentiet
century the public school is going int
every hamlet among the civilized race
l. Of the globe, and its benefcent light j
illuminating the dark recesses OF th
humblest home. Education is the d
vine right OF every child. The leading
educators are turning their attentio
I toward the country school as they hay
|, never before. And it is well for it is a
a indisputable fact that large percent {
our leaders in any vocation in the citit
have spent their early life upon farm
But knowing the condition Of the rur
schools we conclude that the causes Il
rural leadership do not lie in the schoo
but outside.
Says the President Of Harvard Unive
sity: "When child grows up In Il
!. country, II gets natural training 10 a
curate observation. Ii wants to find
r four-leaf clover; it runs to see where Il
green snake went to; it learns the song
Of the birds, aud knows when the smell
D run up the brook and when the twiligl
. ia Just right for finding the partridge
In short the country child gets natural
broad training in observation. 1t al
has on the farm admirable training
manual labor. From an early age it CT
: actually contribute to the care Of al
: mails. the successful conduct of the hous
= hold. and the general welfare Of the faI
y lily. In the city all this natural trainir
is lacking. and substitutes for it have
be artifcially provided. This necessi
: has brought into our schools nstu
. study and manual training, to teach I
!. chile to use it's eyes and hands, and
, 4 devotion its senses and muscular powt