The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-04
CURSE ON CHILDREN
TRACED TO HOMES
School Superintendent BIames
Parents and Society for the
Helpless and Criminal
Failure TO Exercise Discipline,
lie Says, Puts Stamp of Cain
on Promising Boy


DENVER, July S--Asserting that
American homes and society are re-
sponsib1e for the influences that make
the teachers life burden. and in the
end result in the influences which cor
rupt the morals and pave the way for
a criminal career in children. l. c.
/ Mcneil superintendent of schools OF
Memphis. Tenn. created mild sensa-
ton before the national council of edu-
cation today. The meeting OF the
council is the only gathering prelimi-
nary to the sessions of the National
Educational association. which begins
Monday evening.
I The principal subject before the
council during the day was the care
of delinquents, tactfully referred TO as
/ exceptional children" which was in
troduced by James II Van Sickle. SUI
perintendent of schools of Baltimore.
Nd. He was followed by Mcneil. who,
without hesitation. gave what he be-
lieved to be the incipient cause Of de-
| linquency in children.
FORCING STUDIES CONDEMNED
Mcneil condemned the attempt 10
put high school branches into grammar
grades or intermediate studies into pri-
mary grades, and said:
Society suffers from elements which
are unstable. erratic, shiftless and in
efficient. These elements corrupt
morals, lead 10 irrational modes Of
living and swell the hosts OfNhe help
less and criminal who become the real
burdens of society. Unless delinquent
classes have the benefits of the kind
lof education which is adapted to their
lpeculiar needs, they grow up among
US and recruit the army OF people who
inever ut anywhere They fill the poor
lhouses, the prisons the asylums and the
elums. They produce and reproduce
their kind and bring about a feeling
of social unrest, which is growing in
this complex age.
SOLEMN WORDS FOR PARENTS
a failure on the part of the home
Ito exercise even or forceful discipline
is moral SIN, which has put the curse
OF Cain and the stamp of Satan upon
many promising boy or girl.
When we realize the banefuI work
ing of uneven discipline growing out
of weak willed, inefficient parental
/ government we stand in the presence
I of a great problem How can we i'm
press fathers and mothers and teachers
with the idea that weak and vacillat-
/ ing government of children blasts their
lives and makes them candidates for
| the> ranks of the ignoble?'
CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY URGED
Miss Olive NJ. Jones of New York city
was of the opinion that the care OF
idelinquents was a civic duty rather
than a school problem. F. c. Bruner
of TIE Chicago schools urged physical
training in goodly proportions as an
aid TO mental training for the Eek
lceptional child"
Miss Alma l.. Binzel of the Church
normal school of Provo. Utah. thought
that to begin in the home with the
training OF the chiIo would bring the
best result.
Carroll G. Pearson, superintendent OF
schools of Milwaukee. spoke on manual
training and care of the deaf in the
public schools of the Wisconsin city.
INDIANS PRESENT PLAY
Josephine W Hermans of Kansas
City was one of the principal speakers
on the subject of Culture Element
and Economy of Time in Education
Wales c. Martindale. Detroit. Mich.
William NJ Davidson of Omaha; George
B. Cook of Little Rock. Ark, also were
speakers.
John w. Cook OF De Kalb. H.. read
the report OF the committee on educa-
tional progress.
An unusual feature was provided fol
the visiting teachers tonight "Hia-
watha." dramatized, was produced al
the Denver auditorium, under the aus
pieces of the Haskell Indian school
Every part in the play was enacted BY
full blooded Indians. As in number. The
huge building was filed 10 overlooking
Nearly 10000 teachers. who are IT
lDenver to attend the sessions of tbs
association, win visit the mountains
land usual tourist haunes tomorrow. The
first work of the association will be
taken up Monday evening.