The Yale expositor., 1902-01-24
The Farmers Relation to the
District School.

II
Central Hall, January 18th.
The committee has for three success
sive years placed me on the program
of the Farmers Institute for Yale.
Thanking the committee kindly for
their appreciation of my humble efforts
and laying aside personal qualification
/ feel that my appearance tonight is an
imposition upon this audience; aud that
| this number should have been filled by
some one more gifted than i.
Acting upon the spur OF the moment
| agreed 20 write paper upon "Life's
| Objects" However upon more seri-
Gus reflection concluded that 10 would,
| indeed, be double imposition for me
To attempt To handle SO deep n subject
and therefore will conline myself TO a
few remarks borrowed from that oft
discussed subject, Education"
Education of man has been defined
as his complete and harmonious de-
yelopment, mentally, morally, and ply
sically. Taking such for a definition,
is II any wonder that education like a
tidal wave swept over our country UNI
Oil now In every city, In every hamlet,
the public school building, standing be-
meath the folds of "Old Glory" forms
one OF its most imposing structures.
And our far-famed state, caught in
I the mighty vortex of 1857. "ReligiOn,
morality, and knowledge being neces.
sary 90 good government and the happi-
ness of mankind, schools and the means
of education shall forever be encour-
aged, saw, plainly, that one of her
chlefest duties was 90 provide higher
institutions OF learning -institutiOns
not 10 be easily surpassed.
How many of our country girls and
! boys can ever hope OF entering one of the
states great institutions of lcaralng 2
Comparatively few. Occasionally an
extra ordinarily bright girl or boy gets a
chance 90 attend high school or take
course in one of the great institu-
| tiOns of the state, but not without
some little Inconvenience, IL not sacri-
/ flee, on part of parents and remaining
children, let alone the risk of terrible
sacrifice on the part of the boy or girl,
for being reared on the farm and far
removed from even the shadow OF
moral pollution the child, at the very
age when habits are most easily formed
and impressions upon character most
easily made IS thrown into q whirl-
pool of temptations, unavoidable In
our large institutions OF learning. In
situations where the attendance reach
ing not only into the hundreds but
thousands that no faculty however
earnest in It's efforts can ever cope sue
cesstully with the ilOral side, aud alas,
far from filling the expectations of fond
parents and friends, two out of ten
John and Mary return moral wrecks.
Does il not then behoOve you, farm
ers-parents 20 make the district
uafs ~ Inn ttrh
dren can obtain a practical. a thorough
education Make the district school
indeed the Hope of our country" the
Corner stone of our Republic" This
can only be obtained through the hearty
cooperation of patrons, legislators,
school officers and teachers.
| apprehend that every parent pre-
sent earnestly desires that his girls and
boys receive liberal education. Now,
the surest, the most economical way TO
receive such is through the excellence
of your district schools.
Don't think you patron of the
district school, That you are doing your
duty towards your children, towards
your district, when you visit your school
house once year-the annual meeting
for the express purpose OF voting
down any thing and everything by way
Of improvements: fix the amount of
money TO run the school at the very
lowest figure. instruct your school Of
iicers 10 hire the cheapest and OF
course, the best teacher 20 be had
Perhaps you may lind 10 convenient
at this time 10 wreak your wrath upon
last years teacher. and your complaints
are all "hear says" for have you been
inside the school house since the last
annual meetingY Perhaps you are the
very patron that sends your children TO
school with n ragged reader, torn
Sanders Speller, and broken slate;
send them two days in a week az the
truant officer is negligent) and then
any time between nine o'clock and
noon.
Well, at any rate you chuckle 10 your
self that you have economical I'm school
matters, and you may be the very pa.
iron that is boarding up a goodly share
Of this worlds goods for your children,
which may or may not be appreciated
by them. Have / not a right TO call
you penny wise and pound foolish ~
and must | exempt the childless tax
payer In nine cases out OF ten you
are the most economical Of them all.
Ladies and gentlemen ] feel free 20
unloose the reins of my fancy in pic
turing you an imaginary school patron,
knowing well by so doing | cannot i'm
jure the feelings of any present tonight,
for my patron" would never be found
at n Farmers Institute.
Probably every farmer here has his
own opinion as 10 his relation 20 the
district school but as opinions are free
especially at n Farmers Institute will
venture 90 offer mine.
First, IL is your duty 90 provide n
school house-not n mere barn OF an
affair, devoid of any ornamentation
save that made by the school boys
knife. a building where after school
is closed for vacation the children shun
rs they would some terrible monster.
Let the school houses built from this
time forth be such that there viii be no
chance for remark such as / once
heard: THAT Michigan farmers planned
more carefully the hygienic cOnstruc.
ton and displayed more real artistic
finish upon their COW barns than they
did upon their school houses This
rsFnnrlr cfuutr Ippnly vet 1 fear flgrp