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undergoing sharp and vigorous criticism. It should cheer the heart of every friend of popular education that the controversy as to what knowledge is of most worth, and as to the best methods of instruction, is so sharp. Many of the best minds of the age are at work on the problems of education and good must be the result. It becomes us who are more immediately engaged in the work to keep our minds open to the truth, to "prove all things and hold fast that which is good."

The past decade has been, to a considerable extent, a period of innovation and experiment. Branches have been added to our courses of study, and radical changes have been made in classification and methods of instruction, until the cry goes up from all parts of the land that our pupils are overworked, that we attempt to teach too much and teach nothing thoroughly, and that individuality of character is sacrificed to the demands of an unwieldy and inelastic system. It is not my present purpose to plead guilty to these charges, nor yet to undertake their refutation. All I propose at present is to urge upon the members of this Association the importance of meeting these criticisms, from whatever source they come, in the spirit of candor. We should look them squarely in the face and profit by them. If, after patient and careful experiment and investigation, we become convinced that we have spread too much canvas, let us shorten sail. But let us maintain a calm, abiding faith in persevering effort, in candor, and in human progress. The questions, what is best in education? "what knowledge is of most worth?" what course of training for American youth will most surely beget those qualities necessary to good American citizenship? cannot be fully answered in a day, perhaps not in a century. It need not disturb us that social, political, and ecclesiastical quacks sometimes propose to settle all these questions for us at a stroke; but realizing the magnitude and importance of the work, and relying upon the Divine aid, let us, each in his own sphere, meet the responsibilities and duties of each day with patient spirit and earnest heart.

There are two features of our work to which I wish briefly to call attention.

The first is the industrial or practical element in education. I do not believe with Froude that the ten commandments and a trade are a sufficient outfit for a boy in life; but the conviction is gaining strength in my mind that the instruction in our schools of all grades needs some modification which shall give it a more direct influence on the common needs of every-day life. The vast majority of people must live by the labor of their hands, and it would seem a reasonable demand that our boys and girls, when they leave the schools, "shall carry with them those elements of knowledge, taste, and skill that will prove of the most direct and essential service in the various pursuits in which nearly all of them must engage." It may be worth our while to inquire whether we do not still retain too much of the old scholastic idea of educationwhether we are not spending too much money and effort on that which is calculated to fit men for the learned professions, or for the trade of gentleman, rather than for the practical affairs of life. Mr. Froude's description of the Oxford student has too many parallels in our own

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country. "The young man at Oxford learns the same things which were taught there two centuries ago. His knowledge, such as it is, has fallen out of the market; there is no demand for him; he is not sustained by the respect of the world which finds him ignorant of everything in which it is interested. He is called educated; yet, if circumstances throw him on his own resources, he cannot earn a sixpence for himself. More than one man, who has taken high honors at Oxford, who has learnt faithfully all that she undertakes to teach him, has been seen, in these late years, breaking stones on a road in Australia. That was all which he was found to be fit for when brought in contact with the primary realities of things." Such extreme cases may not be numerous with us; but the want of adaptation, even in our public-school instruction, to the productive industries of life cannot be denied. The HighSchool diploma does not answer the oft-repeated and almost piteous inquiry of its holder, "What can I do for a living?"

Within the last half century, as the result of new discoveries in science, and new inventions in art, human industries have greatly increased in number and changed in character. This is especially true in our own country. The development of the material resources of our vast domain, and the immense variety and extent of our manufacturing interests are making an unprecedented demand for intelligent and skilled labor, to the supply of which our schools must be large contributors, if they would continue to hold their wonted place in public esteem.

I shall not now undertake to determine just what changes are needed to adapt the instruction of our schools to our modern society. To do this will require time, and patient investigation and experiment. But fellow. teachers of Ohio, we must turn our eyes in this direction, if we would not fall behind in the race.

The remaining subject to which I would direct attention is the moral element in popular education. What part can the schools perform in making men and women honest and upright, fearing God supremely and loving their neighbors as themselves, without interfering with the rights of the family, the church, or private conscience? This is an old problem, but it lies before us still unsolved. The greatest hindrance to its proper solution, is sectarianism. If all ecclesiastical combatants would lay down their weapons and unite in an earnest effort to secure for all the youth of our land such training and influences as tend to make them unselfish, just, kind, pure, and truthful, the difficulties which surround this question would speedily vanish. The great body of intelligent people outside of the churches are not at heart opposed to the inculcation in our schools of truth and purity, and reverence for God and regard for the rights of man. It is not so much religion in the schools which they fear, as the irreligion of sectarian conflict. The professed friends of religion have themselves mainly to blame for the difficulties with which this question is beset. Two things in connection with this subject are pretty well settled in my mind.

1. The right moral training of his pupils is the first and highest duty of the teacher. The doctrine that the cultivation of the intelligence is the sole province of the public school is false and pernicious in the

extreme. The acceptance of this doctrine as a fundamental principle would not only prove the destruction of the American school system, but would tear down the whole fabric of American society. As well might we look for a human body well developed and vigorous, while the heart within is palsied, or at best sends out blood loaded with poison, as to expect true character in our pupils, while, in their training, we leave out those qualities which are the very essence of true character. The purelysecular theory of education is a dangerous fallacy. Purely-intellectual culture or simple increase of knowledge will not, and cannot, of itself, produce integrity and uprightness of character. Indeed, there is great danger in increasing the intellectual power of a people, without corresponding moral culture. Some one has aptly illustrated this point: "It did not require heavy flanges on the car-wheels when the rate of speed was only ten miles an hour; but when the trains run forty or sixty miles an hour, then they need every mechanical protection it is possible to give them to prevent their running from the track. If you add vigor and strength to the public life, if you increase the rush of daily events, you must add also a restraining moral power, or you will reap ruin where you looked for beneficent success.'

The moral training of youth which our modern society demands, does not consist in the perfunctory reading of a few verses of Scripture and the saying of a prayer at the opening of each daily session of school. It is astonishing to what an extent people are satisfied with the form instead of the spirit, with the shadow instead of the substance. What satisfaction many good people take in the fact that the Bible is in the schools, who give themselves no concern to know how it is used, whether used at all, and whether their children are there taught to reverence it and conform their lives to its precepts! It may as well be plainly said that the Bible is used to little purpose, even in schools where its use is sanctioned. Who would think of using any text-book of science as the Bible is used in our schools and expect any valuable results? I believe with Josiah Quincy, that "There can be no freedom without morality; there can be no morality without religion; there can be no religion without the Bible." But I am not disposed, as I once was, to contend for the privilege of compelling Jews, infidels, and Christians alike to listen to the desultory reading of the Bible, in order that they may enjoy the privileges of the schools of their own founding. I have no fears but that the Bible will take care of itself. I would leave it, as its author has left it, entirely free. Let it lie upon every teacher's desk as the dictionary lies there, to be freely consulted at any time, but with no attempt to compel any one to read it or hear it read. Time will not permit me to enter upon a discussion of the means and methods of moral training. This branch of the subject demands much consideration, and I respectfully call the attention of our executive committee to it as a subject deserving more attention at our hands than it has hitherto received.

2. The second point well settled in my mind, and, I believe, in the minds of the vast majority of the American people, is that the public schools of this land must be forever free from ecclesiastical control. They were founded by the people in the interest of the whole people, and by

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the people they shall be controlled. It was well said by one, who addressed this body six years ago that "To say that the public money shall be divided and used to educate American citizens into the ecclesiastical bigotry that has drenched Europe in blood, and still makes a republic impossible abroad, is to say that the people shall be taxed for political suicide. Churchmen of high pretensions may contemplate this sale of the people's birthright on philosophical principles; but we tell this party that is bent on crucifying the American Common School and dividing its garments by lot, that in an hour when they know not, the people will be upon them. If they must be taught by the logic - of events, let the avalanche come, and we will give them a decent burial as fast as they are dug out from beneath the falling mountain of a people's wrath."

The American people are very far from being convinced that the moral quality of the instruction and influence of the schools now maintained by the churchmen is better than that of the public schools. On the other hand they are convinced that the church schools tend to promote sectarian strife, and foster a spirit which is subversive of our free institutions. The American free school must ever be the great instrumentality for the formation of American character. And whilst strictly maintaining this principle, let us be untiring in our efforts to enlarge and purify this great fountain of our national life.

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On motion of E. H. Cook, of Columbus, the following persons were appointed a committee of seven to nominate officers for the ensuing year:-E. H. Cook, of Columbus, J. B. Peaslee, of Cincinnati, W. J. White, of Springfield, H. H. Wright, of Defiance, M. S. Campbell, of Portsmouth, Miss M. M. Ebbert, of Tiffin, Miss Lucia Stickney, of Cleveland.

J. F. Lukens gave notice that at the next annual meeting he would offer an amendment to the constitution to abolish the Finance and Auditing committees.

A letter of greeting was then read from President E. E. White, of Purdue University, Ind., on the eve of his departure for Europe.

E. M. Avery, of Cleveland, opened the

DISCUSSION ON THE PRESIDENT'S INAUGURAL.

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Mr. AVERY, of Cleveland: Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen: Skipping the introduction, and promising to forget the peroration, I desire right here, in the beginning of my effort to open the discussion upon the paper to which we have listened with so much interest, to say that I am in full sympathy with the sentiments expressed in that paper. I desire to make this announcement now, as otherwise I should be obliged to make it at the close of my effort, because, if, in what I would like to

say in the course of my remarks, I succeed in saying any more than that, I shall feel that I have cause for self-congratulation.

That our public schools have many serious defects, no one better knows nor will more freely admit than the candid, intelligent teacher, himself. Some of these defects, one at least, I am anxious to hear discussed at some considerable length during the present session of this Association, namely, the overcrowding of our course of study. It seems to me that our course of study is overcrowded. Now that is a notion which, when it first came to me, was repelled, but persistently returned, which was then suspiciously and reproachfully admitted, as a tramp is harbored, and then stayed as a tramp will stay.

This notion-this mental tramp-has now taken possession of the entire tenement, and claims it as his own.

Mr. HANCOCK, of Dayton, raised the question, "Whether we can make a school system very much more practical than ours is at present; whether it is a part of any public-school system to teach the trades." He did not

think it is.

Mr. CURRAN, of Sandusky, agreed with the opinion of Mr. Hancock. He was in favor of the "American Educational System," which educates a boy for manhood, and a girl for womanhood. This he regarded as the most practical education for our children.

Mr. ORMSBY, of Xenia, said in regard to the question raised in the paper, "What knowledge is of the most worth," That that knowledge is of the most worth which is worth most to the country, and will make the best men and women. We should aim at these results in our course of study. A High-School diploma cannot answer the question, "What can I do for a living?" but the pupils can answer that question. The question is, what will develop the best style of manhood?

Mr. HARTSHORN, of Mt. Union College, believed with the paper, that the first thing of importance in education is morality; second, culture and discipline; third, knowledge-useful, practical knowledge.

Mr. PEASLEE, of Cincinnati, congratulated the President on his able address. He regarded it as one of the best papers to which he had ever listened. In regard to the statement that there were too many studies in school, he believed such to be the case in respect to High Schools, but not in the Primary and Grammar grades. He claimed that young pupils could learn a little of a number of things, but not much of any one, and therefore the number of studies found in our lower grades was not more than could be well carried on. In Cincinnati they had found that pupils in the first four years could devote one half of the time to German without any detriment to their other studies. He considered the greatest enemies of our schools those who advocated " 'readin, writin, and spellin," as the only branches which ought to be taught in our public schools. He said there is a higher practical education than merely teaching the ordinary trades of life. Is it not a fact that the educated men-those who have pursued the higher departments of education are all the more practical?

If we confine our education to the simple needs perhaps the mechanic would require only a little arithmetic-be able to add, subtract, multiply,

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