Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-12-15

form, for the real desires are right,
we are only ignorant OF the conse-
| uuences Of cur acts. Make us unset
fish by making US wise and we will
live in accordance with the laws of
nature for the sake of the greater
good we may do.
The fourth point, the aim OF the
school, should be to teach people to
know something" say many, but to
"ueach people to DO something" say l.
NV definition of an educated man is,
the man who is fitted to render The
greatest possible service TO humanity
and to enjoy the resulting greatest
happiness to himself. If we accept
this definition we must say that our
schools do not produce educated men
In all cases. Where is the fault?
Partially in the misuse or lack Of use
of material already in the school, par
TALLY In the presence of things u
necessary there, and partially In the
lack of what should be there. To
render service to humanity does not
necessarily mean to contribute to its
physical welfare, and the school cur
riculum should not omit anything
that Will add to the culture and re
finement OF the individual, neither
should 1t leave out those things which
would prevent the posseSsor OF cul-
ture from becoming n who thinks
that the material things OF life are to
be left out Of the consideration OF the
refined altogether. There is doubt in
the minds of some OF the real value of
much of u SO called cultural work,
especially below the college-not
enough Of the subject is given to make
its mastery possible so that the stu
dent has really gained nothing so far
as knowledge is concerned and the
mental discipline involved could as
well If not better have been received
In some longer continued line of work
or in some study which takes less
time to complete. The time spent on
little smatterings of this and that,
with which many of us have had to
be content, might have really amount
ed to something if it could have been
devoted to some n line of work
which was vital and interesting. The
field of knowledge is too great to be
entirely covered, and only by working
in some one direction can one hope to
add anything to that already known.
Ones natural mental ~inclinatiOnS
should determine his line of work and
only such studies as will be of assist
ance in this line seem essential. True,
there are certain subjects that are
fundamental in all lines, hence must
be a part of every persons education,
and, too, it is sometimes necessary for
the student to do a little experiment.
ing in several lines to discover what
his %inclinations are, but to insist that
a student continue work that is I'M
essential and d%istaseful is a mistake
in my mind.
REIMBURSEMENT Of the school system,
education Of the masses to the heces-
| sity Of this REIMBURSEMENT, and the
best way of making it are some OF the
problems that will have to be worked
out in this connection. AS a step in
this direction and to arouse the inter
est Of the people in the school and its
problems the Industrial contests, lit
erary society, circular letters, press
articles and township meetings are
means that we a superintendent
may successfully employ If the proper
amount of contagious enthusiasm &C
companies our efforts. Through the
superintendent to teacher, from
teacher to pupil and thence to the
parent, as we'll as directly from each
of these to each, the circuit Of intlu-
ence will pass which is to quicken a
broader view OF education, increase
the demand for better trained teach
ers and establish the school as the
real social center Of every community.