New-York tribune., 1911-12-08

cism and the Mayors criticism are po'n ""'
| TO the same cause. and II one Is not 'is
posed 10 get To the bottom OF the WIZ"
| matter II had better he LET alone. te
functory or apologize criticism only u"es
harm.
Now, every one who does not masqueId'e
as an educator-and many who do-knows
| that the basic trouble with our whole euu
catonal system as regards the founua|'o,,
| thereof lies IN two things--a one-idea pl'
of fare curriculum prepared on inc Ss
sumption that all tastes are alike anu s''
digestions arc alike. As this assumption u
| not founded on facts, at least as viewed py
people who are not posing AS educators u
follows that this alone when put IN lotto
| cannot help but produce what might De
called mental Indigestion mental dyspepsia'
in fact. This alone would preclude the hope
for success Of this bill Of fare (curricuiun'.
But it is aggravated by the allotment OF
a ridculously insufficient time for It's di-
gestion, even where the bill Of fare does nor
find the destined mental stomach antips 70
thetic 10 the verge Of nausea. This ridlcn-
lously insufficient period of time allotted tor
the digestion Of q hill Of fare is bound 70
result as the Mayor has found II to result
in wholesale epidemic of mental dys'
pepsia. politely called superficial education
And with this condition of affairs, seeing
straight and thinking clear become prac-
tical impossibility where the educational
system followed here does not produce this
result It is because of providence or some
outside force
In view Of the fact that our college pro
and IN, tOritN
Of cases the product Of our public schools
am unable 10 see how Dean Balliett ana
that assembiage which depIored the poor
quality Of teaching material sent down Z"
our public schools by our colleges couin
reasonably find fault. II Is. 10 my 'minh'
similar IN parent who scolds chid pe-
cause il evidences traits which are due 70
heredity--to papa himself
Or A. :. Drape~ pointed out several
years ago that our educational system was
based upon a fallacy in fact and that IFS
results were bound to be just what the
Mayor and every one outside Of alleged
educators have found them 70 bs-i. o, the
infection into our electorate and life Of an
annual crops of theorists" Compared with
some Of the illiterate peoples Of Europe, We
may he said 10 shine i'm respect of literacy
But how do We compare in the matter NJ
knowledge Of the things which count in life?
Let the fallacies which prevail in respect TO
the possibility NJ successfully setting Nat
ure's economic laws a defiance, as evidenced
by the sherman silver purchasing act, the
attempts to force competition. the objections
10 regulating big business while permitting
it 10 work in accord with Natures laws,
speak and answer that question.
one and all they are the fruits Of wor-
shipping what one writer in ''The outlook
some years ago called "the legislative lie"
Il. o. the (old) nationalism. which thinks
that you can do anything by law just put
law on the books and tho trick is accom-
plshed. our primary. secondary and col
lege curriculums are, taken in connection
with the time allotted for their absorption
and digestion, simply instances Of our wor-
ship of the legislative lie.' so to speak.
only they are cases Of this sort Of thing at
the very worst place. @, our educational
system. the breath of our life, the founda-
tion of all things. FATHER
New York, Dec. T. 1911.