The Washington herald., 1909-11-14

themselves; and his conservatlsms were
always respected because, as in the pro-
motion OF the kindergarten and so much
besides, he had again and again shown
himself the resolute and fertile pioneer,
Above ALL he stood for genuine culture
and thoroughness. for a broadening and
real education for every American child;
and our most pious regard for his mem
DRY will be shown In firm and steady re-
sistance TO the present popular clamor
for stealing time from the scant gram
mar school cultural opportunities, which
arc all that most OF our children get. for
teaching them some practical expert
ness or other whereby they will be able
the easier 20 get fob. az a dollar more
a week, az the age OF fourteen. The prac-
teal training, the trade instruction. By
all means: but let US raise the ago for
compulsory education everywhere 20 six
teen years and learn from sound educa-
tional thinkers ike Or. Harris and from
truly practical educational countries like
Germany that the primary condition OF
successful competition IN every field or
lfe is ignored and violated when techni-
cal work Is superimpOsed upon crude
foundations and an undeveloped intelli-
gence.
Yet II is not as an educator that Dr.
Harris viii. In my Judgment. be longest
remembered and most influential. great
as his work as an educator was, but as
a philosopher. His philosophic life was
his most real life. The story Is told OF
Rubens that when, In the time OF Charles
I, he was ambassador from the Neither
lands 20 England. a fellow-diplomat found
him one day hard at work at his canvas.
"Ah, monsieur the ambassador plays the
painter"
NO" retorted the proud artist the
| painter plays the ambassador"
/ With equal propriety and warrant
might Or. Harris have responded 10 a
/ visitor at MS hotel during some meeting
OF the National Educational Association,
/ finding him absorbed in Aristotle and eX-
/ claiming: 80 the educator INDUCES In
| philosophy no. the philosopher at
tends educational conventions" His phi
| losophy was with him the central and
bottom interest. and from II he made hi'
| excursions into every realm Of practica
activity 10 which duty invited or com
manded him.
His services FOR phllosophic though
and culture in America IN his Hfetimi
were as pre-eminent as his services fOl
/ education and IL so many did not direct
ly feel their influence, that is, only as Few
| feel directly the influence OF quiet bu
profound thinkers like Elisha Mulfor'
| and Alexander Allen. although Indirect,
their teachers, multitudes feel their influ
ence every day. Such men are the teach
ers OF the teachers, and such a teache
in far higher degree than Milford or Al
len was DR.. Harris.
II is not too much 70 say that for IN
Il generation following 1857, when he estab
lished IN st. Louis his Journal OF Specu
lative Philosophy. DR.. Harris did IA
more than any other scholar in Amer
ica 70 promote the study Of the world
best philosophical thought.
Frederick W. Hollis. the secretary OF tn
American delegation at the First Hagu
Conference, used 10 tell OF visit 70 MI
Balfour, at the time prime minister o
b England, in his library. when the tai
turned on DR.. Harris. Turning to shel
beside him. he swept his hand across tn
twenty volumes there of the Journal o
Speculative Philosophy and said: -
have read them all. Their existence !
a tribute 10 America. We could not sus
5 tain such a journal in England Indee
II was but poorly that America sustaine
II; and I suspect that there was never