New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-26
GIVE a CHILD FREEDOM.
In That Way He Learns to Think and Ac-
quire Self-control

Without discussing the point definitely viii
simply say that cannot stem the tendencies Of
the present by a 10 the disciplinary methods
OF the past. II we could induce all the parents 70
return 10 Puritanic methods of discipline Il might
produce a definite result I don't say Il would.
but Il might But for the schools alone 10 return
70 oldtime methods would. am sure be productive
only Of added friction and turmoil.
AS matter Of fact II IS no wonder that the
IDEAS and habits Of the young people have altered
! from what they were. No previous generation Of
history has seen such sudden and violent changes
as the last fifty years. People have been torn
4 from the soil and set in great cities They have
witnessed total change in environment. an I'm
nense alteration in ideas and ideals u Is
der these things have their effect On the children
: We cannot hope 10 return either 70 the old con-
citiODs OF methods. 70 the methods suitable fo-
/ them We must make methods fit the new
conditions
/ AS matter Of fact. democracy has simply
emancipated individuality 4 little faster than it
has Yet found an opportunity TO direct it. that's
! all Our individuality in government in contrast
! TO a strong centralized government: our indIvdu-
atty in religious thought, in contrast 70 coun-
! try with a state-controlled church-all show that
we have thrown off shacilcs which had become
/ oppressive We have won freedom which wo
have not yet learned how TO direct 20 the best
advantage.
! What is the basis Of Booker washington's plea?
II is that HIS race has been emancpated. but has
| never been rightly directed Il is longer in
! bonds 10 owners and masters but IL has not yet
/ learned how TO use its own freedom.
CANNOT YET DIRECT FREEDOM
THE same is true to a certain extent Of the
tire naton-black and white. youth and adult
! We. Ike the negroes have emancipation from
! certain calling shaCkles Of the past. Like them,
we have not yet learned how to direct
freedom with tho greatest wisdom and best
suits This condition is reflected among the chill
dren. The spirit Of time and country has
, freed them from the Subsection authority In
! q
7 pean regime. But their freedom has not been
wisely directed. Not reaction, but direction, IS
/ Professor Dcwev's theme was The Individual
/ Factor in Moral development" Followed 10 Their
logical conclusion. his ideas would form the basis
and deep as the os,ln training children Tor intel
/ hgent and consc antious citizenship in great
republic in contrast 70 all the narrow, seGtariah
religious bigotry. Professor DeWeys idea is to
I make q or who think. who can
, control his own conduct, because he knows what
does not think he says; will accept his opinions
/ THE greatest slavery is not Of the body, but Of
The mind he said The slave must take e, 0rf fecI
Plate SO years ago defined saTery as u {hS o eF
own. An individual 10 be really free must do his
/ own thinking Those who do not think simply
born, or pick them UP by chance contact. The
individual who Is known TO act IRON Nm al' tIs ba
yiStions Is admitted to be ag ;s ou i him no
MORAL INDIVIDUALITY.
rs there suCh q tDing as moral NloiNluuH4llSF
Yes character IS an individual possession. No
] one can take IL away give II 10 you. Likewise
. Il is a personal acquisition. No patent method
has been found to veneer 4 from the outside
or even TO plaster IL up from the inside II Is an
individual acquisition and an individual possession.
II Is the individual factor IN life. To strengthen
this Individual factor is to produce stronger men
To put it in a nutshell Professor Dewey would
develop this Individual factor IN tho school child,
than Seeking to develop correctness. This limo
cent looking premise you'd Involve Grange N
this change would DO TO substitute positive Tor
The whole aim Of our schoolworls at present.
Sad be- % tho to s BE 10 u 6Fsh S for exampe
! the sentences Of the little children In tho lower
i-i,'o- ,it5oDt an error me object Is not 10
| evoke thought and 20 teach how 20 express that
develop power-but to avoid mistakes -.
The schools l sTe Bsrm9 sss with tho sOr' that
You Will see this even in schools which alert
a eiew to the cdrrect answer in the manner and
PeTt OF 5he = not Id a9y eE h me subject
but 70 get "a steer as TO the way 20 avoid making
pendent On their teachers: and child rained to DO
dependent cannot grow into strong sef-FeIiant
adult
DEVELOPMENT OF POWER
I'VE can have two aims in our educational sys-
! t-ra-frst 20 turn out a product as near absolute
/ correctness as possible or mako the de-
/ velopment OF power end and aim
For this development OF power Professor Dewey
would not curtan the freedom Of young America.
You cannot give a child Of four the same free
dom as one Of ten" said he. sixteen cannot he
given the freedom as thirty-two. But there IS
no child young that It cannot be gTanted a Ger Ger
tain amount u freedom Of choice. Then Iet MN
take the consequence Of that choice Let MIN learn
How did the young child learn ANYTHING before
| he entered SCHOOL, Simply by following MS own
instincts and impulses and seeing what happened.
| he asCertained the qualities OF matter, Anu re
child has managed TO acquire n good deal OF knowl-
! edge I'm that way. He has learned. for instance,
! that Il hurts 10 touch hot things The wise mother
does that the child is kept away from
I he does carry his experiments lar enough
seriously TO injure himself She does not keep MIN
| from walking because he may fall and hurt him
self; but she that the cellar door Is not Ieit
/ open for him 20 foil downstairs before re Is ola
I enough TO know better. She leaves MIN iTee Out
/ directs his freedom. -,
stand very large amount OF frse e,; ~ mere
/ TO do parents who endured hardshps in their
youth They ere determines t tnat ad inv vijI
/ sequence OF the latter's actions
GIVE HIM CHOICE.
"suppose a child chooses 70 make a box In
school Let him make it. Let him have freedom
- choice But II he Is tired Of II in five minutes
/ and wants to sew or cook or draw. insist that he
/ finish the box 1t is his own choice: No one
/ obliged him to start It. Having had freedom OF
/ possible If it difficult and he cannot hnlsn
II let him find II out He c T remember "iie''
There il general regret on the part OF parents
that child will not learn H., Og Sao we're rYeTent
eornehow He is perfectly right II i ny.
( This IS his experience. Inc o'i'er vas S0-47'-'
'ss'Tben a child can reason from cause 70 effect
ba bas acquired the power 70 think ana 10 COHtLuI
! bfs o1,o actions because he can reason out the
effects OF them The typical quality OF me StTI
| The power TO think and he will have seI-coAtroI