Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-03-30
HONESTY.

| honesty IN Its several phases was dis
cussed Sunday evening in the Baptist
church before the Mems club. Messrs.
o. E. Wells. c. B. Bird and S. B. Tobey
were the speakers.
Mr.. Wells theme was "The Develop
ment of Honesty in Childhood He
said that there were two institutions
that had to do with the development of
character of the child-the family and
the school. He said that every normal
child is born with a disposition to tell
what is true and believe what is told
him, and went on to tell the reasons
why children lie, being taught at home
by the thoughtlessness of parents in
| what is told them; IL = are taught to do
so sometimes as M ms of self-protec-
ton in order to escape punishment,
parents fail to trust their children fully.
In reference to the influence of the
school in cultiyating honesty and devel-
oping character, Mr.. Wells spoke as
follows
'The other secular institution which
has to do with the cultivation of honesty
is the school. A whole brood of virtues
comes within the province of the school
and in well regulated school are more
effectually inculcated than by any other
agency. Some of these virtues are
cleanliness and neatness, self-culture.
Industry, punctuality, regularity, cour-
tesy, respect for law and rightly consti-
tuted authority.
Honesty or 'truth-telling receives the
full emphasis of all the power OF school
discipline. Every lesson is an exercise
IL digging out and closely defining the
truth, lin extending the realm of clear
ness and certainty further, and in
limiting the region of ignorance and
guess work. How careful the pupil is
compelled to be with his statements in
the recitation and with his previous
Honesty may be impaired also in
examination, in athletics and in general
department. On the playground may
be displayed many of the virtues and
the faults of the great world in which
men and women live-courtesy, self
control, generosity and honesty. The
player or umpire who cheats does for
the playground what the man who
cheats does for society
"On the other hand, in the words of
w. L, Harris, the school when governed
by an arbitrary and tyrannical teacher,
is fearfully demoraliZing influence in
community. The law abiding infiu-
ence is weakened and whole troop of
lesser virtues take their flight and give
admittance to passions and appetites.
II can not better state my view of .he
moral influence of school discipline
than by quoting short extract from
the Wisconsin Journal of Education
which ! wrote q year ago.
Fundamentally, school government
is matter of temperament or DISPOSE
ton. AS rule, school will be what
it is expected to be- II it is trusted
frankly, fully. and always, it will re-
spond to the call and be or become
trustworthy. If it is distrusted, suspi-
ciously watched, guarded and spied up
on, it will become untrustworthy. A
genial and generous, just and firm
manly man will make his pupils honest,
honorable, manly and womanly pupils,
and his assistant teachers will acquire
MS noble characteristics. A system of
espionage, informing, and general dis
trust will prompt the pupils to dissem-
bic, cheat, take advantage, become dis
orderly and at outs with the authorities.
we'll illustrated by the remark of high
school student, | go into the
principals office, | want to fight; when
| go into the superintendent office,
am ashamed of myself. The govern
ment that habitually distrusts the pupils
is absolutely immoral, no matter what
apDerent success it may achieve in
scholastic work or athletics.
81 wish to add that an ounce of judic-
ious confidence is worth ton of
penalty, and school whose supreme
effort is the enforcement of penalty has
wholly missed its aim. A method of
discipline which may be Justly desig
mated Siberia is sadly out of place in
America, especially in its system of
public education. A school dependent
upon the police for the maintenance of
order in its public meetings is either
training race of desperadoes or sadly
bellies or misrepresents its actual con-
dition. In either case such a change
should be made as will exalt the moral
forces and depreciate the physical and
brutal"
Honesty in Professional Life" was
the subject of Mr.. Birds remarks. The
man who is honest, he said, simply be-
cause he finds it holds him up to respect
of his fellowmen,, and because it suits
his present needs, is one who will bear
watching. He will be dishonest when
the opportunity presents itself. Though
accusations to that effect are often
made, he stated that attorneys are no
more dishonest than other men. There
are lawyers and lawyers. Some are
dishonest; others ale men Of honor.
The profession, be thought, is not
conducive to dishonesty, for, he said,
there is no other walk in life where de-
ception is so easily detected as in the
law office
1.-THE Eppioye and Honest Work"
was treated by 5. b. Tobey. The en-
ploye. he said, who neglected his work
when not watched is dishonest. lie is
not only dishonest with his employer,
but with himself-more so to himself.
When an employee is faithful to his en-
ployer he is building character and the
daily losses from the shiftlessness of
employees is so great that it cannot be
estimated in dollars and cents, and the
thefts of the biggest thieves this eoun-
try has produced look small in COM
parison.
Special music was rendered during
the evening by the male quartette.
BOARD MEETING.