Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-02-11
LARGE CROWDS At
CLOSING SESSION
Of FARM INSTITUTE:
get AWAY" PROGRAM BRINGS
OUT BIG ATTENDANCE-GATH-
ERlNGS DECLARED GREATEST
SUCCESS IN HISTORY OF OR.
GANlzATION.

/ The 1922 La Sale County Farmers
/ Institute which closed last night after
threeday session, viii 80 on record
/ in the organizations history as being
one Of the most ii not the most sue
cesstuI meetings OF the kind ever held
/ in the history of the county
! At the opening Of last nights meet
ing which was largely attended, the
organization treasurer, J. j. Hornung
made his report showing the financial
condition of the meeting
/ lie stated that a year ago the or.
gauization had a total Of $437.45 in
the treasury. That the expenses OF
! the 1921 institute were SIPS which
left u balance of S9ll on hand lie
state that the organization received
SIS from The state and $500 from the
county treasury toward this years
program. making a total OF $3Si11 in
the treasury at the present time. The
bills for this years meeting We're not
all in as yet he stated.
County Superintendent Of Schools,
W. Il. Foster then explained to the
audience that the amount Of money
in the treasury would pay all the ex-
Eeuses Of this years meeting He as
head of the program committee eN.
planned that those in charge of the
institute had cut all corners in the
overhead expenses Of the big meeting.
but had arranged things so that the
standard Of the institute was not
lowered in any way. He stated that
there would be no collection taken
this year TO help defray the expenses.
but that the farmers would he given
an opportunity next year when grain
was selling higher to contribute to-
ward the 1928 institute,
Dr.. Theodore Soares.
The address of the evening was de
liyered by pr Theodore c. Soares of
the University Of Chicago, one of The
most brilliant speakers and noted /
educators in the United States today. .
He spote on Education for Demo
cracy" making one Of the finest adj
dresses along educational lines which ,
has been heard in Ottawa for years
His theory for the education for
children would entirely revolutionize .
the present day school system, but ap- .
pealed to the hearers as being one of .
the finest plans for guiding the kid
dies to road which they should .
travel, ever advanced from an Ottawa .
platform.
DR. Soares branded the present day
school system as the most autocratic
institution in the world. He ilustrat-
ed how children We're taken into a
school and compelled to learn things
against their knowledge that they
neither understood or believed in
The schools he stated were in charge
Of charming teacher who knew
and lot Of boys and girls
who knew nothing. The teacher, who
was symboli2ed with book and stick
the children to either ac-
Cept the book or the stick which was
worse.
He advanced the theory of getting
the childrcn's cooperation and in
terest until the boys would not drag
along unwillngly to their classes.
he stated, should be taught I
to spell the words they needed at
their age in life, and not what a lot
of grownups thought they would need
later. They should learn their mathe
matical problems by digging out and i
working out the mathematical things
involving their interests, should learn
history of their own vicinities and be
guided in an entirely democratic
spirit.
Unassimilated knowledge, he claimed
was no better for the system than un-
lssimlated food, and child's mind
should not be GRAINED with facts they
were unable to assimilate at the age
they learned it, anymore than their
bodies should be crammed with food
they did not need aud could not as
simiate until some future date.
He made a plea for more democra-
lie homes, democratic schools and
democratic churches explaining that
he important things of life were to
know how to live together and how
to recognize experts.
He predicted that in the future the
people of the United States would send
men to Washington and Springfield
because they knew something and not
Just how to get votes
The world he stated should he
aught, not obedience, but democracy.
The Importance Of childhood was Just
rs great as young manhood, middle
lge and old age THAT children should