The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-01
Children Have the Right to
the Very Best that the
State Has to Offer" Edu-
Gator Announced.
BIBLE COURSE WAS
BROUGHT TO CLOSE
In Final Lecture by DR.. Dent
Atkinson DR.. Vincent
Talks on American Humor-.
ists-Bland's Concert.

DR., Dent Atkinson brought to close
this morning his series of lectures ON
bible study which he has been giving
every morning at half past nine o'clock
this week to interested audiences. DR..
Atkinson's presentation of his subject
being Illuminating, as well as inform
ing. his style concise and sharply de-
fned, giving a certain literary atmos-
phere to a theme purely ethical in
character, and his choice OF diction
being individual and admirable.
DR.. Atkinson is one OF the best
known lecturers before the public not
only on subjects of religious nature
but on those entirely secular Al the
platform manager OF the present Chau-
tauqua DR.. Atkinson has won the ad-
miration and respect of the attenders
of that institution. having put the pro-
CRANE through with diplomatic dis
patch.
Address BY Cotton.
THE Decline in the Enrolment OF
the High School," was the subject OF
Fassett A. Cotton's last lecture before
the Institute and Chautauqua this
morning. this being the most interest
ing of Mr.. Cotton's addresses for tho
week
The children have the right to tho
very best the State has to oAeE" sajd
Mr.. Cotton. And all classes ofssocl J.
ty have the right 10 expeeS 3f1t No.
children shall feceiye thosyery 1eoes( &
state hsB ~ u. = y1nG TIT g.
state mapped ont course of<1Atnlne
What II the reason al Dk th4tm -
not reach the goal?" asked Mr.. Cotton
proceeding to give some Of what he re-
garded as the most vital reasons and
giving some interesting figures With
regard to attendance. there being over
81, 900 children who enter the nrst
grade in this state with but Mttle oy-
er six thousand graduations. there be-
ing q. 900 less in the high school than
in the eighth grade.
Dr. Cotton stated that some OF the
causes of this discrepancy were the Il.
flexibility of the high school course,
on account OF the impossibility to eet
enough money to carry two or three
courses and make them elective: &C
ond on account OF the employn9ont
OF young. inexperienced coll4ge gr4ou.
|ates. without professional training.
and. who carried the col1e9e ensiron-
ment with them to the high school.
making athletics and fraternitie1 1eem
OF more Importance than they should
be to the high school. where thAy do
not especially belong: and also tie ap-
pointment of inexperienced teachers
to first year classes, the nrst year be-
ing the most critical in the history Of
the high school student.
One Other Cause.
As another cause Mr. Cotton stated
that the examination was made Of too
much Importance in this country. pu-
pills working for per cent instead Of
perfection in their class work. Mr..
/ Cotton also stared that examinations
should not be posted. That this was m
educational fault that should be cor
rected. That it gave students an or-
.portunity to cram and to work, %
stated, for percent.
That in substitution for the formal
examination should be series Of brief
resumes of the work, thus giving the
student and the instructor mutual
opportunity to gauge their pro9rsoA
| DR.. Cotton denounced the use Of
sarcasm and irony in the schooiroom
! and the practice of making the stu
dents grade pubic and humiliating
him before his fellows were 1t not Q
high one.
! "A child's grace should be sacred
subject between him and his teacher
stated DR.. Cotton.
| That high schools were not, and
should not be made In their trend. Q
preparation for college work. was en-
phasized by DR.. Cotton, who paid
high tribute 10 the necessity for the
higher institutions OF learning. but sta
ted that the high school was . prepar-
alton for life. not college, ar 4haf
the work should be considered I'm rela-
ton to its life to the community.
Incidentally Dr. Cotton said that
more men should be employed in the
lpublic schools, especially in the criti-
cal seventh and eikh4 grades where
their masculine inf1dence Was needed
Following Mr. cotfon's address. Mr..
Dunn, well known in educational chr
cles, spoke briefly of reading circJo
books.
Address by Vincent.
4 DR.. Vincent continued his addrea9,
begun yesterday on american Hn-
uorists,'s having for his subject Mark
Twain of whom he said.
Twain was unquestiOnably the
greatest Of our American Humorists.s
Continued on ReGs SKI