Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-02
NOTHING TO REGRET.

Reports OF the recent meeting OI LIE
National Educational Association at
Asbury Park, N. j., state that the as
ISOLATION regretted" the revival in
some quarters of the idea that the
common schools are places to teach
nothing but reading, arithmetic, spell
Ing and ciphering. The association
adopted resolution asserting that
= ''the ultimate object of popular educa-
ton is to teach the children how to
live righteously, healthily and happily,
and that to accomplish this object it is
essential that every school irculcate
the love Of truth, justice, purity and
beauty thru the study Of biology, his
tory, ethics, natural history, music,
4 drawing and manual arts
The national association has discov-
cred something new when it unearthed
the alleged revival of the idea that it
regrets. No one else had heard of any
such revival. There has never been a
time in this country when the teach
4 to useful lives has not been part of
the common school curriculum.
The idea has, however, revived in
many quarters that the primary object
i of the common schools is to teach the
common branches of education first.
We have had a period of faddism in
TO 6a ne
necessities. There has been too much
angel food and too little meat and po-
tatoes served up. The revival the ma
tional association regrets is simply a
/ renaissance Of common sense. 1t is the
demand of the common people for the
right of their children to learn the
{ life The demand is that the common
schools shall not be conducted entirely
with the college or university in view,
but also with the carpenters bench,
the anvil, the farm and other common
employments in sight. Whatever the
National Educational Association may
mon schools will welcome the revival
of practical teaching for the pupil
whose time in school is necessarily
short. Biology, music, ETC., are not to
be condemned or neglected but the
multiplication table and the ability to
write and spell ordinary English seems
to have the first call.
KORvAY'S RIGHT TO INDEPENDENCE.
II. R. Braekstad. in the August num-
Der OF the North American Review,
s IN an article that will prove especial
" interesting to Norse-Americans sets
forth the grounds Of Norways right to
independence. The union between Nor
way and Sweden when it was accom-
plished was made upon the express
basis of absolute equality between the
two nations This essential condition
of the union Mr.. Braekstad contends
3 has never been realized so far as Nor.
way is concerned, Sweden having all
ways shown a disposition to assert a
position of primacy for herself This
has been especially noticeable in con-
nection with the administration of for
eign affairs, which have been conduct
ed by Swedish official, responsible to
the Swedish parliament. All efforts
which the Norwegians have made to
right this wrong have been unsuccess-
ful; and when the king declined to
sanction the bill recently passed by the
Norwegian parliament, to provide for
separate Norwegian consuls, and failed
to secure ministry, which would sus-
tain his action, he practically ceased
to be king of Norway, and the declara-
ton Of independence was the logical
consequence. Some of the contrasts
between Sweden and Norway are
pointed out by Mr.. Braekstad
According to the act of union, the
countries were based upon absolute
equality, but-to go back to the year
1S14-that was not the kind of union
which the Swedes wanted. One Of
their leading politicians described it as
"a union to weep over And consider
ing the great difference between the
two countries, their institutions, the
character and aspirations of the two
peoples. it was no doubt unwise for
them to unite under one king who
would have to be more than human to
be able to act as a constitutional SOW
ereign for both countries. Thus the
Swedish constitution is founded upon
the feudal system, while that of Nor
AWAY is based upon the udal principle.
THE Swedish constitution gives the
king an absolute veto, the Norwegian
only a suspensory one. In Sweden the