144 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



That absurd and detestable "John Bull " pedantry, which has locked 

 up most of our sciences in a rigmarole of Greek and Latin barbarisms, 

 an}'^ to so wide an extent keeps them so locked up, renders it very con- 

 venient, to say the least, if not indispensably necessary, that our profess- 

 ors and book-makers should have some knowledge of those tongues. 

 However much we may regret this, for a whole generation to come, it 

 can not be helped. For these and similar reasons it seems to me that it 

 is not expedient for us, in deference to the old college curriculum, so 

 called, to compel all our boys, who seek any sort of knowledge, to dabble 

 away the entire years of their youth in dead languages, and abstractions 

 still more dead, or to shut down the gates upon those of our youth who 

 may honorably and properly aspire to furnish us, and our institutions, 

 with suitable teachers and text-books for each and all of our great indus- 

 trial arts, and eventually throw their influence and their instruction down 

 over every common school in the land. Still more, on general principles, 

 should any of our sons and daughters from inability for the harder and 

 more manly work of the field, or from inclination or taste, desire to pre- 

 pare themselves for any profession or pursuit, to which such studies are 

 apposite, why should we debar them .'' Is it not better for us to throw, 

 even liberally, from our own class, teachers and leaders into other pro- 

 fessions and pursuits, than to remain forever as a sort of underlings 

 beneath them in our own.'' I have thus intimated what I deem essential 

 to all true American and Christian education as a whole, and to horti- 

 cultural education in particular. 



The needful and appropriate details, and courses of study appropriate 

 to these principles, it is not apposite to dwell upon here. They belong to 

 the school-room, and must, to a large extent, be left to the tastes, means, 

 and peculiar necessities of the pupils themselves. We want no iron 

 beds for any boy or man, not even if it is wreathed in flowers. And 

 beside, as I have already intimated, it will be a whole century yet, and 

 perhaps several of them, before the best thing can be done for the horti- 

 cultural or any other student of industrial science or art. Meantime we 

 must do as we can, even though not as we would. 



Mr. Shepherd spoke at considerable length, giving a review of the 

 efforts that had been made by the friends of industrial education in the 

 State. 



He claimed that the time has arrived when all those who believe in 

 studying ^/lings, as well as words, should act in concert to commence a re- 

 form in our common schools. He had little hope of converting the masses 

 of those who have had their minds steeped in Latin and Gi-eek, until 

 they have become so affected by the process that they can see no other 

 way to become learned, except by following in the same old ruts. 



His hope lies in inspiring the young with ideas of true science. 



We oug-ht to teach them that true education consists not in mere 

 proficiency in the use of words; that true science consists in unlocking 

 the great book of nature; in discovering processes which are transpiring 

 all around them. To do this the more effectually than can be done 



