The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1907-05-26
Letters to The Editor
should BE One of the Features of the
schools.

schools.
Editor Advertiser:
The subject of manual training seems
to be misunderstood in many quarters
For instance, men upon whom the
spirit of commercialism is strong, selze
the idea with avidity; they conceiVe
that their sons are TO pc tausnt
trade. and will be adding 70 the TAM
ly bank account in a much shorter
time On the other hand, the eHete
gentleman of the old school olscaIu
the innovation without further conslo
Grafton than to say 1t is frlppery. non
silly women. and, in fact, about on
par with. cutting out pictures IRON
"a" The e' fact has not been sufficiently
emphasized that physical education
must follow-"line upon Linen m
finite progression, from the lnvolun
tary aimless grasp Of the ihta IN his is
muscles. several months later when
he .triumphantly finds his way arol1
hand to mouth. From his repeateo
failures to stand alone, up to his glori-
fcation as a favorIte pupil In Prof.
de--s' dancing class.
Nor is 1t observed that every sue
cessful physical effort reacts upon Tue
brain. a stimulus to further ambltlon'
it becomes a guarantee for power, CIV
ing a rational foundation to selt-re-
spect and self-confidence.
The children of the present day
lust as their parents before them
are not disembodied spirits. The ex-
cellent grammar schools OF Montgom
cry would fill every need II tnat WERE
true. Amy church would serve 10 Iay
down excellent moral rules, and the
cultivation of the memory and taste
in our grammar schools would finish
the educational needs OF the huh htta
being. But there is within the cnllo
an element not considered in these TWO
vast and essential departments OF MOD
ern culture. namely. the physical De ?
| ed Inn
1t must respond instantly to the com
mand of the brain. 1t must not nave
| brain storms-1ines down" no mes
sages from central station,-mlsdlrect-
ed messages, tangled wires; and gen
eral chaos. There is delicate sys-
| tenn of nerve tissue conveying inIi-
mite shades of meaning to equally com
| These coordinate systems from de-
/ rigible machine. They. are not pre-
sided over by a special genius. They
are subject to control. the wih Is
preeminently responsible for the ac-
! lions of the body. and the VIII is In
| young people VIGOROUSLY susceptible 10
influence.-alsot TO training. oo.,tzao
| Habit is so, Universally recognized
| that one is almost ashamed to refer 70
| a copy-book motto that warns us OF
| its dangers. The only hope for reLor-
being enforced for considerable
time, will be fixed and. by reflex &C
! ton. grow to be the first impulse with
| the prisoner.
| knew the value of a sound body. The
| Discus Thrower" is not the product
of a civilization that considered ply
| steal culture as "frippery. our le-
gends of Spartan courage are not
! handed down to us by people who
thought chance would turn out men
with fine, strong, elastic, agile BODIES;
Every school of education Is founded
upon the necessity of beginning early
and following with continuous effort
some line of instruction. The Hindoo
| would teach his youth submission to
caste: he begins lessons in docility In
early childhood. The Chinese. accord
ing to Painter) would instil suomis-
| sion to tyranny; he begins by teaching
the child to worship his ancestors and
| to abhor innovation. (The Chinese
| educational system seems not to have
fallen altogether under the exclusion
! act.)
In London in the middle of the past
century, there arose a great enthusiasm
for a certain class of physical train
ing. The prevailing idea was that
rhythmic motion. even with musical ac-
compartment. was necessary train
a class to concerted action. Various
forms of calisthenics became very
popular. Gradually the idea dawned
upon the educator that he should train
the child to do things by having him
to do them. If his hands were to be
used in executing the conceptions OF
| tne DIdlHs the NC
to their service. From the simplest
movements to the most rapid. COM
pick and delicate, the hand must re-
spond to the command of the brain
and learn to relieve the tired brain by
a skill which was almost second in
telligence.
A system of training was evolved
amalgamated from many diverse sys-
TENS, but now understood to represent
the best thought of the world on this
subject 1t ranges from Kindergarten
work, manual training, sloyd work in
dustrial training, to the more eXten'
sive development in college. 1t forms
a regular, consecutive. and well di-
rected system.