The sun., 1909-01-24
BOOKS DANGEROUS THINGS
MR. GORST DEFENDS NATURAL
NESS ~ EDUC.4TION.
Well Read Persons Terrible and Infertiie
--Chlldrcn Learn In the Playground,
says an Educator Charles Ram
Kennedy SaIs We're AbsurdIy English.

--Childrcn Learn In the Playground.
says an Educator--t' Charles Ram
Kennedy says We're Absurdiy English.
Ata luncheon which the City Club gave
yesterday Harold f.. Gorst. the English
writer on political affairs, gave some OF
his ideas about tho fundamentals OF edu-
caIion, and his brother-in-la law. Charles
;tann Kennedy. who wrote The Servant
in the House." took up the end Of Mr..
Goipt's speech end mGde q talk about 1t.
MIR. Gorst is in this country for year 10
study our educational systems.
Mr.. Gorsts address was a comforting
defercc Of naturslrcss in education.
Ignorance" said he, lis stimulus 20
thsime gination, while cramming the mind
with theoretical or book know ledge de-
stroys its normal functions Of observation,
reflection and Of giving out in en- original
form a creation Of its own
"Rooks ere therefore dangerous things
unless handled with discrimination. The
aim of the majority of schools and col
egee seems to be to cram the mind with
knowledge beyond its normal capacity
and without paying the least regard to
individual powers Of mental digestion
If we're asked TO advise young people
| would recommend them never TO set
before themselves rs an ideal of culture
the widest possible range of reading.
You cannot expect in a single lifetime to
read one-tenth part of tho books that you
will constantly hear referred TO as in
dispensable TO q cultured mind. And II
you did you would become that terrible
thing well read person. Your mind
would no longer I've yours. II would only
he a pale and cosmopolitan reflection Of
a conglomeration Of standard authors
"Itrequires good deal Of moral courage
inaworld that is apt to measure your mind
by its capacity for storing facts and bor-
rowed reflections to limit your reading
strictly to your powers of mental diges-
tion. But you will have reward in the
knowledge that you are contributing
something If your own, on however
humble plane to truth and progress
Charles c. Birmingham, who was presi- !
cent of the. Board Of Education under |
Mayor Low, took up The cudgels against !
the ignorance that he declared to be !
prevalent amHng the minor educators |
Of this country. and espe cially against tho !
public education boards. Tho mon who |
compose them said he, -are unwilling ,
10 take anything from outsiders. just as
soon as they are elevated to the position
Of membership on the school board they
think that they are the real thing them
selves Then he pleaded with MIR
Gorst to give it 10 them hot and heavy"
Seth Thayer Stewart, District Superin-
iendent Of Public Instruction. said that he
thought that there was more repression
going on in the public schools than there
was education. The child wishes to say
something" observed MIR. Stewart, "and
he lie told to say nothing. Silence Is i'm
posed upon him, and his own ideas are ,
suppressed. We have 1900 teachers at
work suppressing children 'into an atti-
tude Of mind so that they can receive
something"
He went on 10 say that the ChlGrcn
have the opportunity TO express them i,
selves only when they get out ot doors
and then they take i out on the rushcar.
men and the city lamp posts And"
said he, I'VE have 00oO policemen aroInd -,
10 keep the children from expressing Z
themselves as they want to-" He thought O
that the playground was tho solution q
OF the problem and he asked for "a thou h
sand college men and women who realize .
in themselves ideals Of character 20 servo :
as playground companions for the chill q
dren. n :
Frederic r. Coudert had some fun with
theother speakers. lie said hat no knew a
OF a Texas Judge who pracecic1 Mr.. 7
years One day a lawyer saw ~ 10 cont q
piment the Judge upon tho orIdition I
which he displayed in his opinions. cs- q
recially in the elaborateness and com !
pleteness Of his citations !
"You must have u very complete IT, !
nrary, said the lawyer i perceive that
you have mastered IT, t
! ain't got no library replied the
Judge Il reckon as how books jest tend '
10 confuse the mind I
He summed up what he thought to be Is
he present trend Of education in New o
! ork. He said: Fifteen years ago we .
told all the boys that when We put books j.
into their hands we did so in ,he flIl d
conviction that each one Of them was 10 u
hecome President Of the United States. y
Why, even bad boy could grow To bo
President in those days But now we say {
that for each one that will become Presi. !
tent great many million will have TO l.
earn a living by the swed; of their faces
! md that is why the new Stnyvesant
High School is giving instruction -, cry
lay from o in the morning to 10 "a night v
md training boys 10 become mining en-
,ineers or carpenters or blacGsrliths
according TO the ability of each To learn"
Mr.. Kennedy said that creative expres- n
ZION was the great thing TO learn Most ~
writer's are busily engaged in expound- ="
ng the obvious. Take for instance the .'
,lergy. We are all looking to them for l.
'piritual guidance. Wehear dead " orc!s in
ruths. but obvious truths What we il
want is some fame of truth. not common
Aaoes, something that will show the a
ancient prophetic idea in which the great ci
\ ords were pronounced n,
Mr.. Kennedy said that in coming TO ii,
his country TO stay he was just becom-
ng all the more English America"
aid he. lis so absurdly English. You p
ave all the English virtues and vices. =, -
he old British narrownesses and preju- oys
Ices and the same thirst TO get on. That a,
> 1.-THE old Saxon pioneer spirit" ~ -,
George McAneny presided. Some Of ~, y,
he people who were there we're John a'
J. Milburn, Austen q. Fox, Ausley VIII T..
OK Of Buffalo George Haven Putnam, ,
ames Stokes. Alfred Ely. Alfred j. Boul- 20,
on, Ray Stannard Baker and Lawson =,
'urdy. .. %