empty-handed, as he went out-but the parents of New York. City get a special shot on page 49:

"As for the parents in particular, the fact that they send their children to unsanitary schools-indeed, so unsanitary as to be unfit for the habitation of human beings—is of itself sufficient. to prove that they are in no way concerned with what the schools do with their children. This does not apply alone to the more ignorant classes, some of the most unhealthful schools in the city being attended by children from the best of homes."

"In no way concerned" carries a delicate perfume of inconsistency in his phraseology, when this absolute proof (?) is compared with the language on page 47, where the New York principals are being scored for their ignorance, idleness and general inefficiency. There we read:

"What the average principal does beyond keeping an accurate account of the attendance of pupils and teachers, and listening to complaints from parents and teachers, is also a matter that has. puzzled more than one."

Now the author forgets (?) that parents are concerned else why should they "complain"?- and proves that "they are in no way concerned." What's the matter, Dr.? Do you "see double" at times?

Well, I wish the great, tender-hearted man had seen some of the New York parents whom I know - but it's the old story of the sign board and the travellers. Association makes so much difference with our views of any subject; and heredity and environment give belief- or its opposite- very largely. He may not be entirely to blame for what he does n't know about New York parents; but really, some one ought to introduce the doctor to some of the many thousands of loving, tender, judicious men and women who send their children to the public schools, and who have not found the loathsome dens he has so graphically described. How does it happen that so many of the business men of to-day survived to lives of extended usefulness and honor after graduating from these "unsanitary schools" which he stigmatizes as "unfit for human habitation?" Will the men of New York kindly rise and explain- or apologize for their abundant energy, health, success, mental activity and business

acumen ?

But why enlarge upon this point, and cite more instances of

feeble minded attacks on parents for being the one thing which they surely are not-indifferent to the welfare of their children? Foolishly indulgent in extreme cases, perhaps, until they have become marked among other nations, but indifferent, never!

Young America is not suffering from parental neglect and indifference, is not unhappy, is not in the least automatic; and Young America's parents are worthy all honor for the devotion to their children which they not only feel but show. And although Young America sometimes apparently fails in the oldtime formal courtesy and deference once deemed due to parents, his heart is all right, and the names of "father" and "mother" symbolize some of his tenderest feelings all through his young manhood as well as his riper years; and this could not be if his parents were habitually and "criminally" negligent.

Young America, of both sexes, is progressive, keen and wideawake, in spite of "ignorant" teachers and " teachers and "unconcerned " parents; and it is to be doubted if Young America, as a unit, will ever engross a card of thanks to the educational iconoclast who turns a full stream of sarcasm and caricature on two of the dearest images known to the heart of man or woman,-parent and teacher.

AS TO SUPERINTENDENTS.

A peasant woman had been often and severely beaten by her husband, and was finally asked why she didn't complain of him. "I have," she replied. "In what way?" "Oh, I went to a magistrate and said, 'Sir, I wish't ee'd ask Willum to spread his licks!"

Some one must have suggested the same thing to our author, for after "licking" the fraternity, with all the boards of education, the teachers and parents, he next assaults the superintendents in the following select rhetoric:

[See p. 26.] "The real causes for the existence of the mechanical schools at the present stage of civilization are no other than corruption and selfishness on the part of school officials, and unjustifiable ignorance, as well as criminal negligence, on the part of parents. It is in the cities where schoolboards appoint such superintendents as will make able tools that the science of education does not enter the schools. "In a few instances the antiquated system of education appears to be entirely the result of misdirected and incompetent super

* *

vision. When the superintendents fail to instruct and inspire their teachers, or are unable to recognize the difference between scientific and unscientific instruction, the schools are, as a rule, mechanical in spite of honest government.

[Page 27.] "A feature common to all of the purely mechanical schools is the fact that far too little, if anything, is done by their superintendents to inspire and instruct the teachers."

"Fortunately, the schools of many of our cities are now marching along the line of progress; some of these, however, are moving only with the pace of a snail."

[Page 13.] "Superintendents of small cities not uncommonly go from one locality to another for a consideration of one or two hundred dollars per annum."

[Page 17.] "Supervision is ideal when the superintendent and his assistants are able educators, who devote their time primarily to educating the teachers in their charge, both by pursuing with them, in teachers' meetings, the study of educational methods and principles, and by aiding them in the class-room in the practical application of the theories discussed at the meetings."

[Page 45.] "What he does, beyond meeting the assistant superintendents once a month and the principals three or four times annually, and keeping certain sets of books, is a question that no one as yet appears to have answered.”

"The method of supervision-if, indeed, there be a method-is so unsystematic as apparently to render their (the assistant superintendents) services of least value."

[Page 46.] "Under the circumstances, it were better for all concerned if there were no supervision at all."

[Page 51.] "The city superintendent should take an active part in improving the minds of the teachers. All his time should be devoted to visiting classes and teaching teachers."

[Page 77.] "Buffalo has, for the purpose of supervising and raising the standard of seven hundred teachers, not even one, but only one-third of one, superintendent."

All this and much more can be found in the book under consideration, and an inquiry forces itself upon the attention of the casual reader, as to why the superintendents have allowed such suggestions and statements to go unchallenged-but the reply is not far to seek they are absolutely too busy in conscientiously attending to the work for which they are paid and in which their

interests center (contrary assumptions and presumptions notwithstanding) to be diverted even under such exasperating journalism as the above.

It is unnecessary to review the charges against the superintendents by items, for intelligent people-even the "unjustifiably ignorant" and "criminally negligent" parents mentioned on page 26-know somewhat of the multitudinous duties of a supervisor or superintendent of anything, anywhere, and that in the case of a school superintendent these must be greatly increased; but to one or two points I do wish to direct public attention I. The function of a superintendent is to superintend; it is not to teach teachers, nor even to stop their work and teach or argue with critics, although I will admit that some of them might do this without straining their mental capacity or their educational "fitness"; and when anybody suggests the propriety of metamorphosing the office of superintendent into that of a peripatetic pedagogical university, it betrays a lack of the "purely mechanical grind" which will sometimes develop a keen perception of "fitness" at least.

As for the superintendent of New York (p. 45) or any of our large cities, being overcome with inertia, is scarcely conceivable— even though they may scorn to reply to impertinent questions from outsiders as to the precise number, nature, or manner of performance of their duties. It is possible that some Paul Pry has been snubbed, if no one has yet been found "to answer the question."

That "it were better for all concerned if there were no supervision at all" is too absurd to admit of argument, and reminds me that somewhere in our railroad literature I have read of a distinguished foreigner who intended to visit Niagara. Reading of its immensity, its grandeur, its power and magnificence, he longed intensely to see this great American wonder, to live by it, to study it, to investigate it. At last he was to cross the Continent, and believed that his ardent desire was about to be realized, his darling wish fulfilled, and in order to do the subject complete justice, he took a sleeping car on a through express train, that passes Niagara at midnight. Before retiring he gave the porter a quarter, saying: "Don't forget to call me when we get to the Falls; and hang out a lantern so I can study them thoroughly."

Verbum sap.

GERMAN

METHODS OF

USING THE MOTHER

TONGUE.

DR. RICHARD DAVIES JONES, SWARTHMORE COLLEGE, PA.

One of the striking facts of these closing years of the 19th century is the extraordinary pre-eminence of Germany in the world of learning. In nearly every branch of knowledge the world's acknowledged authority is some German scholar. To a remarkable extent, the reason of which is not difficult to apprehend when one understands the conditions of success in German scholastic life, German scholars write the world's books, - the books which are regarded as authorities throughout the civilized world, or upon which other books are based. Professor Bryce of Oxford has written of Germany as "the central country of Europe; the State which dominates continental politics; the nation which does the largest part of the intellectual work of the world." This is the nation of whose philosophy Gladstone of late said that it "has in recent times largely dominated the thought of the world."

Have German scholars attacked this problem of the proper use and function of the mother tongue, the language and the literature, as an instrument in education? Yes, there has been and there is now great activity along this line of thought. The interest in the subject was heightened by the famous school conference at Berlin in December, 1890, when the Emperor gave expression to the following sentiments: "The foundation of our Gymnasien must be German. It is our duty to educate young men to become young Germans and not young Greeks and Romans. We must relinquish the basis which has been the rule for centuries, the old monastic education of the middle ages. These are no longer our standard; we must make German the basis, and German composition must be made the center around which everything else revolves."

The agencies for carrying on the discussion,(*) with which I

NOTE. For assistance in finding the best literature on the subject I was greatly indebted to Herr Karl Rudert of the Royal Library at Dresden. His friendly assistance and kindly interest was more than the performance of his official duty, it was rather a graceful courtesy to a foreigner.