The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-09-04
THE ALLIANCE FIELD DAY.

The NOn-PartiSan W. Z. L. Alliance had
their annual Field-day August 9th at the
delightful home of Mr.. and Mrs. Fred A.
Griffin The house, situated on high ground,
commands on one side fine view of the
surrounding country, bounded on three
sides by ranges Of hills, and on the other
one gets glimpse of the blue waters of the
bay. The interior is scarcely less charming,
for on every hand are quaint and curious
things, mementoes of many foreign lands.
A notable feature of this modern farm is its
fine orchard. and samples of its fruits were
pronounced delicious by the fortunate
guests. A picnic dinner was served at noon,
after which the business of the day was
begun. The meeting was opened with
Bible reading and prayer; then a commune
cation from the county secretary, Mrs
Grace Bowen of Morrill,, who was unable
to be present, was read by Mrs. Griffin and
the county treasurer, Miss Carrie Nj. Cutter,
reported for the sewing school that there
had been about twenty lessons during the
winter, and that the children, under the able
instruction of Miss Mcdowell, had cut and
made ninety garments, as well as made Il
quantity of patchwork. Mrs. E. p. Brown,
aged So years, then read an able and inter
eSting paper on genius, which it was voted
to have published and which was as follows :
GENIUS.
Genius is one of the latent elements in the
human organization, capable OF culture to Il
marvellous extent, but hitherto supposed to
be a special gift granted to Il very limited
few. The ideal education claims it as a
common gift waiting to be developed or ed
ucated hence ask what is true education :!
Is it not the cultivation and development of
every faculty of all that constitutes human
perfection of skill, knowledge, wisdom, grace
virtue, self-control, strength of body and
strength of soul. There is nothing in man
which NAV not be cultivated to IL marvellous
development The life of humanity is or
ganized upon one plan alone, upon which
plan every element of man may be develop
ed toward the Divine standard of power
and excellence or become dWarfed; on the
one side bending Godward, on the other
to dwarfage The old idea is Still adhered
to by some that education is done when it
Grams and pOllsheS.
The true office of education, the office
which educational systems have never real
lied, is to develop the genius which leads
us to the glorious future and the character
which belongs to a higher social order. The
education OF schools makes book-wOrmS,
but the untried new education makes manly
men and accomplished women, SO we'll fitted
by virtue and capacity as to give promise of
a new social order. The new education is
the opposite of the old. 1t assumes to de-
velop character, to elevate the moral or re-
ligious sentiment, to fit men and women for
practical life and to develop genius Genius
does not belong to the present. but is identi-
fed with the future. 1t is the light that
leads US onward, the glimmering of Divine
wisdom. This Divine element is latent in
all human souls, and as there is no element
in man which is not capable of culture we
know that genius may be cultivated into
prominence. Let us for the present put the
old system aside, with its uninspring text
books and rigorous drill of memory, and
look at the practical side of the question
and see if there is not an available method
for the culture of genius. AS genius is
the power that REALIZES upon itself, the
first thing to do in its culture is to exercise
Self-reliance, TO seek for knowledge by
compelling oneself to observe, to investi-
gate, to reason and to remember lnterro-
cation is the chief agency to intellectual
education for its office is to compel thought
| remember an intelligent girl, thoroughly
trained in learning by verbal memory, to
whom my lnterrogatlve method compelling
her to think seemed d mental torture, so
great was the change from her fixed habits.
InterroSative and developing education diff
fer from the education of cram. In one the
mind has been yitaliZed with original
thoughts, in the other the mind accepts
what the past has stated as facts with
out Stigation. This long-endured tyran-
ny of the past over the present and future
is the iron hand that must be overcome be-
fore the career of genius can be realized.
This is the conflict in education between
the two opposite systems-the conservative
system which fails to develop mental indie
pendence and strength, and the free inter-
negative system which compels the pupil to
walk independently by his own past re-
searches. The one consists mostly in the
repetition and memorizing of the past
records of remote and ignorant ancestry,
the mission of the other is to develop char
acter. One must learn to explore and find
out for himself. Thought inspires action,
and the two combined produce results bene-
fetal to the human race. 1t enables the
provdent man to spend wisely and hoard
judcously for future use. which makes him
independent as well as useful. 1t also en-.
ableS one to care wisely for healthy condi-
tions. For instance, thinking convinces us
that aged persons sight becomes dim by
the eye balls becoming tlattened, which is
caused by rubbing the eye toward the ear
when Washing Thought teaches US that a
slight pressure toward the nose keeps the
eyeball round and sight unim' aired.
There is an unlimited field tor thought in
every human life. Thought develops genius
Interrogation compels thought, and think
ing causes action, and these processes, in
definitely repeated, produce an artist, an ac-
knowledged genius.
The election of officers for the ensuing
year was then held and resulted as follows :
President, Mrs. F. A. Griffin, Belfast Sec
rotary, Mrs D. O. Bowen, Morrill,; Treas
urer, Mrs. Calvin a. Hubbard, Belfast.
Miss Mllett gave an interesting and in
structive talk on the habits and customs of
the women and young girls of India, and
Mrs. E. P. Alexander gave some humorous
recitations in her usual pleasing manner.
The meeting then adjourned.
Ice cream and cake were served and the
afternoon was passed socially. 1t was a
most enjoyable day, and the company re-
GREETED when the setting sun warned them
that they must bid good bye to their host
and hostess.
WINTERPORT