The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-03

| ldltu, WOEhi duu COuEdSc- hS WoibS
his audience that there is about to be
struggle for the very existence of ou
school system, but that whatever nigh
be the immediate result, the cause o
education will come off conqueror her
and everywhere. He complained tha
our schools are not what they shoulC
be. In many Of our county towns ther
are only one room and one teacher. w
need graded schools in all our town
and cities, so that the children Of tn,
poor as well as Of the rich may be in
structed in the higher branches. Yer!
few of our schools continue in session
more than four months in the year. Th'
time ought to be extended. Our teach
ers need improvement. We have some
good ones, many whom that term viii
not describe, and some who ought to bt
paid to keep out of the school-roon
rather than for going into it. We neeC
Normal Schools and County Institutes
in which teachers may be taught how
to teach. We must rise above the preju
dice which objects TO employing teach
ers from other States. Wherever We
find a good teacher We ought to secure
him, and initiate him. 1t makes nc
difference where man is born,
What the late Superintendent meant
by warning his audience that there is
about to be struggle for the very exist
ence Of our school system" has not been
revealed to your correspondent. Ii
seems, however, that he was understood
by some of his hearers to intimate tina,
there was some political hostility to the
system in West Virginia, for Hon. Z. E
White, who followed him in brief and
stirring address labored TO correct aud
counteract that impression. He de-
picted very eloquently the importance
OF the cause and denied that any politi'
cal party in the nation could or would
array itself against system that was
80 strongly entrenched in popular re-
gard. But concerning this and other
slight but significant illusions to politi
cal affairs which were made at various
times during the exercises Of the Asso
citation, | will have occasion to speak
hereafter and elsewhere.
On Wednesday Professor Crago oil
the State Normal School at West Lib,
erty, delivered an address containing
some valuable hints for the School
room," Professor Allen lectured on the
subject OF elementary grammar and
Professor Kidd on elocution. In the
afternoon Professor Williams, of Wheel
ing, read a very interesting paper on
the metric system Of weights and meas.
ures, and the Association was addressed
upon various educational topics by Hon.
E f. White and others.
PROFESSOR KIDD AND ELOCUTIoN.
On Wednesday evening an elocution-
ary entertainment, to which an admls-
sion fee Of fifty cents was charged for
the benefit OF the Association, was
given by Professor Kidd. Those who
have heretofore heard this distinguished
reader can form some idea Of the pleas
ure the audience enjoyed. He was in
good voice, in splendid mental and phys
ical condition, and his hearers were
moved to tears at times and at times TO
uproarous laughter by his skillful reci-
tation of various selections in poetry or
prose. In fact, during the entire session
OF the Association, Professor Kidd
seemed to be prime favorte. He was
called for whenever moment could be
spared from the other exercises Of the
meeting and always responded cheerful
ly and always delighted his hearers. AS
a delineator Of the humorous he has no
superiors in his profession, while in
tragedy and pathos he has few equals.
He lectured eloquently and earnestly
before the Association concerning the
mode OF instructing classes to read and,
al least, succeeded in exciting an unu-
sual degree Of interest in the subject, an
interest that will probably lead to more
thorough and effective work in the pub
lie schools.
PRESIDENT MARTIN ADDRESS.
On Thursday morning, Mr.. Snowden,
of the Wheeling schools, exhibited
some interesting chemical experiments
before the Association aid addresses
upon the mode Of government in schools
were delivered by Professors White and
Allen. In the afternoon, an address
upon Normal school instruction was de-
livered by Professor Gilchrist, Of Fair
mont, brief addresses upon educational
topics were made by various gentlemen
and Mr.. Kidd gave several recitatlons.
In the evening, President Martin de
livered what seemed to me one OF the
best addresses OF the whole series. Ii
was upon the subject OF religion in the
school and was characterized by great
breadth Of thought and felicity OF ex
preston. He referred to those sects
who denounce the public schools as
Goddess because they are not directly
under charge OF the church, and, on
the other hand, those who denounce
parochial schools as narrow and bIgot'
ed. He claimed that purely secular
instruction should be the main object
OF our public schools and that where
this is taught thoroughly and lOvingk
and where religion is exemplified by al!
that is honest and true and pure and
lovely, it as a slander to call the school
anti Christian, even though the child
rem might not be stuffed with contro
verted dsgmas For the catechism and
creed OF the church, for the history and
contents Of the Bible, we have the fam
iIy, the Church and the Sabbath School
and so should render unto Cesar thu
things that are Caesars and unto Coo
the things that are Gods"
His address was listened TO with IN
tense interest by the large audience il
attendance. At its conclusion, ex Gov
| $500 S,oyopeop Iud1e Prnwn AND