The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-08-30
SPECTATOR WRITES
ON DISCIPLINE
Editor OF Chieftain:

A<0AtOA VI Nh+~&Nc-+*
In your issue of last Friday, / at
tempted to show shat the present sys-
tenn of teaching in the public schools
q system which contemplates pouring
the learning into the pupils, and be-
laboring them with club If they fail
to get the proper amount per head, is
entirely wrong, and that by reason of
this method, four-fifths of the money
spent for school purposes was worse
than wasted.
My purpose today is to point out
methods, which in my judgment would
be helpful and would not call for a
brute as teacher with seven-foot
club.
! attempted to show that rules pro-
mulgated by different teachers are not
God-given--that they were not like the
laws of Medes and Persians-un-
changeable; but were in the most in
stances useless rules given by some
petty tyrant. Right here, it might be
proper for me to observe that parents
are largely responsible for this old
idea OF the sacredness of school rules.
| have known parents who were rea-
sonably intelligent on other matters
to stop the school teacher and tell
him: Nov I want you to keep order"
Just as though it made any difference
whether each pupil sat in ope strained
position for two hours at stretch,
never moved his lips while studying,
and walked on his tip toes when he
went to class and demeaned himself
generally like a wooden indian For
tunately the most of this class Of
idiotic parents have left the stage Of
action, and their places have been
taken by more civilized class Of citi-
zens Another crime they were many
OF them guilty in the olden days Of
was this They said to their children.
'If the teacher whips you at school,
you win get another whipping when
you get home.n am glad to testify
that the most of this class of pusilan-
imous tyrants have gone to their re-
ward, and have no.hesitancy in max
ing the statement that, in nay humble
opinion, they have departed for a
warmer climate than this If there is
he'll OF the orthodox type, it certain
ly will be the final resting place for
those who have beaten and bruised
the delicate flesh of little children. II
seems to me that such infinite fiends
would feel out of place in the Celestial
City. In the schools of some Is years
ago, and in some places even in this
county today. very young children are
kept in seat IN one strained position
for two hours at stretch-a position
that no grown man could occupy with
out causing great Inconvenience.
If the school teacher who has youth
full charges under him would spend q
little of his energy--some of the force
not used up In drawing his salary
reading up on the methods pursued by
Froebel who elaborated the doctrines
OF the famous Swiss educator, Pesta-
lozzi, he would achieve greater success
in the handling Of, his pupils and he
would be considered by them more in
the attitude of an elder brother, in.
stead of the position he now occupies
that Of potential enemy, malicious
enemy, and an enemy who is doing a
Sherlock Holmes stunt to find out
some derelection Of duty in order that
he may puaish the delinquent.
Oh! if we could only get away from
the belief that there is something su'
pernatural and God-like in rules, or as
the teachers are pleased to call il
ORDER. What do you suppose would
be the difference in 20 years If a pupil
was to use the word damn in a quar-
ter of mile of the school house? | fee
that Ia certain instances, under great
proyocation he might be allowed te
use even stronger expletiyes
Yet, this would be against the
RULES; and for the sake of order
some condign punishment should be
meted out to the offender.
For the sake of order-order that
we do not recognize now, men and wo
men were one hundred years ago burn
ed at the stake. For the sake of order
they had their eyes put out, For the
sake of order, they had their tongues
torn out with hot pincers. For the
sake of order, they were torn to pieces
on the rack--a double windlass instru
ment of torture For the sake of or
der, they were dipped in boiling oi
and made iHto human torches. 1t is
true that this sort of thing has beer
done away with; but We have d relic
of it in the unjust and infamous meth