The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-10-31
Ssll CpHlraI lie TeslsI Edueall0n.

\
as The test Of educatlon9 We SPEAK
not Of. learning, OF the mere accumu'
lation of knowledge.
To educate is 10 tTaNAthe mental
powers, to enIighteRa understand
ing, TO form and regulate the princl
Piles and character Of the pupil; TO the
end that he may have free command
Of his faculties.
II one has not this free command ol
! his faculties to act, as his calm reason
shall dictate, at least, In serious, es
sentfal matters-can such one be
STYLED 'an educated man. Surely
not, his education and training have
dwarfed, and failed TO take root in a
shallow soil.
While It's true that mental char.
acterlstics are as variable as tho
physical, yet, the mental atinities and
aptltudes are for the most part acqulr'
ed; and it is astonishing and humill'
ating to any teacher-in view Of the
universal spread Of popular education
in this country-to take note nj tho
reading matter of the innumerable
army OF young people who have come
ont Of the schools and colleges within
the last few years.
For the most part they read daily
newspapers, Sunday newspapers, and
never book worthy Of the name
They read narratives Of pollce-court
doings, the cheap literature that
comes filled with crimes and calama.
ties-the prurient gossip and SANDER
the misery and shame Of the world.
Is it not misnomer TO call people
seducated" whose daily mental pu0u.
lum consists of the puerilities and
vulgarities, cleaned from prize.rings
and policecourts?
And the city Sunday papers are the
climax Of all the rest, and perhaps,
the most hurtful; for they subyert, in
a measure, the work Of those who
preach the gospel.
II is idle to direct such educated"
people as these, TO the treasurers Of
literature. But as Claiming said !;
"Books give to all who will faithfully
use them, the society, the spiritual
presence OF the best and greatest Of
our race"
The taste grows by what it feeds on,
and those who have never read any
better, are not apt to change !:
'.Strong meat belongeth to them that
are of full age"
In this age Of the world, no one OBJ
jects to the reading of fiction, but let
it be wholesome fiction and elevating
in It's lnnuences-but we are writing
more especially, of the failure Of popu-
lar educatlon-an unwelcome task
Drunkenness and gambling are
barbarlous vices; the natural vices OF
the untutored savage-who sits the
livelong day on the burning sand, and
CANDLES for shells, baubles and trink-
cts and who will part with his wife,
kraal, or COW for rum!
Whatever may ne said 10 the con
trary, thrge are not intellectual vices
and are not runcunitaHIso Of educated
men; wherever such yield To tEeint
tney prove renegadeS TO their class,
and recreant to their training.
A similar, unfavorable inference
has been drawn as reproach to pop
ular education, by great teacher,
the head Of one Of our universities;
but he should have given proper
tionaCe share Of the repToach' Go, the
colleges and universities for this lack
OF training, where, it properly belongs.
In reviewing our theatrical amuse-
ments, he said:
1.-THE popular taste is for trivial.
spectacles, vulgar vaudeville, extrava.
CANA and melodrama; and the stage
often presents to unmoved audiences
scenes and situations of an immoral
or unwholesome sort"
Now, as there is an apparent In
crease of these plays, and also with
out doubt, an increase Of drunkenness
and gambling in this sectton-the In
ference is, that the general intelli-
gence is on the decrease, despite, our
popular education.
An these things, to the writer's
mind, tend to show a degradation Of
popular manners and morals-bNt
what the remedy is, we know not.
But we do know that II our schools
and colleges religious and secular,
fail to teach their pupils self control,
they fail in an essential, educational
purpose. JOHN e. CUTTINGS