The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-27
TRAINING OF WEAK Minds
ALEXANDER JOHNSON ADDRESSES
COUNTY sUPERINTENDENTs.
Officers Elected at the Last Session
and Legislation Committee Named
The Discussions.


which were unanimously adopted by the
meeting:
President-James r. Wilson, Warrick
county.
Vice President-E. f. Roby. Howard
county.
Treasurer. L. Rankin. Orange county.
Secretary-E. c. Crider, Tippecanoe
county.
The general executive committee. which
made the nominations, is as follows:
First District. r. Wilson, Warrick.
Second-W. T. Stpp. Lawrence.
Third-Elijah GLADDEN., Scott.
FOURTH. L. Payne, Jackson.
Fifth-Samqel A. Harris, Putnam.
Sixth-W. f. Weinburg. Wayne.
Seventh-W. F. Lands. Marion.
Eighth-C. A. Van Matre, Delaware.
Ninth-W. b. Walkup. Montgomery.
canoe.
Eleventh-R. C. Hills. Cass.
Twelfth-Homer Dillworth. Steuben.
Thirteenth-W. S. Gibbons. Fulton.
The superintendent decided yesterday
afternoon that it would be more satisfac-
tory to the majority TO hold a night SEES
sion than 10 continue the meeting until to-
day at noon. Many found it necessary to
leave by late trains last night.
How May the Standard of Teachers BE
Raised? was the question discussed last
night by Superintendent Crider. of Tippe-
canoe county. II was discussed by r. G.
Hills, OF Cass county, and by State Super
fntendent Frank l.. Jones. The sentiment
despite all attempts TO be fair and dSin-
terested in the selection of teachers. county
superintendent and township trustees are
more or less influenced by political infiu-
ences that are brought to bear upon them
and by personal feelings regarding appli
cants for licenses. Superintendent Crider
advocated strongly the feasibility of a
form in the method of licensing teachers
that would allow for their selection TO be
by the state superintendent of public in
struction. During the sessions of the meet
no hn nfNr
sentiment appears to be gathering force
among the county superintendent of the
State that teachers licenses should be
granted by the state department rather
than by local educational authorities.
Superintendent II. ID. Shideler, of Hunt
ington county. spoke on Free Textbooks.
He said that i'm a number of States the
custom has been adopted Of furnishing text
books free and Ii has worked very salts
faCtorily. Ii has many advantages. Uni
formity is secured as well as convenience,
and there is another advantage, he said,
that all teachers will appreciate. Pupils
would not have the excuse for not perform
ing work, that they were not able TO secure
the necessary books. w. b. Walkup, of
Montgomery county, discussed the paper.
ALEXANDER JOHNSON'S PAPER.
The principal address of the session yes
terday afternoon was by Alexander John
son, of Fort Wayne, superintendent of the
School for Feeble minded Youth. In part,
Superintendent Johnson discussed THE
State Schools for Defective" as follows:
These are the schools for the deaf the
blind and the predetermined. They are spe-
cial schools, because the pupils have spe
cial needs. They are centralized, because
Ii is more convenient and more economical
to 90 this than to have a large number of
special schools all over the State. These
schools differ from the common schools in
many ways, chiefly because the State
seems to do so much more for these pupils
than she does for those of the common
schools.
The State is good mother She gives
the most to the child that needs the most.
Nothing but the special care and training
given the detectives would be of any value
TO them. While for the deaf and blind the
schools not only furnish scholastic instruc-
ton, manual training and board and lodg-
ing, they also teach handicrafts or some
useful occupation by which the pupils may
ate. For the feeble-minded the State gives
still further. She provides all this and
adds TO 1T permanent home and perma-
nent occupation for those who need such
provision. This is because the feeble
minded need more than the others. They
need not only teaching, but permanent con-
troll if they are to be happy and useful.
I'VE all know what blind means; we
all understand Deafness but few who
have not studied the problem know the
term, feeble-minded Every one could
give a slightly different meaning to the
term. In modern speech 'feeble-minded'
includes every grade of defective intellect,
except insanity. From the lowest most
abject idiot, speechless, filthy, up TO the
high-gTade imbecile. almost normal, only
distinguished from the normal by lack of
common sense, or ability to master arith-
metc, with all the hundred varieties be-
tween, which grade into each other by i'm
perceptible steps, all are known by this
generic term.
LAS varied as their conditions. must be
the means to better it, The defects may
be peripheral or central. both. An i'm
beetles senses may be as dull as his brain
may be minute in size. poor in quality,
or deficient in organization. To reach the
center through a dull periphery and TO
leave lasting effects on a brain of poor
quality. each impression must be more pow
erful If the senses are dull, they must be
more powerfully stimulated. If the brain
Is poor in quality, ii must be more fire.
quently impressed that the impressions
may be permanent. Patience almost in
finite, persistence carried to the extreme.
firmness and kindness carried beyond the
power almost of the average man, are all
needed to make any effort of education
upon these pupils.
TRAINING THE MIND.
"In training the mind we act through the
body. Many of our pupils are as defective
in body as they are in mind So physical
culture plays an important part in our cur
riculum. 1t is the beginning of all work
and it continues to the end. We teach our
children TO breathe. to stand, to walk, TO
play. We train the special senses and
teach the child to see, hear, smell, taste
feel We are not so much concerned with
words about things as about the things
themselves.
What a feeble-minded child learns TO
say ne soon fOrgets What he learns TO
do he remembers. So we have discovered
for ourselves what scientists have told us
that all memory is not in the brain; il is
everywhere. perhaps in every muscle.
you question and so do many, is il all
worth while? We think For the
higher grades il means training to the point
of self-suppOrt. For the middle grades
training to do much useful labor. For the
lower grades training TO make their sui
seQuent care during the twenty or thirty
years of their lives easier. For all IL means
much happiness, a better life, nearer the
standard of the average man. For the
State IL means a rapid decrease in misery
crime. vice and pauperism. We think II
so worth while that some of us are willing
to give our lives TO making II successful.
We believe that in so doing are well
serving our State and our race.
Other talks during the afternoon were
by l. +. Meyer, superintendent of Carroll
county. on How to Make the Township
Institute More Profitable" and by CT. +.
Butcher superintendent of Starke county,
on THE District Graduate"
The morning session was made interest
ing by addresses by g. y. Robinson, super
ntendent of Hancock county, on Music
in the District Schools" w Z. Stipp. of
Lawrence county. on rs the Course of
Study Sufficiently Practical" and by talks
by j. NJ. Meet. superintendent Of Parke
county, and a. b. Thompson. superintend-
ent of Grant county. Lee o. Harris, su-
perintendent of Hancock county, read sew
eral of his poems