Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-06-08

is the attenuation, pulvcriZatlon and
assimilation of the individual in So
cial body, be 1t theocratic communis-
tic or simply bureaucratic and routi-
nary. Looked at from without, like
system seems the ideal Of simplicity
in education. It's processes, In fact,
are absolutely simplistic, and II a
man were not somebody, If he were
only Il sample of the race, this would
be the perfect education. AS all wild
beasts, all fish and insects of the same
genus and species have the same mark
ings, 80 we should all be identical,
having the same tastes, the same Ian
guage, the same beliefs the same tend
encies But man is not simply
specimen Of the race, and for that rea-
son this sort of education Is far from
being simple In It's results. Men so
vary from one another that number
less methods have to be invented to
suppress, stupefy and eXtinguish In
dividual thought. And one never ar
rives Mt 1t then but in part, Il fact which
IL continually deranging everything.
At each moment, by some assure,
some interior force of initiative Is
making violent way to the light, pro-
ducing explosions uphcayals, all sorts
of grave disorders. And where there
are no outward manifestations the evil
lies dormant; beneath apparent order
are hidden dumb revolt, flaws made by
an abnormal existence, apathy, death.
The system Is evil which produces
such fruit, and, however simple 1t may
appear, IN reality ii brings forth all
possible complications.
The other system Is the extreme OPP
positc, that of bringing up children for
themselves. The roles are reversed; the
parents are there for the child. No
sooner Is he born than he becomes the
center. White headed grandfather and
stalWnrt futhcr bow before these curls.
His lisping is their law sign from
him sulliccs. II lie cries In the night
no fatigue is of account; the whole
household must be reused. The new
conner Is not long In discovering his
omnipotcncc, and before he can walk
he Is drunken with 1t. As he grows
older all this dccpenS and broadens.
Parents, grandparents. servants teach
ers, everybody Is ut his command. He
accepts the homage and even the i'm
notation of his ncEhhor; he treats like
rcbelllous subject amy one who does
not step out of his path. There Is only
himself lie is the unique the perfect,
the infnllblc Too late II Is perceived
that all this has been evolving Il mas
ter, and what master! Forgetful of
sacrifices, without respect, even pity.
He no longer has any regard for those
to whom he owes everything, and he
goes through life without law or check.
This education, too, has its social
counterpart 1t lourishes wherever the
past does not count, where history be
gins with the living. where there Is no
tradition, no discipline, no reverence;
where those who know the least make
the most noise, whore those who stand
for public order are alarmed by every
chance conner whose power lies in his
making Il great cutlery and respecting
nothing II insurcs the reign of transl-
tory passion, the triumph of the infc-
rior will. | compare these two cduca-
tons one the cNultntlon of the enNi-
ronmcnt. the other the tyranny of the
new and | find them equally baneful
But the most disastrous of all Is the
combination Of the two. which pro
duccs human beings half nutomatons,
half desp0tS, forever vacillating be-
tween the spirit of II sheep and the
spirit Of revolt or domination,
Children should be educated neither
for themselves nor for their parents
for mnn is no more designed to be n
parsonage than specimen. They
should be educated for life The aim
of their education Is to aid them to be
come active members of humanity,
brotherly forces. free servants of the
clvil organization 10 follow II method
OF education inspired by any other
principle Is to Complcate life, deform
| II. SOW the seeds of all disorders.
When we would sum up in phrase
the destiny of the child the word "fu-
| ture" springs to our lips. The child IL
the future This word says all--the
sufferings of the past, the stress Of to
day, hope But when the education of
the child begins he is incapable of es-
! timatng the reach of this word for
he Is held by Impressions of the pres
ent. Who, then, shall give him the
/ first enlightenment and put him In the
way he should go? The parents, the
teachers, And with very little retlec-
ton they perceive that their work does
not interest simply themselves and the
child but that they represent and ad-
minister impcrsonul powers and inter.
csts The child should continually APP
pear to them as future citizen. With
this ruling idea they will take thought
for two things that complement each
other for the initial and personal
force which is terminating in the child
and for the social destination OF this
force. At no moment Of their direction
over him can they forget that this lit
tie being contidcd to their care must
become himself and n brother. These