Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-06


place lower ideal before the children
of this land than the noble one of
working from a high sense of duty
are placing an inseparable barrier in
the way of building worthy characters.
Literature and history and biogra-
ply may be made the means of pre-
senting to the mind of the child the
best in life. All unknown to us, per-
haps unknown to themselves, children
are admiring and putting on the char
acter that they find in books or see in
life" The discussion was led by Eu-
gene Pierce of ottumwa.
Professor PIERCE Talks.
Professor PIERCE. in leading the dis
cussion, spoke as follows:
IF / were allowed to reduce this
discussion to the time of a single SEN
tence, would say that the NOSE effec-
tive way to train character is not to
train character. Character is the con-
summate flower of manhood; it is the
bloom to whose development and
beauty all the care Of generations has
been given But as the rose in the
mind of the florist is produced by his
care for seed and stalk, branch and
soil, with not so much as a touch to
the blossom, so the character may be
most thoroughly trained by regard for
everything that enters into the per-
sonality of man save his character.
1.-THE committee indictes that ten
minutes are to be employed in open
ing this discussion, so proceed with
the consideration of the topic.
81 agree with the reader of the pa
per most heartily in his conception of
character and that the first need is to
clearly conceive it but believe the
relation of the school to it involves a
greater emphasis upon farther ele-
ment of it. The final steps in the reci-
tation process are the most important.
The instructive processes belong in
their place but are futile unless the
pupil has seized the lesson and has
tens to give evidence by action. wish
yau to consider that the training OF
character must include the expression
as well as the appreciation of the
| highest ideals of life.
THE creation of soul has never
passed from the hands of God, but its
nourishment has been given to the
teacher through the surroundings OF
lie SGuOOl W oSGr IAaS -ouSh ioiiho VI
action and expression, such trends oil
duty and conduct as shall prepare il
to manifest man, and more, to mani
1 fest one of many men are placed about
the pupil. The school is ordained fol
1 the special mission of permitting the
development of the complete man
knowledge is power only so far as il
equips men for doing, but the bent o.
his doing is controlled by his charac
ter. Reason is power only so far as its
| behests determine courses of actor
| and lines of choice which benefit the
man; the desire to gain benefits il
| determined by character.
1 I'VE speak of different grades O
character, but that which is real ant
! pertinent is of one nature-a will tt
| do what is right for ones self, ant
ones fellow, and what is due to one''
God.
Effective character building is ex
pressive; it tends to the responsible
4 typ of life. it acknowledges duty ant
loves its promptings, it appreciates
the worthlessness of the individual
save as he is an active factor in pei
forming the service of life, to live TO
ones self is existence to live for al
around you is the expression of char
acter. One of our state leaders re
Gently expressed the duty of the schoc
to be "to train one to do what is RICH
whether he wished to or not, Charae
ter making then does not belong t
the hermit, being is simply existenc
until it recognizes relations, encroact
ments and extensions upon tie caree
from the fact of others also living an
a desire to adjust, to sacrifice sci
| pleasure to social benefits.
Effective character training doe
not end until it brings about activit.