The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-04-18

TT
THE SPHER h or THE OCAI
PAPER INTHE CAUSE OF ~.
y EDUCATION. sA
1t would be impossible to fully
discuss the topic which has been
assigned me in the short time rs.
ually allowed for q paper Of thit
kind. It is topic that might pro:
perry and profitably occupy much
of your valuable time this afternoon,
I will, therefore, suggest few ideat
which occur to me, and trust that
the discussion to follow may bring
out a proper consideration of the
relations Of the local newspapers tc
the cause of education. " 49,;
The local paper can greatly aid
the cause dear to you and all edu'
Gators BY bringing the best ideas
long educational lines before the
reading public. It is all very well
for educators to meet and exchange
ideas, to advance theories and to
illustrate pratical work, but however
good this may be, itfalls short Of the
best results if the public is un-
acquainted with it. The local paper,
if rightly used by educators, be
come the intelligent conveyor OF
their best thoughts and efforts !. to
the public. Every new method in
education, every advance made along
the lines of progress, every. step
taken to further. your interests and
the welfare of the pupils under your
charge is the best brought to public
attention by means of the local pa
per. The American people are the
greatest readers in the world and
have come to depend largely upon
newspapers as their sourse of infor-
nation. They are too busy pursuing
their respective lines of work to go
in search of information that a few
decades back was only obtained by
individual effort. The newspapers
is, therefore. a public necessity, and
the dependence on the press has
made it a power. Educators should,
therefore, like advertisers and poll
ticians, recognize it and use it to
bring before the public their best
thoughts and advancing methods
in the art of teaching. 50
On the other. hand, educators
may learn from the press some of
the ideas of the people on education
all matters. It might be well to
consider that all of the bright ideas
in educational work do not originate
among educators. Many people
of your honorable profession are in
the advance lines of thought with
you, and are worthy Of your. most
earnest conside ration. These think
ers often take their thoughts to
the local paper that hey may be
given the widest publicity
The policies of county superin-
tendents, principals of high schools
and boards of education are
brought before the public through
the local paper, and if these policies
are good, the publicity will popular
ize them.
The local paper can call attention to
new methods in education aud pop
ularize them if they have merit. It
can expose the false in education,
in methods, in policy. It can sup
port improvements in buildings, in
in educators. It can give
space for reports of educators meet
ings, programs and entertainments.
It can do a hundred little things to
help on the cause of education and,
tighten the load of the hard work
ed educator: In fact it's sphere of
usefulness in this line is almost
imitless. =.
Invariably the local paper is the
friend of education. It must nee
be so. The educator and
the paper have work in common,
the one to prepare, the other to
round out. Their paths of useful
ness lie parallel and in close touch
with each other. They may be
said to 60 hand in hand for the up
lifting and advancement of human
ity.
But the question may be saked:
DO these workers, tho educators
and the local paper,-clasp hands
and 90 forward tOQother in mutual