Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-11
HUMANE TEACHING
FOR The YOUNG
County officer George Ellna n
Calls Attention to an ILL
nois Law.
PENALTIES ARE PROVIDED
Half Hour of Each School Day Must
Be Devoted to Instructing
Children.

Rock Island. ILL.,, June 11.-Edi-
tor Rock Island Argus: Allow me to
offer to the readers of your paper
my apology for an unintentional Ell
ror l made when l stated that Illi-
nois was not included in the IA
states that have humane education
laws. From the letter here append
ed will be seen that Illinois is in
cluded in the IA states and has the
most modern humane education laws
on it's statute books. l am very
thankful to the Chicago gentleman
for calling my attention to it. l am
glad to know it. What surprises me
now is that it came from a Chicago
man Am l to infer that this fact
remained unknown to the public in
this community. or, if known, that
the law was a dead letter for a
whole school season? 1t would, in
deed. be a pity if the last inference
be the true one Let us hope that
it is not true.
Mindful of the fact that it is an
innovation and it requires some prep
aration on the part of the principal
and teacher to successfully employ
the required half hour in humane
education, l, for this reason, wish
to call the attention of all the prin-
cipals and teachers to the fact that
there is an abundant supply of hui
name literature at the Office of the
Rock Island Humane society, care
fully prepared by competent men
and women, for the purpose of teach
ing to the young, which literature is.
always, at the free disposal of all
who wish to avail themselves of the
society's generosity and especially to
the teachers and principals of our
schools here in Rock Island and Mo-
line.
VIII Visit schools.
I wish to state. furthermore, that
the society allows me, as its officer.
to voluntarily devote one hour each
day of the school year, one-half hour
in the forenoon and one in the after
noon, to visit each school in Rock
Island and Moline, and give the boys
and girls a practical talk and sci
entifc explanation of the principles
involved in humane education.
To gain this much desired end l
am willing to cooperate with the
members of the board of education
in order to carry out the provisions
of the act to its logical meaning.
/ cannot refrain from repeating
what l have so often maintained,
that this humane education, or heart
culture. is as essential to the child,
particularly and society generally, if
not more so, as the other studies
with which we fill its mind in our
schools. OF what avail are all the
teachings to the young mind if the
better feelings of the child arc not
aroused to healthy action but left in
a passive state?
Mathematics, profit and loss study
are. indeed. necessary, tending as
they do to cultivate the young brain,
but would any father or mother be
content with having in their son a
heartless mathematician and nothing
more? Gymnastics are. indeed,
great body exercisers, tending as
they do to develop muscle and limb, !
but will any father or mother wish
their son to be nothing else but
heartless athlete.
Enforce the Law.
We have been wishing, we have
been praying to have a chance to
teach our young a little morals. a
little ethics and a little humanity in |
our schools and now that the law is /
on our side, it seems to me we could |
not afford to allow it to remain on
paper only. Let us all hope that /
with the beginning of the next school /
year we will have humane education /
included in the curriculum and our
little ones will begin to understand |
hat the reason why they are not |
allowed to pull kitty's tail is not so |
much because kitty will scratch, but |