Page:The "Trial" of Ferrer - A Clerical Judicial Murder (IA 2916970.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/15

 carrying out his ideal on education, in spite of all ob- stacles. It was at this time that his friends co-operated in founding the "Internalional Leaguc" for the rational cducation of children, of which Ferrer was elected president. Its object was, according to the by-laws: "to help the ideas of science, liberty and solidarity effectively to penetrate education in all countries," and besides, "to search for and develop the methods most appropriate to the psychology of the child and which make it possible to obtain the best results with the least effort."I8 In the spring of 1909, at the time just previous to the events in Barcelona, Ferrer went to England to rest, to see some of his friends, and to study the results obtained by the "League of Moral Education," which had becn re- cently founded in that country. His intention was to re- main some time in England and study a serics of English works on education which had been recommended to him by supposed to be preparing the revolution in Barcelona.) However, he received alarming news of the health of his sister-in-law and his nicce, sick with typhoid fever near Barcelona, and he had to hurry back to Spain. He arrived at Bareelona on the 16th of June, and until the middle of July, when he had the sorrow of losing his niece, he spent his time between nursing his patients and working for his publishing concern. During all that time he remained in correspondence with some of his friends abroad, who were intercsted or took active part in his educational work. Those letters which have been published show conclusively that during that a friend. (This was the time when he was 28 It is Interesting to see who were some of the most prominent membere of the "League," and who were called "Anarchists" and "Intellectual scoundrely," by the enemles of France, Willlam Heaford, Ernst Haeckel, Joseph Descaves. Eugene Fourniere, Se- bastien Faure, Mr. and Mra. Mae- terlinck, etc., etc., all of them nuthors or scientists of interna- tional fame. Sergi, Luzlen Ferrer : Anatole