Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1919 — JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE CLOSED FRIDAY. [ARTICLE]

JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE CLOSED FRIDAY.

The Jasper county teachers’ inati--tutr- closed ~ttr most successful" "ses*sio.n Friday afternoon. The interest upon the part of the teachers of the county and upon the part of the residents of Rensselaer was held throughout the week. The instructors were inspiring and the teachers whole-heartedly , desire .their return for next year’s institute. The teachers are now leaving to open school next Monday morning all over the county. Rev. .C. W. Postill held the devotional exercises. He read two passages from the Bible, one showing the need of an education, the education. He would rather show hands calloused with service than lip# calloused in telling how good he was on the judgment day. Superintendent C. Ross Dean, of Rensselaer, talked briefly upon the organization of the .junior high school. The purpose of the junior high school is to 'bridge the gap in courses of study 'betweeiTSHe grades and the high school, to eliminate waste of time, and to give the pupils the influence of more than one teacher a yeaT. These merits outweigh its demerits. The qualifications for teachers in—junior ihigir schools are the satne as qualifications for teachers in senior high schools. The—course of study is much .the—same as -it 4wui—beer -lathe sevens and eights in the past, but an introduction to high school subjects and methods is made, thus the big gap physically between the ninth and tenth grades is more easily taker care of. Mr. Elson talked on the League of Nations in the morning. The entire trend of civilization has been toward federation. The history of dvilization shows first the. primitive man, then a federation into tribes, then clans, then nations. All of these for the purpose of eliminating war among themselves. The proposition now before us is: Shall nations federate to eliminate war? If we do not accept the league of nations we must admit that the idea is too advanced for our present

state of civilization and state of development. In all stages of development there have been individuals who have reverted to the primitive man. These are called criminals and government as organized society takes care of these and punishes them. Nations, as well as individuals, may revert, but we •have no law or organization whereby we may punish them. We are all sinners at heart, hut not criminals. Nations have no law above them. Turkey’B massacreing of the Armenians, the seizure and division of Poland, and other atrocities were •not illegal because there was* no law for these nations to 'break. It is true they broke humanity’s law, but there is no law to which the nations are amendable. The league of nations is to make nations safe from criminal nations, to protect the rights of the weak Rations. It does not mean that all nations are to he under one government, but to 'be federated. Unless we accept

this proposition it means larger armaments, not through jealousy, but through self-protection, which means another war. Our nation promised that this would end all wars when it passed the conscription act and other acts. Shall our nation act in bad faith to the mothers of America? If this war does not bring a federation of nations, what will? The next thing is national and world suicide. On the whole the war has been in accordance with usages of the past. Can We thake war illegal? That is what the league of nations is to do. Science is in- its infancy in inventing methods and means of destruction. Witness the Lewis gas. Ten aeroplanes can carry enough of it to kill every living creature in Manhattan, Berlin or Paris. Such things cannot be kept secret. Imagine all nations in the using of such a gas. Suicide is the inevitable result. Washington and Jefferson had reasons for their doctrine of neutrality that does not exist now. We have stood aside too long already and the world has suffered as a result. Neutrality, as interpreted by the league opponents, is against our highest ideals. Are we big enough to take hold of this propositioh? Are we our brother’s keeper? Faults were found in our constitution when it was drawn up and presented to the people. It almost met defeat, but who would be willing to do away with our present constitution of the United States? Congress is merely barking like petty

dogs about the affair. Fatihs may be found, and faults will always be found no matter how—often the document will be drawn up. It may be amended. Is the United States far enough advanced to do what it is called upon to do? In his afternoon talk, Dr. Elson delivered a heart-to-heart, confidential talk to tiie teachers. A teacher must be a jack of all trades and master of one. The teacher should know a little of many, many tilings, but a great deal about one thing or two. An education* is a thing for a lifetime. Hie teacher must be open-minded. The first part of an education is the best and the most important. Self-culture is always possible and especially is it true with teachers. Study always. An education should enable one to make his living, to give him knowledge and give him entertainment (how to spend his leisure hours) and should enlarge judgment, life and one's view -of things. A person had rather be underpaid than overpaid. There is greater satisfaction. 1 Some things cannot be paid foe. There are two* kinds of education: mental and ethical, baaed upon the feeling of reverence for an Almighty Power above ns. “Interpretation of Poetry" conati-

tuted Mr. Evans’ morning address, and “The Philosophy of Browning” mer he stated some principles that one must observe in the interpretatio nos literature. Macaulay said that when you read Milton" all the burial places give up their dead. There must be an aggressive attack when we attempt to interpret. There must be silent and thoughtful brooding. A line of literature means human associations. Literature gets a stranglehold upon life; it gets down into the depths of things; it is associated with human beings. It is the thrill of the heart and the assent of the head. These last two will tell you when you have caught literature. Men cannot write until they have lived, suffered, traveled and loved much. Classicism isstrees on reason; romanticism is stress on emotion or imagination and realism is stress upon fact. Idealism is a moth after a star. He touched upon some of the great masterpieces. Poe was a soul psychologist. His philosophy of composition was mourning and never ending remembrance and remorse, hence “The Raven.” “The Lady of Shalott,” by Tennyson, is a ballad. It is intensely romantic—a study in a personality. There are certain people so ethereal that they cannot stand contact with the world. Such was the Lady of Shalott. “Michael,” by Wordsworth, who chose to idealize the common man but lacked the diction to do it, is a study of the grandeur, dignity and simplicity in the peasantry. “Romeo and Juliet,” by Shakespeare, is one of the world’s greatest love stories. Accident plays a prominent part in the play. It is

a play of glorious and transcendent springtime. “The Ancient Mariner," by Coleridge, is a portrayal ’of the supernatural. It uses the grotesque and the horrible, 'and is a parable of human life. A man is reborn again and again according to psychology. This is the teaching of “The Ancient Mariner.” Browning was a soul doctor, one who sought for motives. He was a rugged, red-iblooded, virile man with a strong hsalihy love. He edncated himself by being exposed to literature, did not have to work for a living, a vivacious and enthusiastic man of the city, a splendid dancer and a wonderful lover. From him none would expect a poet. He was a soul searcher. Browning places the inner soul upon the canvas and thus seems obscure. His unusual tond color makes him hard?- to understand. He was a historian of the human soul, an inovator, the modern or the timely. Browning had nine

major ideas in life. By the operation of elective affinities souls are joined together for all time and eternity. We succeed most when we fail in the sight of the world. God tn and without brings idealism —one of the great tragedies of life is falseness to- ideals—life - evolves through struggle—failure arid limitations goad one up on to the fullest extent, the unconquerable spirit—the uncompromising soul — the intensity of spiritual experiences —we are born and grow in great crises of life—optimism is necessary to turn the world, love is the dynamo of all life, (he '■’knew love from all angles) and lastly, limitations and imperfections in life imply immortality.. Mr. Evans read several of Browning’s poems. Russell Woodburn sang a solo

during the morning session. The Fisher family entertained the institute with three numbers in the afternoon. All the music of the day was thoroughly enjoyed. P. W. A.