The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-26
RABBI WISE LAUDS DREAMER
 TO TEACHERS
"ldealist'', Says Great Jewish Preacher, is Awake, But Those Who Do Not Dream Are Asleep

Are Asleep
 Charging that education does not 1ortify idealism as much as it should and declaring that the schools of to- day shatter ideals and make cynics out of their students, Rabbi Stephen s. Wise of New York, gave a stirring address to 1000 teachers Or more, who attended the annual convention of the Fairfield County Teachers associa- tion. today. He spoke during the fore noon sess1on in the South Congrega- tfonal church.
 R Rabbi Wise in speaking on, Ideals and !dealists," upheld the dreamer, the visionist, the idealist, as the one living object of present day life He said that 1t was wrong that the name dreamer" should be considered with reproach. ''The dreamer, the idealist am speaking of," he declared, "is awake and those who are not dream CTS are asleep. The idealist sees; those who can't be called idealists, are blind. The dreamer is not satis- fled with things as they are because they are; he is full of noble discon-
 The speaker made the claim that all
 
 fought to a victorious ending for the general good of humanity, such as the cause for abolition for instance, were brought about by the dreamer who saw things as they should be and not as they were. He said that against the visionary is because those who entertain such bitterness do not know the term of ideal. "They regard idealism as an delusion," he said. Some people speak of a persol. as being his or her ideal but often times this ideal turns out to be a mere de- fusion.
 There is nothing falser, morally or spiritually, than the notion that the idealist is not practical man. Bet ter the man with base vision rather than the baseiess man with vision- lessness. The man I fear is the man without vision. It is wrong to say that the dreamer is a man who does not get things done."
 The speaker cited Gen. Samuel c. Armstrong who sat in Linco1n's cab- inet, as a typical dreamer, when he to educate the negro. He told of how Gen. Armstrong was sneered at.
 When you have a man without ideals you have a corruptionist. an immoralist," said MT. Wise. He sar- castically referred to the tendency of OpiLIOu tO upuOlO a Iuau ilk6 Senator Platt of New York. as the practical man and to regard Carl schurz as the man who was not prac- tical. Yet the name of Schurz is one which will always be remembered whereas the name of Platt is now one that people like to forget
 "Education oueht to fortify ideal ism" declared the speaker, "but it doesn't Education does not stimu- late idealism but happily idealism is not dependent upon education. Young men filled with ideals enter our col leges. They leave them as cynics, said that ideals were something which should be regarded with sacred thought because when one parts with his ideals he parts with his life.
 He continued: "A young man recent 1y said to me in New York, T don't believe that there is an honest politi- this to display the young fellows stu pidity; he was merely youth and hadn't learned, but why should he get such an idea It isn't his fault nor yet the fault of the muckraker. It is .he. fault of the muckmaker politi- of his ideals by doing those things which make him view American poli- ticai activities as a cynic views .hem.''
 President William B. Kelsey, super intendent of the stratford schools, forenoon session. He introduced Rabbi Wise after the Norwalk High school orchestra played a 15 minute program. After the address of Rabbi Wise, there were sectional meetings. These began at 11:15 o'cll ok. Prof. Chauncey Brewster Tinker of Yale University and Miss Katherine T. Harty of Danbury, led conferences that were held in the High school building Prof Tinker spoke on "Some Heretica1 Views Respecting English particularly for teachers of the High schools. and Miss Harty spoke with reference to rural school work. demonstrating the Con- necticut method of teaching beginners to read with a class from the Strat> ford schools. After the demonstration the program and consolidation of classes were discussed.
 Supt. John c. Gray of Chicopee. Mass, was a speaker at the meeting for teachers of the lower grades He talked on "Objective Work in Number Teaching" Principal A. B. Morrill, of the New Haven Normal school. spoke on Reading" for teachers of the upper grades. Both of these meet ines were held in the South Congre- gational church.
 The days program extended into the afternoon, opening at 1:45 o'clock, with a general meeting at which the Norwalk High school orchestra play ed and then a business session was held. The annual election of officers was held at this time. Lathrop D. Higgins of Danbury. who served on the executive committee last year, was elected president to succeed Will liam B. Kelsey of Stratfield.
 Miss Bessie B. Howes of Bridgeport, was made vice president and the sec. retary, Miss M. Louise Collins of Stamford. and the treasurer, Schuyler P. williams of Bridgeport, were con: tfnued in office. Tie executive com. mittee consists of Chairman Edwin c. Andrews of Greenwich, George B. Thompson of Norwalk and E. J. Gra- ham of Fairfield.
 Hon. P. P. Claxton, United States of E iucation, gave the address of the afternoon. speaking on. "Some Necessary Qualifications of the