CORRESP ONDENCE. 



265 



force of German socialism as a consequence 

 of the socialism of the state imposed by 

 Herr Bismarck was foreseen and censured 

 by the philosopher. The New Toryism and 

 the Coming Slavery which he foresaw, al- 

 ready exist in Europe. The pernicious con- 

 sequences of protectionism, which have oc- 

 casioned great commercial crises in the old 

 continent, but which the United States have 

 escaped suffering only because the economi- 

 cal errors of the system are in great part 

 balanced by the magnificent political organi- 

 zation they possess and the conditions of the 

 environment and the ethnical relations that 

 help you, were all pointed out in the socio- 

 logical works of the philosopher. What 

 authority can be seriously opposed in this 

 day to the arguments of the socialistic party 

 in its contentions against the present organi- 

 zation of society, except we invoke the so- 

 ciological principles established by Herbert 

 Spencer ? 



It remains, in concluding this letter, to 

 point to a fact which relates particularly to 

 my country, Spain. Before the doctrines of 

 the philosopher had spread among the Span- 

 ish thinkers, radical partisans had no faith 

 except in the processes of the French Revo- 

 lution and in the Declaration of Rights writ- 

 ten in the Constitution, the precepts of which, 

 however, were not complied with in practice. 

 But to-day, the radical Prof. Salmeron, as 

 well as the conservative D. Antonio Canovas 

 del Castillo, invoke only the principles of the 

 laws of evolution. In no other principle has 

 been founded the changed course of conduct 

 pursued by the eminent tribune, Don Emilio 

 Castelar, during the last fifteen years. I re- 

 main your obedient servant, 



Gaston A. Cuadrados, 



Pharmacist-major in the 



Spanish Army in Cuba. 



New Yoke, July, 1S90. 



A DEFENSE OP MECHANICAL TEACHING. 



Editor Popular Science Monthly : 



Dear Sir : In the November Popular 

 Science Monthly I notice a letter from 

 Anna Chapin Ray in which some educational 

 methods, so called, are severely criticised. 

 While I acknowledge a certain justice in the 

 criticism upon the particular points cited, I 

 beg leave to suggest that possibly a closer 

 observation of school work might show rea- 

 sons for the line of action indicated in the 

 different instances. To designate pupils by 

 numbers instead of by their names does 

 seem mechanical, to say the least ; but when 

 we remember that a teacher has perhaps 

 eighty children, with a recitation period of 

 not more than thirty or forty minutes, and 

 when we also remember that it takes less 

 time to count eighty than it does to pro- 

 nounce eighty names, we can hardly wonder 

 that the teacher resorts to that means which 

 will secure her the most time for actual 

 class work. The teacher is not responsible 



for being driven to this. School boards are 

 responsible, and we should understand that 

 it is impossible for any teacher to do natural 

 educational work under such conditions. 



I have not yet considered the subject of 

 writing to the accompaniment of music suf- 

 ficiently to give a decided opinion upon this 

 question, but I think I can see that music 

 may be a means of obtaining certain desira- 

 ble ends in this connection. It may be the 

 means of securing regularity, precision, uni- 

 formity, and rapidity of action, and so may 

 be of value. It does not follow that, if 

 music is used as a means in teaching writ- 

 ing, those pupils who may become account- 

 ants should do their work to the accompani- 

 ment of music. The music is only a means 

 to an end, which in this case is skill in writ- 

 ing. If by means of music this end be at- 

 tained with a less outlay of time and energy 

 than it could otherwise be secured, it seems 

 to me that the teacher shows wisdom in 

 using it. As soon as the end is gained, the 

 means, of course, can and will be dispensed 

 with. Whether the use of music here be 

 judicious or not, I think that no one will 

 question the importance of securing uniform- 

 ity of action upon the part of pupils. In a 

 writing-lesson, as in other lessons, it is well 

 that the pupils all observe a direction at the 

 same time. If every child were allowed the 

 privilege of being a few moments behind 

 every other, your correspondent can see that 

 very little work would really be done. Con- 

 certed action on the part of children is de- 

 sirable ; by means of it the more impetuous 

 pupils of the class are restrained, while slow- 

 er ones are brought forward more rapidly 

 than they otherwise would advance. 



Class interest, and indeed all social inter- 

 est, is based either directly or indirectly upon 

 concerted action. It does not render the 

 pupil less capable of acting alone when oc- 

 casion requires, and it does enable him to 

 adapt his actions to those of another person 

 when such adaptation is necessary, as we 

 find it to be more or less in all the relations 

 of life. 



In regard to the book work, I can also 

 understand that a teacher might very wisely 

 take means to prevent the children from 

 anticipating the work on hand. If original 

 work on the part of the pupil were required, 

 it would be well that he should not make use 

 of the matter contained in his book, as the end 

 in view would certainly thereby be defeated. 



Again, I should like to suggest that the 

 line of action pursued by the different teach- 

 ers in the different instances stated can not 

 possibly be considered as " methods " of in- 

 struction ; they are at best but crude plans 

 employed by the teachers for the purpose of 

 securing certain ends. Method in instruction 

 implies the uniform observation of educa- 

 tional principles ; while those plans men- 

 tioned very often illustrate in the teachers 

 an excess of that individuality which your 

 correspondent claims for the pupils. If the 



