The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-19
COMMON SENSE AND SCHOOLS.
the Editor of the Dallas Herald.

10 the Editor Of the Dallas Herald.
4 communication signed Parent
appeared in u late number of the HER.
AID, which deserves some comment.
The writer complains thai our schools
are not rs good as Harvard. Have we
anything in the line of churches resi-
dences, manufactures, printing Offices,
farms or stores that will compare fa-
vorably with Massachusetts? Was
New England, two hundred years ago,
much in advance of the Texas of the pre-
sentday in her educational advantages?
On the other hand, suppose Harvard
transplanted to Dallas for the gratiiica-
ton of your ambitious "parents,n who
imagine that their boys can learn moth
ing outside of college, what sort OF
material has Dallas with which to fill
the halls of such an institution? The
professors would find not one young
man prepared to enter the Freshman's
class. And why? Because just such
men as "l'arentn have never
encouraged the building up of home
schools, have ever sneered at and dis
couutenanced all efforts to sustain
them. Men of common sense and eX-
perlcnce in education know very we'll
it is a work of time TO build up eff
cient schools and that they have no
where prospered until the control of
them was beyond the pernicious in
iluence of the parents of refractory
students, of the students themselves
and of every ill-natured or self-conceit-
cd anonymous writer, who is Il better
hand at pulling down than building
up.
Save us from such friends in any en-
terprise. If the Austin college ever
comes here that writer win be one OF
the first to discover its shortcomings,
because ii cannot be equal to HARVARD.
Dallas, however, in the matter of
schools, is like every other town in the
south. There are no tlourishing scaools
anywhere, except certain public schools
and one or two colleges, in which the
salaries of the teachers are beyond the
influence of the patrons of the school.
Two causes combine to neutralize all
efforts to build up large schools or col
leges. First, In public estimation no
SHOOT is worthy of notice unless ii Is u
college, and yet, how can you build up
a college unless you have the material
prepared to enter it? What else is
this but beginning the erection of a
house ut the roof, and leaving the
foundation for the last? No college
can become successful which does not
draw its students from well organized
and conducted schools of lower grade;
but when, as is the case in Texas and
all other southern states, there are no
such schools, except here and there
a few OF a precarious existence, what
sort of heterogeneous elements do you
suppose make up the bulk of the
material that is to give tone and char
acter to your college? Examine the
young men that have left college with
diplomas in their pockets, and you
will be surprised to lind how little is
required to graduate with the first
honors. | do not reflect in the least,
on the management of these col
leges, they are doing all in
their power the parents wish their
sons to have the name of having
gone to college and to get diplomas,
and they get them. The whole is a
farce and can be nothing else. In no
country, where they have efficient
schools, do boys aspire to enter college
till they are well versed in all the eie-
ments of an English, classical and
scientific education, and are able to
study their lessons without the con-
slant assistance and supervision of
teachers. Another great drawback In
he successful management of schools
N the south is the prevalent DISPOSE
ion of young people to grow tired of
everything, after time, and to look
or some change. However eager and
Jealous they may be in their studies at
he outset 1t will not be long before 1t
'equires all the skill and tact of the
most experienced teachers to supply
he requisite stimulus for exertion.