The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-16
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
A ,Disagreeabler Habit. ::
the Editor of The Journal:

James Russell Lowell, in discussing the
charges against democracy says =: 49,.
- But T believe that the real -gravamen Of
the charges lies in the habit it has of maxi
ing Itself generally disagreeable by, ask
ing the Powers that Be at the most incol.
venient moment whether they are : the
powers that ought to bey f. = '-s:-:.-@. - :
Many. needed reforms are, delayed .fr
their ffuition in this country by premat tur:e
dlgglng: UP. seeds of reform before they
have a chance to sprout or show growth.
one is reminded Of Lowells dictu1n on
reading the discussion of basketry in our
pubic schools Doubtless the criticisms
are helpful, or may be made So But a
public man who, attempts reforms in this
country Is situated somewhat similarly to
the old Grecian laWnaker, who, we are
told, was made to propose law with a
halter about his neck, so that hanging
might be conveniently done If the pro
posed Innovation was rejected
The other day in riding cross country I
saw strange little figure coming down
a hill I was about to climb. 1t turned out
to be a boy five or six years old. He had
COW bell hung about his neck. He was
bareheaded and coatless. His feet wer.,
soaked. His white hair showed good
Morse blood. He was: springing down the
hill like a wild deer, cutting the bell into
tones rivaling a herd of Bells. and was
at the same time yelling in imitation of a
steam engine. After vigorous measures
We're used to keep my horses from climb
ing a wire fence in their fright passed
the boy and went on my. way to visit a
city school. There wasn't any basketry
In that school. The poor little pupils went
in at and stayed until .12. After an
hour they reassernbled and took up their
cross until 4. Just before the closing
hour looked into their. flushed faces and
thought how fortunate the little wild Nor
wegian boy was that he had not been
caught in our civilization yet The teach
er taught spelling in the good old-fash-
ioned" way. The rooms had the good
old-fashioned smell. There was the old
fashioned weeping over the multiplication
table.
But the little folks were not thriving.
When I was a boy and had like: stunts
given me prematurely it was fortunate
for me that the teacher had too manN
classes to look after my education very
closely. We were turned loose hitter read
ing in the morning and were rounded up
later in the forenoon to take another
turn at the alphabet. The graded school
system has changed all this and has found
a way to hold the pupils, big and small
to their tasks for, hours at a time, We
teahcers see that this is ruinous to the
health of the child. The graded school
system seems a necessity at present for
various reasons mostly connected with
taxation. But the one problem before
teachers to-day is to find wayfto miti-
gate the rigors of this system. and to
save the health Of the child: As far as
the common branches. spelling, reading.
etc, are concerned, there is no good evil
dence that they are not as well done now
as in the good old days. We teachers
know we'll that the. little children car
spell better than their parents as evi-
denced by the excuses Brought to us for
tardiness and absence. People who are
so fortunate as to have had educated
parents forget that we are educatine
children nowadays who have no scholarly
ancestors. And, as President Roosevelt
suggests, there may even be two opinions
about the advantage Of having educated
parents Thinking Of the little boy
screaming through the woods and of some
Investigations going on about the children
OF college bred people, or the lack o1
them: one may come to the conclusion
that cowbells. are better, than primers any
way. ~ 2,
Industrial work probably does not hur
the spelling, and we hope It viii help The
child in regard to that which is of mucl
greater mportance than spelling. There
is no particular virtue III spelling. /, have
a college friend who could spell .'name,
three ways on one page. and he is at the
head Of one OF the. biggest industrial. en-
terprises in the country. It is said Of
William of Orange that he could misspeI
words in seven languages. You may gt
right through the. old narrow curriculum
and there is no saving grace, in it fol
the little spindle -ieggeu child of our cities
It wont give him what he needs sturdi.
ness. We are neglecting in a. frightfu
way. the physical training of the child
That is the point the people should CRY
out about. And that Is the point aimed
at in basketry.s It is. an attempt to in:
terest the child in doing something. Teach.