Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-04-01
The Capitalization Of Rural and Vii

The Capitalization Of Rural and Vii
lage Schools.
AS new generation grows up with
new ideas it becomes necessary to
change a great many of our 1nstitu-
tons.
AS the world increases in population
and social and Industrial relations be-
come more complicated, 1t again be-
comes necessary to change many of
our institutions that were serviceable
and proper years ago.
A generation or two ago the country
and village schools, while crude and in
many respects deficient, served q use
full purpose to some extent, because at
that stage in the development Of our
people scientific education for all
classes and conditions Of mankind was
not quite as necessary as 1t is today.
So we got along fairly well with the
country schools and made them serve
the purpose just the same as our an
cestors few generations ago got along
fairly well with no common schools at
all for conditions then did not demand
such things as we need today.
We live differently today, hence we
need many different things.
Our grandfathers plowed with a
team Of oxen and cut grain with a
cradle.
The farmer Of today does differently.
Our grandfathers went to the dis
trict school In the winter time and fin
ally learned to read and write and spell
little and figure to very small ex-
tent and these things served the pur-
pose for that was all the conditions of
their age demanded.
Our times demand more. Should we
not do differently?
Since the farmer has thrown away
his walking plows and the merchant his
old way Of transacting business and
the preacher his old time methods Of
conducting religious affairs and the
doctor his old fashioned cures why
would it not be proper to cast aside the
old out Of date system Of country
schools?
The farmer Of the future must farm
only a small portion Of what land the
farmer Of the past had access to, so
the boys Of today in order to overcome
the obstacles that their fathers never
had to meet, must have, not only a
common school education, but some
scientific training as we'll and the COM
mon country school can never meet
these demands. and as the industrial
world changes our economic relations,
we will also be compelled to change
our educational institutions If we wish
to make any progress in the world.
OF course we can drift backward or
even stand still and make no advance
ment but had our remote ancestors
done the same this present generation
would still be living in caves and
trees.
Almost every generation in the his
tory of the world has contributed
something to the advancement Of the
race.
This present generation can give
more towards the advancement OF the
world than any other age in history.
1t Is our duty to contribute some
thing. We should contribute much and
If we do not add more to the sum of
civilization than any Of our predeces-
sors we have not done as well as they,
because, not only rs much, but very
much more will be expected Of us for
In an enlightened age like this we are
placed In such position that we can
do more than any people that have
lived before us.
The age Of despotisms, kingdoms. en-
pires and tyrants in general Is drawing
to a close.
Not far away is the day when most
of the world will be governed by lib
eral republican forms Of government
and to keep these governments we must
educate each rising generation to be
self governing or else we may drift
back into state of barbarism as Eu-
rope has done several times, especially
during the dark ages and again a little
more than a century ago-and again
today
1t has been said that education
should be the main business Of re-
public.
1t should be the main business Of any
people under any form Of government
If they wish to approach to state
where any degree Of liberty Is desired.
1t should be the main business Of a
nation that has achieved some degree
Of liberty if they wish to maintain the
things they have acquired.
If education is the principal thing to
be considered in our country and the
great majority Of our people are to be
educated in the rural and village
schools then it would seem that one
of our greatest problems which we
have tn consider Is the subject Of Inn