PUBLISHED MONTHLY at the rate of $1.00 per year. VOLUMES begin with August and February. For rules of publication, see last page of reading matter. Address all communications, whether business or editorial, to

The Inland Publishing Company,
Terre Haute, Ind.

VOL. VII. SEPTEMBER, 1898. No. 2.

ANNOUNCEMENT.

With this issue Mr. Walter W. Storms becomes the responsible editor of THE EDUCATOR. This is a change that is more apparent than real, as Mr. Storms has been closely identified with the interests of this journal for two years, doing, during that time, a large share of the editorial work. No change whatever in the policy or aims of THE EdUCATOR is involved. It will still continue to advocate all that makes for the improvement of the teacher's profession, and it is bound in no way to the views of any school or clique. Its columns are open at all times to earnest discussions of the various questions at issue in the educational world. The new editor will have the hearty cooperation of Professors Stalker and Curry in the way of signed contributions, and the writers whose have become familiar to our readers will continue their work as heretofore. The prospects for continued success and an extended sphere of usefulness on the part of THE EDUCATOR were never brighter than at present, and the publishers take this opportunity of thanking all who have aided either as contributors or as readers in the splendid record of the past. The future will see no backward step. THE PUBLISHERS.

names

For some time THE EDUCATOR has had under consideration the plan of placing the editorial matter on the opening pages, but it has not been possible to carry out this idea until the present issue. It is hoped that this department of the paper will invite respectful

attention. THE EDUCATOR has opinions and will express them fearlessly as occasion arises, although it will in all cases respect the opinions of others and the rights of its readers. It has not, in the past, attempted to dictate, and will not do so in the future. If through misinformation or ignorance of the facts errors should find their way into its columns, letters calling attention to these lapses will be welcome.

The Truancy Law.

The compulsory education law in Indiana, better known as the Truancy law, has had one year's practical illustration in the schools, and the reports indicate that it has been a very general success. The attendance has been largely increased, and much good has been done to that class of children who under ordinary circumstances would not attend school at all. The reports from the various counties have not, as yet, been tabulated, and we understand that the total number of children brought into the schools under the provisions of the law has not yet been compiled. The only objection that has been seriously urged by thinking people to the law and its workings is the fact that it takes the appointment of truant officers away from the local authorities and gives it to a state board. Of this board, the state superintendent of public instruction is necessarily the most prominent person in determining appointments. Candidates from the "outside districts" push their claims for these little positions with all the persistency that a candidate does for a state office. The result is that the state superintendent's position is brought into closer touch with "practical politics." One of the interesting provisions of the law is that under certain conditions parental homes shall be established for incorrigibles and truant children. The report of the truant officer for Marion county, for instance, shows that 645 children did not attend school the requisite two weeks. These parental homes are intended for such a class of eligible school children. We quote the section entire :

"School Commissioners, Trustees, and Boards of Trustees are empowered to maintain either within or without the corporate limits of their corporations a "Parental Home for incorrigible and truant children. Any child not being over twelve years of age, who shall be truant or incor

rigible, may, with the common consent of the School Trustee, or Boards of School Trustees, or Commissioners and parent, guardian, or person having charge of such child, be compelled to attend such "Parental Home" for an indeterminate time. If the parent, guardian, or person having charge of such incorrigible or truant child, shall refuse his consent to the attendance of such incorrigible or truant child at such "Parental Home," the Superintintendent of Schools, or the Principal, Supervisor, or teacher of any school may file complaint in the circuit or superior court of the county, and such .courts shall have the power, upon hearing of the case, to order the compulsory attendance of such incorrigible or truant in such "Parental Home" for an indeterminate time, not longer than 120 days."

The

We have no sympathy whatever with the attacks that are being made upon Presi

Chicago Schools. dent Andrews of Brown University, who now becomes superintendent of the schools of Chicago. President Andrews has a reputation as a thinker and a man of great executive ability. He has at all times proven himself the master in any situation in which he has been placed. Under his direction Brown University has taken on a new lease of life. His students are all enthusiastic in regard to him. People of intelligence, while they may not agree with his views on many questions, at the same time recognize that he is a man who does his own thinking and is entitled to respect. We do not believe, and we do not think that any one really believes, that President Andrews is going into the Chicago schools in order to establish a propaganda in behalf of free silver. One of the leading Chicago papers recently devoted two columns and a half to pointing out the lamentable fact that Superintendent Andrews has in mind the establishment of courses in economics in the city schools in order to educate for more intelligent citizenship. Then, with a logical persistency very surprising, the article goes on to say that President Andrews is all wrong on all the important questions of the day, and that necessarily these wrong ideas will be given to the children of Chicago. Unutterable calamity! About the most ridiculous statement that is made in this connection is a sentence from the Chicago correspondent of a prominent eastern educational paper in which the writer, speaking apparently from great personal knowledge, says:

"President Andrews knows next to nothing about practical education; the only utterance he has made is to suggest giving children hot lunches at the expense of the taxpayers. Not a small number of persons look with distrust, if not alarm, at the placing in power of a man whose claim to prominence has come from his socialistic declarations."

The idea that President Andrews knows nothing

about practical education, and that he has made no utterance on this question except the one mentioned above, does not reflect so much upon President Andrews as it does upon the intelligence of the person writing the sentence. President Andrews has given frequent utterance to some of the most sensible and practical views on education that have been put before the public in recent years. These views are found in numerous articles in the magazines, and in various public addresses and papers. President Andrews does not, however, need any defence; he is abundantly able to take care of himself, as time will show. It would, however, be a wise thing for the educational public not to condemn in advance, and thus in a measure handicap his early efforts.

New Text-Books.

The State Board of Education, sitting as a state board of school book commissioners, recently decided by unanimous vote to advertise for series of copy books, geographies and arithmetics to supply the public schools of the state for a period of five years after the expiration of the present contract. This means that new books in these lines will be used for the school year beginning with the fall of 1899. Considerable interest is already being manifested amongst the various publishing houses, and the board will, no doubt, have a valuable list to select from. Until recently the best books for the common schools have not been competitors for these state contracts, owing to the low prices required. Experience, however, has shown even the publishers that state adoptions at a low price is a very profitable affair. The board did not decide to ask for bids for new readers, but decided to revise the fourth and fifth readers now in use. The first, second and third were revised a few years ago and have since given very fair satisfaction. The revision of the fourth and fifth, if well done, will insure the schools a a very respectable set of readers.

A New Educational Problem.

With the success of the Amercan arms in the struggle with Spain comes a very serious educational problem. It is apparent that to have anything like successful self-government in Cuba the inhabitants of that island must have their average of intelligence raised considerably beyond what it is now. This movement forward must first confine itself mainly to the large proportion of negro population. It should be the aim to give them more skill in the practical lines of industrial work, and it is worthy of note that Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute makes the first suggestion that offers help in hand

ling this knotty problem. We quote from an exchange:

"Booker Washington offers to take young Cuban negroes of both sexes into the Tuskegee Institute and help in their Americanization if sufficient funds are provided. The annual cost for each student, a year's tuition and traveling expenses included, will, he says, not be over $150. The offer is practical and important, but, without regard to the possible benefit to Cubans of the education to be obtained there, the small cost is worth noting because of its contrast to the expenses of students in the ordinary college. This difference is due in part, of course, to the fact that a simplicity of dress and manner of living is possible to Southern negroes that custom has made difficult for the students in other colleges to observe, but is owing chiefly to the fact that it is an industrial school in which the labor of each student produces a financial profit of which he reaps the benefit. The workshops of Tuskegee are on a commercial basis and the products go into the markets in competition with other manufactures. Philanthropic citizens who contemplate the establishment of training and industrial schools for young men and women without regard to their color will do well to take counsel with Professor Washington."

Under The September number of the A New Name. Public-School Journal, edited by Geo. P. Brown, is to appear under a new name-Home and School Education. The reason for the change, as explained in the July issue, is to be found in the purpose of an added department which will deal with the important problems of education in the home. The PublicSchool Journal is one of the most ably edited papers in the country, and it has always seemed to us to have a very suggestive name. While the new title may describe more completely the aims of the journal, it will take some time to get used to it. Home and School Education has our best wishes in its new dress and its new field.

Another Resolution.

At the recent meeting of the teacher's institute in Montgomery county at Crawfordsville, Indiana, a resolution was adopted condemning the attempt to secure license privileges for state institutions, to the detriment of the non-state schools. Our only point in noticing the matter is to correct a misunderstanding which seems to be quite general in the state. We have been told that the resolution at Crawfordsville was passed because the teachers believed that the Geeting bill, so prominently before the last legislature, proposed to give to graduates of Indiana University licenses to teach upon graduation. The bill did not contain any such provision. If there is any reason in the so-called conflict between state and nonstate school interests the contest should proceed upon the basis of established facts. It can do

neither side in the controversy any good to wage warfare by way of misrepresentation. It would be interesting to know who is responsible for the statement that the Geeting bill contains such a provision.

Bismarck.

In the July issue of THE EDUCATOR We quoted the fine estimate of Gladstone which appeared in The Outlook. In a recent number of the same paper appears an equally fine characterization of Bismarck, which we quote on another page. The interest of the American people has been so bound up in the war with Spain that the death of these two giants amongst men has not attracted the attention, and received the same thought, that under other conditions would have been given. They have both been strong motive forces in the history of the world during the past half century. They represent two distinct types of statesmen, and The Outlook's editorial on Bismarck largely takes the form of a contrast of their distinctive characteristics. We commend the two articles mentioned as ideal pieces of characterization.

A Two-Minute Sermon.

When the Good Book speaks of a way so plain that a wayfaring man though a fool need not err therein, and when it refers to certain injunctions so plainly expressed that even they who run may read, it is implied, in our judgment, that if a person deliberately or even thoughtlessly abandons a plain way he does so at his own peril. With due modesty we may assume that the editorial department of our journal is least read of any. Yet, it seems fair to suppose that sooner or later, the suggestions to subscribers printed twelve times a year would catch even the eye of a running reader.

It is true, though, that scarcely a month goes by but from fifty to one hundred requests for changes of address reach us too late to be made until the following month. What do we do about it? Well, we usually manage to have some extra copies on hand, and rather than write letters of explanation in each case we just send these out and say nothing.

The expense, of course, is not great, perhaps not more than fifty dollars a year for this item; and then we get to exercise a little of the Christian grace called patience.

Other friends, or perhaps the same ones, who did not understand about changes, express in the blandest way their surprise that THE EDUCATOR should be continued until it is ordered stopped. Still other good souls move away, leaving us to divine where they have gone. The confidence in