The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-05-19
UP WITH ARITHMETIC AND
DOWN WITH THE GRADES
Synopsis of Speech of T. 0, Morris
Before 0bion County Teachers

Ladies and Gentlemen:-
metic has been graded out of our ed
ucational system in Tennessee. In
this respect we have progressed
backwards" The time was in Ten
nessee when boy or girl remained
in arithmetic as long as they re-
manned in school, but in late years,
evil days have come upon us, and the
boys and girls of the State are graded
out of arithmetic between the ages
of twelve and fourteen. This grad
ing system as now in vogue is a de-
fusion and snare, a fraud and i'm
position upon the children. The re-
suit of it is that the children who
have finished ari hmetic are pitifully
ignorant of the subject and cannot
solve the simple and everyday prob
lens of business life. l wish | could
say this to every parent in Tennessee.
l know this statement will not go I'M
challenged by many of the teach
ing profession, but nevertheless 1
know il is true. You might as well
consider the issue between us as
Joined and pass it up for decision to
the fathers and mothers of the State.
I charge that many children who
have finished absolutely
finished, and will never study it
again-do not know the multiplied
ton table.
l charge that very large number
of them cannot add, subtract, divide
and multiply in mixed fractions.
l charge that great majority of
them cannot solve the test problems
in Rays Mental (second) Arithmetic.
If child enters school at the age
of six and passes one grade a year
for eight years, he will have finished
arithmetic. He is then ready at the
age of fourteen TO enter high school.
Here he is permitted, if he desires,
to continue arithmetic for four
then he must quit it forever
1r quit school. Think of it At the
very age when a child should serious
y begin the study of arithmetic he
s forced to quit.
He lays his arithmetic aside and
axes up Latin. Four years of Latin.
studied Latin for six years, and l /
every minute of time I put
m it as absolutely wasted. / never
lad any use for knowledge of Latin
rom the time l began the study of |
t to the present time, and l never
Expect to have any need for it as
ong as l live.
Latin is dead language, and it is |
thoroughly dead. 1t is argued that !,
he study of Latin trains the mind
o think. / don't believe word of |
t. You had just as we'll say that
rize fighter could prepare for big
site contest by exercising with a
orpse as to claim that the vigorous,
ctive and inquiring mind of a child
ould be trained to think by en-
aging in the study of a dead Ian
uage. There is nothing to think
bout in the study of Latin. 1t is a
God memory exercise and that's all
hat can be said for it. l think it
yould be much better to exercise the
lemory on something worth while,
nd | am quite sure that | could
ave memorized Noah Webster's I'M
bridged dictionary from cover to
over during the time that l wasted
1 the study of Latin.
1t is also argued that Latin en-
bles us to better understand our
wn language, and this is true to
bout the same extent that the study
evolution would enable a man to
ore successfully engage in the mule
lsiness.
There is no demand for Latin in
lie business affairs of the country
nd three college professors can glut
lie market any day in the year. {
If Latin is such a wonderful sub
ct for training the mind we should
rtainly have some evidence of that s
ct close at hand. Can you give me :
e name of man whose knowledge I
Latin has enabled him to advance G
thought, make a discovery or per- 7
ct an invention in the last five c
inbred years that has been of ma
rial benefit to mankind? l will t
re you all of the year 1922 to an
er the question and suggest that b
u avail yourselves of the Congress e
nal Library at Washington before b