Excerpt from The Yale Review, Vol. 5: A Quarterly Journal for the Scientific Discussion of Economic, Political and Social Questions; May, 1896, to February, 1897

The general principles Of government or Of law seem far more fit for school teaching than do those Of political econ omy. They do not look quite 80 simple at first sight, because they are less purely deductive; but, perhaps for that very reason, the learner is less liable to be misled by them. Not only the description Of governmental machinery, but the agen cies which form public Opinion and give effect to it can be made the subject Of studies which are at once clear and prae. Tical. A little more knowledge Of the relations between law and public sentiment, and of the mode in which public senti ment acts, would be an invaluable guide to our people in the exercise Of the suffrage, and might protect us against dangers Of over-legislation far more completely than we are likely to be protected by any study Of purely economic principles.

Whether this study Of political science should be taken up by itself or Should be made a goal in the teaching Of history is an open question; but there can be no doubt that to most men this constitutes the most efl'ective use which can be made Of historical knowledge. The attempt to trace history out. From its sources, whether wise or unwise in general, should at any rate not be allowed to interfere with the policy Of fol lowing it out into its practical applications. What is called study Of history from the sources generally means nothing more than giving the student a big book from which to select his facts instead Of a little book from which to commit them to memory. The former is On the whole a more healthful process than the latter; and, therefore, it is to be preferred it we are sure that the student will get hold Of the really impor tant facts. But we must never forget that the really essen tial thing for which we study history rather than literature, is the use which the boy can make Of his facts, rather than the method by which he acquires them.

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