Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 212, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1919 — TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE NOTES. [ARTICLE]

TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE NOTES.

I The Jasper county teachers’ institute opened Monday morning in the high school of (this city. The corps of instructors consists of H. Elson, professor of history in Thiel college, Warren, Pennsylvania; Edwin B. Evans, professor of English jin Drake college. Des Moines, Iowa; 'and Mrs. Loren B. Sage, of Rensselaer, who kindly consented to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Tindall’s inability to be present for The faculty of the institute promises la very’ interesting session. i Rev. E. W. Strecker, of Trinity IM. E. church, led the institute in 1 devotions by reading from the 12th chapter 'of Romans and with a prayer. Mrs. Sage gave a very short talk on music. . ' Prof. Elson’s lectures during the week will center upon the two great wars—the civil war and the world war, which has closed. His first lecture was an introduction to the week’s work and traced briefly the growth of slavery and the growth of sentiment and action against slavery. Slavery was a benevolent institution when first instituted as a method of saving lives, for captive nations were led into slavery rather than killed, as had been previously the custom. Slavery was the basic cause of the civil war, but the sentiment that led up to the civil war was spread over a great period of time. Lord Mansfield’s decision in the English courts as far back as 1777 was the first step towards the abolition of slavery. The United States was the last civilized nation to throw off slavery because of its form of government?—federal, a recognition of states’ rights. The growth of the Republican party vsas a result of the agitation against slavery and the failure of the Whig party. “ This party wap organized in 1856, and made a huge error in its first choice for a candidate for president, but it proved to be a very fortunate error, for it postponed the inevitable war four years and allowed the north to further prepare itself -and allowed sentiment

to ripen. Mr. Evans gave a rapid fire introductory talk on poetry. Poetry is the balance wheel of civilization and of mental powers. He said that poetry is a red hot idea in a picture dress dancing on a pair of musical feet. All poetry must contain and does contain four elements —an idea, an emotion, an image and rhythm. Whenever man and experience meet and, clasp hands then images result. Imagining is. the projection of personal attributes and parts upon other things; imagining is_ the finding of similarity between things which are wholly unlike. Mr. Evans quoted very freely from many of the great authors and found Shakespeare a fertile field of illustration. , , , Mr. Healiy, of Rensselaer, delivered an address which is reported elsewhere. The piano duet by Miss L. B. Rains and Miss Anna Erwin was thoroughly enjoyed by the institute as was a pianologue—Out to Old Aunt Mary’s—by Miss Helen Erwin. . „ • U Rev. H. Ross Hume, of Springfield, 0., a brother of Mrs. C. Ross Dean, of this city, will address the teachers during the afternoon Wednesday. Rev. Hume was a chaplain in the sth division with the army of occupation in Germany until recently. and it is probable that his talk will be on that phase of his work. The Rev. Hume has accepted a position as an instructor in Monmouth college at Monmouth, 111., and will take up his duties there next week.