Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-01-10
TEACHERS OF STATE
MEET IN ANNUAL CONVENTION
IN MILWAUKEE.
Most Successful Session Wisconsin As
ISOLATION Has Ever Heidi. A. BirSe
Is New President-PortiouO of Presi-
dent Mathie's Able Address.
Milwaukee correspondence :

The most successful convention tho
Wisconsin Teachers Association has ever
held came to a close Wednesday after.
noon with the joint session with the Ma
tional Commercial Teachers Federation
at Plymouth Church, Milwaukee. The
delegates and attendants upon the con-
ventions expressed themselves as unusu-
ally we'll pleased with the excellence of
the programs and the reception and en-
tertainment by the citizens of Milwau-
kee.
Prof. e. A. Birge was chosen presi-
dent, the features of the convention be-
ing a discussion of football Reuben
Post Halleck of Louisville defended the
game. He said in part: "Athletics is
rivalry. 1t develops just what you must
meet in the outside life Football teaches
the subordination of the will of eleven
boys to that of one, 1t is altruistic in
its nature. If boy is caught smoking
cigarets, the others tell him you're hurt
ing the whole team and the schools
chances for securing championship
Karl Mathie of Wausau, president of
the association, delivered the presidents
annual address at the Davidson Theater
on the subject, THE Freedom of the
III
book men and urged teachers and princi-
pals to throw off that yoke. He said in
part:
''The fifty years that close with this
jubilee convention have given us all that
is distinctive in our modern school sys-
tenn One thing after another has been
added or changed until a revolution has
been wrought And for what? That the
pupil might be free, free from unnatural
courses of study; barren text books and
arbitrary methods; unhealthful and ugly
surroundings; unwelcome sectarian in
struction, and cruel punishment. The
best schools of to-day are very near the
ideal in securing freedom for the pupil.
THE coming fifty years should bring
larger freedom to the competent teach
er; freedom to serve the pupils highest
needs and to follow the truth, without
fear of political interference, sectarian
bigotry, commercial insolence, early dis
lnissal or old age poverty.
although the boards by no means seek
atheists for instructors, nevertheless the
name of God has been cut out of the vo-
cabulary of the teacher. The fact that
the first syllable of Christmas is so often
spelled with an Y. or the Roman 10, is
emblematical of the temper of our time
that cares more for mathematics than for
manhood, more for finance than for faith,
more for speed than for spirituality!
"And yet knowledge as it is organized
to-day, under the masterful touch of evo-
luton, is nothing if not a revelation OF
deity. The thoughtful mind cannot rest
in the presence of the wisdom, order and
beauty revealed in the universe without
seeking that great first cause. And what
ever the true teacher sees that is ennOb-
ling he wants his pupils to see. When
he shows them how the mountains were
brought forth. or how the great flood
plains were spread out like garment,
he may feel that these tremendous forces
speak more clearly of Almighty power
than doth holy writ. But he is not per-
mitted to lay these foundations for
faith!'
At the Davidson Theater Wednesday
morning the association without discus
sion and with scarce dissenting vote
passed a set of resolutions presented by
President Halsey of the Oshkosh normal
school in favor of an "amelioration OF
spelling" An annual appropriation was
provided for with which to carry on the
work of standing committee appointed
to work for this new movement, which is
along the lines pursued by other State as
sociations
Prof. G.. Y. Gillian made a somewhat
| caustic address in which he arraigued
| the State superintendent and his depart
ment for the manner in which Institutes
| have been conducted, and Supernlten-
| dent Harvey, upon being called upon by
| the audience, made a telling reply to the
| charges.
The report of the committee on the
| exhibit for the st. Louis fair was APP
proved and adopted and Warden III. IL.
| Jacobs reported on Child Labor III the
| Factories and resolutions were adopted
| indorsing the proposed legislation IN re-
| gard to compulsory education and child
| labor. A. e. Winship of Boston gave a
| stirring address. which was received with
| great appreciation and applause, On Ed
| ucational Standards in the Nineteenth
| and Twentieth Centuries"
| The committee on resolutions recon-
mended action on compulsory education
| laws, spelling amelioration thanks to the
press for its information in regard to
teachers wages and asking further help
from the papers of the State, approving
the plan to unity the program OF the con
ventim and thanking the citizens who
have aided in making the session a sue
| cess.