The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-08-30

II mas been recognized by all great
statesmen that education, affecting the
most vita; elements of the body polite,
as 1t does, namely the individual. II.
therefore. one Of the most important
questions Of every age for every rank
and condition of men. Man is an In
tellectual and social being; govern
ment is an intellectual and social re-
straint instituted by the Creator In
the very nature Of things. In order
that the welfare of the many may bel
coalesced, as 1t were. In one grand
whole for the attainment Of the high
est happiness. This being 10. 1t IN a
truism to say that education must be
u harmony with the fundamental
ideas Of true government. must sup
port it and sympathise with 1t, else
the fabric Of any nation however
srandly conceived and uplifted, must
fall to utter ruin.
That most astute of ancient people.
the Greeks, realized in a measure not
exceeded by any modern nation, the
Importance Of education for the COM
plete and symmetrical development Of
the individual as an element Of tho
state In SO far as Greece In COM
pany with other ancient neighbors
subjected the Individual to the state.
~t.- 11,sk tI,0 Co ~ ta0 h0
In her civic and municipal life. she
offered the very best for the intellect
ual uplift of her people. Witness the
Dionysian theater. the Olympiads. at
which a Pindor celebrated in immor-
tai verse the physical exploits Of a
hero. striking instance alone Of how
Greece sought to intellectualize all
that she touched or achieved.
We might pass from Greece to
Rome, where in the days of the En-
pire. even al late as the time Of JUS
; tinian, intellectunlism may be said to
have ruled the finer elements of life
, and thought. Rome, having begun to
fall, under the modern curse of sec
tionalisn and class division, limited
education to the relatively few. Tho
! result thereof is known to the aver
age reader. Disintesration and the
separation Of the best elements Of the
state followed; aliens were assimilated
and were citizens Of the empire In
, name only. and when the northern
horde swept down from the bleak for
ests like q scourge Of the Almighty
for centuries Of crime. Rome. having
no citizenship. fell from her lofty
throne and became a province.
In general. we may note two funda-
mental fallacies in the educational
systems Of ancient peoples generally:
the frst that the Individual is to be
educated and exists for the state; the
second that intellectualism constitutes
the summum bonum OF education and
by logical consequence. therefore. OF
the state. And history is repeating it.
self. Today these two fundamental
! fallacies stare at US on every side in
the attempt to shape the mind and
heart Of our rising generations. Am
! erica, in conjunction with continental
nations, agrees with the people OF
antiquity in the dictum that educa-
i ton is Of paramount importance II
We wish to reach the proper plans Of
J; civic and political efficiency. In q
j. country Of nearly 100 millions today
primary education, though not half 81
widespread a. desirable. 10 yet given
}, to many a. boon which goes with
citizenship. At present great, move.
ment is on foot to establish vocational
or technical training in every walk OF
,