New Ulm review., 1913-01-22

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AZ drove shout .youS lttsls city -
dsy I noaised 8 lsck Ia II. You hays
40 place for your boy % plsy. no
place but ths streets. Yes, you have
parks, but do you know how ] fsel
vhsn | see : nice park with acrss and
aerss OF green grass. and lissls snaky
narrow gravel paths winding 10 and
out and signs keep of the grasp
stuck up I'll over2 Do you know how
I feel and what l do? Why, I just
walk right out on tho grass and kick
my feet 10 IL and just walk oil over It.
That's what do and what any
red. .biooded boy would feel like doing
He has . right to the grass. . right %
play on it. sriRht TO : happy boy
hood. @ n. is..
1.-THE boy has . right % b himself.
He hss : eight 70 grow up into hts own
individuality instead Of being made
like mother or father or uncle or aunt.
Most OF 10, you aud I, sre not our.
selves. We were made to grow up
after tho pattern Of some relative.
Johnny puts on his cap % 60 out and
play. Mother says, Where sre you
going, Johne" When mosher hesrs
Johns plans she says, "Oh, l
wouldn't DO that, son. It's cold
Better stsy in and resd." A little
later when be hes become interested In
his book mother says, Better run
out and play . while, John, and get
some fresh air." And johnny minds.
He's growing up to be ''mother mot
to bs himself. Every one takes .
hand in crushing Johns individuality
with Johnny, Do, and Johnny
Don't" There is nothing else in all
The world 50 sacred ss human in
dsviduslity. A mans opportunity to
determine his own life for himself
comes with early beyhooa and should
be ssfegusrded to the boy. As 1t 10,
he school and the home both conspire
10 take this right from the boy. The
whole system of our schools works TO
urn out one certain brsud of boy.
The grade teacher holds the youngsters
20 the mark because the principal
requires it. The principal wouldn't
De 90 bad but for the superiuteudeut's
orders TO line The pupils up. Tho
might let litsle in.
creep into ths work but
'or she School Board. And who's to
blame for tho narro1ness Of the
School Boards system? You, and
10 one else. You parents, mothers
sud fathers sre tho court Of last
,esort. You determine that your
10Y shall be made to ft . certain |
jhspe and size instead OF being /
Illowsd to grow into his own man.
,ood. II your boy shows dislike
or mental work and % aptitude for
manual pursuits you virtuously Say
'Oh, no, want my boy to be 90
rained that be doesn't have 70 work
- hard ss bis father had to in order
% get q Nving''-snd your son is
orced to study and labor st work he
'etests while the natural liking and
aptitude and enthusiasm for some
,ther kind of work is suppressed and
,oes to waste. I |
'!Our school'system Is like a sausage
machine. All kinds of material fed
nto it but what comes out at the
'ther end is all alike no matter what
t was when it went In. And II any of
he boys you feed into your machine
manage to slip out before being
ground up fine you set your policemen
after them, round them up and cram
hem back into the machine. If they
persist in slipping thru and refuse to
oe ground up your policeman foslly
BRIGGS them to. me at the training
school. You send your boy to school
and expect him to be interested. Gov
:su he be when there are % many
more interesting things out of doors?
And then you stamp him - bad or
Incorrigible when be shows % incli.
nation to escape from the dull round
of the school world TO the big interest. |
ing life out of doors. Your system Of
promotion is . system of forcing and
1t needs replsciug with
Douoething that vii! give the boy 90
to develop - h,s mind 10
BENT what the child can not learn
10 should not be forced TO study. It