The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-06-10
OUT INTO THE WORLD
TWENTY-FIVE GRADUATE FROM THE SAUK
CFNTRE HIGH SCHOOL
EXERCISES ARE ELABORATE
Opera House Crowded With Relatives and Friends
to See Young People Receive Diplomas

arraignment of the public school
system for certain evils that have
crept into it. This criticism was Of
fered for the benefit of the Board of
Education and the public generally
and was evidently well received and
in the same spirit in which it was Of
fered
Mr.. Eddy began by addressing the
class in humorous vein, telling them
that there probably was never time
when they felt the need of advice or
criticism so little as they did on the
evening of their graduation. This
sally was we'll received, and the speak
er then turned his attention to the
audience and the school board, among
whom, he declared, there were some
who knew no more than he did.
Mr.. Eddy referred to the recent
congress of governors called a year
ago at the White House to consider
the conservation of the country's re-
sources. He had little sympathy with
this proposed policy, but believed the
best way to conserve resources was to
use them instead of allowing them to
remain dormant. Long before the
last of the forests disappear, the
speaker thought, some better and
cheaper building material would be
found: before the coal beds and the
oil wells give out, some genius will
discover some better way of lighting
and heating. Mr.. Eddy took a peep
into the future at this point which
opened up delightful vista. Soon
centrated sunshine pellets" was the
way he put it when hazarding a guess
as to what material may be used for
light and heat. He believed that if
the spirit of.the soldier who fell in
the charge at Gettysburg could be re-
incarnated today he would be no more
astonished at the great advance along
material lines, than would one of the
generation could he go to sleep and
wake up quarter of a acentury hence.
The speaker asserted that the great
est natural resource of any nation is
the accomplishing power of its people.
From this premise it was an easy step
TO critique of the present education
al system. This, the speaker en-
phatically asserted, is in an unde-
veloped state. Instructors, he said,
often fail to realize that every human
being has three sides, each of which
should be developed, thus making him
sort of isosceles triangle. These are
the moral, side, which, if developed
alone, makes the individual crank;
the intellectual, which if developed
by itself, produces a weakling: the
physical, which, if developed at the
expense of the other two, makes a
brute. Mr.. Eddy then went at it
hammer and tongs, criticising the ex-
isting regime in no uncertain voice.
He was especially severe on the pro-
cess of "brain cramming" in the pub
lie schools, which developes mental
prodigies while at the same time ruin
ing the nerves and uniting the pupil
for practical life. Sleepless nights,
weary days, and all on account of a
desire to lead the class ina curriculum
which ignores practically everything
but the development of the brain,
thus filling the hospitals and asylums
with wrecks.
He deplored modern methods in
athletics where only such sports as
base ball, basket ball and foot ball are
INDUCED in, and which call only for
the strongest and eliminate the weak
ones who stand in especial need of
physical culture.
Mr.. Eddy also emp hasized the cry
ing need today for moral training.
If the child's neral nature is properly
trained the schools will not turn out
rascals.
After passing these somewhat ca u.s.
tic criticisms, Mr.. Eddy turned to the
bright side and pointed out the gener-
al excellence of the existing educa
tional system. He said the schools
are the greatest developement of the
accomplishing power of the nation in
existence; that education is help
and that ignorance is hindrance in
the practical affairs of life. He then
closed with the fine tribute to the
Sauk >Ceutre schools quoted above.
When Mr.. Eddy had finished he was
most heartily applauded. :.
The full text of the salutatory and
Continued on page 4