The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-01
THE TEACHING OF MANNERS.

On December oath The Tribune had 3
brief editorial commendatory Of tho
introduction into the Los Angeles nor
NAL school of the teaching OF manners
That course is compulsory. Teachers
training there for their work in the
schools are required 90 become con
versant with the points of good man
ners. and to teach manners as a par,
of their school instruction. There Is
no doubt of the Importance OF such in
struction, nor is there any question as
10 the need Of it among the young peo-
pie. As we said, the hoodlumism so
prevalent throughout the country the
disregard by the young of considera.
tlons for the old. the boisterous. rude
acts and speech. all testify loudly as
TO the deterioration Of manners among
the Young people, and that something
sufficiently energetic to restore at
least something Of the old social condi.
tions is necessary there eau be no ques.
tion. We arc glad to sec that the Hon.
William T., White, county attorney Of
l
this matter, ard has written in com
mendation of the position which VIC
assumed We willingly give place to his
letter as follows:
Marysvale Utah, Dec % 1912.
Editor Tribune Permit me TO offer my
| cougra tulatons TO The Tribune for its
| fairness and diSintercStcd efforts TO bot
ter the conditions OF humanity as BELTS
| u great newspaper.
| was particularly pleased with your
editorial of yesterday approving the re-
viNal OF the teaching Of manners in the
public schools, but II appears TO me you
have perhaps covered only part Of wha,
i conceive TO be great problem,
| ! believe it is true that the best and
! most genuine good manners flow sDon-
tancously from the promptIngs Of a good
heart and II the teaching OF manners
| implies the development of good heart
then perhaps your editorial has touched
| the ba sic principle OF the whole problem,
| but all too often the so-caled good man
ners as taught and practiccd Is a mere
superflclal appearance of right with no
solid character or good heartedness be-
| hind it.
The statutes OF Utah require that
| good manners. truthfulness. temperance.
purity patriotism and industry" shall
| be taught in every district school. but
this provision OF law Is very generally
disresarded or at least inadequately car
ricd out
The writer protesting against this neg
icct recently WAS answered by a certain
school teacher that the course OF text
book study did not permit of time in
which to teach morals
II this be true then the text book
course should pe curtailed and if neces-
sary, cut in two, SO as to permit neces-
sary moral instruction.
| We are sometimes informed that the
home and not the school is the proper
place for moral instruction, but when
we remember that many parents have
| not the time and a still larger per cent
| have not the ability or inclination to
| properly teach morals. while the properly
trained school teacher should be an eX-
pert In impartinS such instruction,
| think VIC must conclude that we must
rely upon the schools for The more perfect
work along these lines. Without this
| moral instruction the public schools In
the cases OF many boys and girls are only
developing dangerous power that may
MAIN or DESTROY the hand that nourished
| It, In this day OF innumerable schemes
for social uplift and human betterment,
with endless commissions to probe and
unnumbered laws to hedge the pathway V
OF man, would it not he a good idea
! TO get new move in the public schools
! TO develop character In the boys and
| girls OF tender age instead OF waiting
to reform them by laws. commissions,
| reformatories and prisons, when their
| lives have been marred or ruined be-
cause of lack of proper moral training?
can. do but little 10 aid in this move
ment;; t;o hut ut. want want. The Tribune to sound
/
! boys and girls Of today and this Christ
mas offering for the little ones may not
| have been in vain.
WILLIAM t. WHITE.
We are glad to put ourselves in ac.
cord with Mr. White on this matter,
! II is quite true. as he says, that a
good heart is the foundation of good
conduct and sound morals; nor does il
necessarily or even generally appear
that the teaching of good manners is
a mere veneer On the contrary good
manners tend TO good conduct. and
where a smooth scamp takes advantage
of his good training to impose upon
the community, il still remains the fact
that in the general estimation good
manners are assumed TO have some re-
latlon to good faith and honesty. I'm.
doubtedly these should combine. and
| the idea in teaching good manners is
to cultivate a good heart. SO that its
best expression may result, and to
eradicate by the teaching of good man
ners such bad traits as might otherwise
develop in the character Of "A boy or a
! girl,
The subject is one of importance, and
we are glad to see that interest is be-
ing taken in il, The teaching OF man
ners in some cases might almost be
taken TO be Of more Importance than
anv other instruction in the school, so
bad is the conduct of selfish young
toughs at times
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