Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-08-16
CHARACTER AND ITS BUILDING.
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By Archbishop alennon.


their parents, with anxiety on the part
Of the teachers and with resignation
on the part of the many friends on
the invitation list. 1 say with resigna-
ton, because the audience is preju-
diced, feeling that however honorably
and laudibly the young entertainers
may acqult themselves, there is and
must be lacking initiative, variety or
novelty in their productions.
| Similarly also Is the audience preju-
diced against the Orator" of the day,
because they realize that his speech to
the pupils and the graduates can be
little more than series of platitudes
which appear and have appeared with
persistent regularity every succeeding
year.
have noted specially these later
years the oft-repeated reference to
what the speaker calls character" and
character building" as result of
scholastic training, and while the sub
ject is trite may be permitted to say
few words on it to-day, because Of
your interest In education and educa-
tional results.
! am glad that the public to-day no
/ longer regards education In the mar
row, limited way 1t did some years
ago, when education was looked upon
as something purely mechanical-so
many hours spent in study, SO many
books to read, so many formulas mem,
orized, so many sciences investigated
and as a result the pupil so trained
was looked upon as machine, equip
ped to make money or speeches, or
some other material task.
The breaking down of the machine
80 frequently, and the utter inadequacy
In any instance Of these machine-made
scholars to reach out or to lead on, or
even to hold their own, has driven
people to ask for something more than
a mere scientific training, something
that affects and perfects personality,
and that will set a principle higher
than formula, and a man as more
than his work.
| And this Is what the orators to-day
mean when they speak Of character"
OF course you will agree with me
that character and character building
should be a considerable feature of the
educational world of to-day you also
would agree that the young men and
women leaving our colleges and con-
vents should bring back with them not
alone scientific attainments, but in q
very marked way consistent, noble,
Christian characters. And yet, as there
Is no effect without\a cause, there can
be no result in the order Of character
building unless the principles that make
for 1t lie within the school curriculum,
80 that the orator Of to-day who would
Insist on character and character for
nation should carefully investigate how
and wherein the pupil had an oppor-
tunity Of obtaining it.
If the work Of school Is limited to
a purely senior training; If its curric-
ulum excludes the supernatural II that
which we call religion and allied prob
l
lens are ignored and outlawed; then
, the best the speaker can ask for pupils
!. so trained is that as students of nature
J they should obey natures laws; that
as they observe law In nature, and fate
, to punish it's laws violation; 1t were
: best for them to respect these laws
and obey them; that, In fine, all nat
ural virtues should be theirs, and In
, their character should be found temper
ance, prudence and all the gentleness
of the flowers and the strength of the
oak tree.
Sometimes fond parents fancy, when
they hear these things exploited, and
: gilded over by the genius Of the speak
er, that II their children were only to
attain the heights so luminously de
scribed, so eloquently pictured, nothing
more was left for their devoted ones to
cultivate nor themselves to hope for.
And yet what have these speakers
said to their pupil class that might
, not, with equal propriety, be applied
to the graduate Of the stock farm? Ger
tainly in both cases natures laws
e should be observed, and similarly, too
their violation brings on man and beast
a speedy punishment. Nature Is good
and natural law is quite commendable
yet If we limit education to the nat
ural only, we leave mans truest as
: plrations without Interpretation, and
. his holiest hopes without any meaning
We waste our energy In gliding tombs
and spend our time in scattering flow
ers that wither on the sad procession
that leads to the grave.
Q He only may speak Of better things
l. 10 a graduating class who has as Q