Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-02-07

reer, come out of these colleges full
fedged graduates without any true
knowledge.
..-@A sgirlKill. present herself4 for adj
mission at boarding school, and will
tell the presidentSof tie college that
she has gone through the Arithmetic,
Aigebra, etc. The professorexamines
her and finds that she has not the faint
estconception of elementary principles.
He proposes that she shall enter the
preparatory; to this proposition a
most emphatic and indignant veto is
given BY the indulgent and blinded
papa. He says his daughter is smart.
That she done studied 'rithmetic and
SIGH like, and if the professor don'tput
her in the top studies he will take his
daughter to some other school. The
professor hesitates-refers the matter
to the president-the president knows
that the bread and, butter of his facul-
ty an family depend upon the number
Of children in school-so he takes the
girl and puts her in studies she is lily
prepared to enter. As no pupil can
become interested in matter she can
not comprehend. it follows thatthe girl
is only interested so far as to get her
lessons like any other parrot. Finally
she graduates full parrot. The
boarding school is not responsible for
this deplorable state of affairs. 1t is
the Common, or rather Private schools.
Until children are properly trained in
fundamental principles, SO long will
but few girls and boys be well educated.
The Graded School is the agency
that will supply this deficiency Wher-
ever a pupil comes from Graded
School to higher institution of learn
ing he always takes his place high in
his class.
Private schools are dependent ofien-
times upon the whims and passions of
the patrons. Each parent thinks his
boy born genius. The teacher must
see it in that light, or he loses a pupil.
Being a genius he must treat the num-
skulls as such. He must rush this ge-
MUS ri through ali the lower branches,
or the parent will complain. Soon
the boy is sent off to college with a
very imperfect knowledge Of the rudi-
ments. M
A Graded School is Independent. A
pupil stands en- his own merits. The
teachers care not whether the pupil
comes or not He does his duty,
knowing his position depends entirely
upon the true progress made by the
! pupil.
| The Graded School will not injure
the College. IF the College is worthy
it will only get more students, from
the fact that more students are pre-
pared for the higher departments.
The best Colleges in every State, are
the strongest friends of the Graded
Schools, because they only bring stu
dents to their doors, whereas you find
a college Professor against the graded
school, you will find that he fears the
graded school will absorb his college,
and if this be so, he and his college
should be absorbed. 80.
Again, private schools produce caste.
Society will always regulate itself. No
amount of education amongst the mas
ses will ever make all persons socially
equal. Some simply remarkable or re-
markably simple people advocate that
if their children go to school with the
masses, that it will contaminate them.
The very opposite is however true. No
person can ever be ruler of the Amer
lean masses without having been
thrown in contact with them. 1t has
been demonstrated that those children
who were schooled with the masses al
ways made the best leaders in politics
or craftsmanship. That when children
were educated exclusively, they could
not enter into the feelings aud necessi-
ties of the commonalty. (Here the
Professor cited several cases to prove
his position.)
The Professor then viewed the sub
iect from a pecunlary standpoint. de
gave conclusive proof that the Graded
School system was by far the cheapest.
That the amount expended in our Prl-
vate schools would educate every child
in the community. That if Clarks-
vile had good Free School System
many immigrants would come. Every
person that comes to GAINESVILLE to be
a citizen is worth thousand dollars to
the city; i. e., it enhances the value of
property that much. A man who will
make a good citizen will not inhabit 4
city that will not educate, or give him
an opportunity to educate his children.
A man that has not the education of
his children at heart will not make a
good citizen. SO the popnlating of a
place by good citizens depends upon
the fact of having good graded schools.
Property must necessarily increase in
value when citizenship Increases
Therefore, it is an indirect investment
of funds that will pay direct dividend.
| These practical remarks were inter-
spersed with fancy sketches, and mirth
provoking illustrations and the house
by its demonstrations Of good hHmor
and repeated applause gave evidence
that it not only appreciated, but highly
enjoyed the Professors address.
In conclusion he referred to the work
that the County Superintendent, n. l..
Whitfield, had doae, and was still do
ing. He trusted the citizens of Mont
gomery would give Mr.: Whitfield that
support he so justly deserved. He
highly eomplimented Mr.. Whitfield
upon the success of the Institute and
said that were it not for hist Whitaeld's
energy and perseverance it might have
been failure.
Judge Humphreys then read very
able address on the subject of harmon
izing the Common and Private Schoo s,
which from want of time we will not
be able to notice and do it justice, but
which we hope at some future time to
have published.
SATURDAYS pRoeEEnIsqs.
The Institute met at FRANKLIN Hall;
after q few brief remarks by Supt.
Whitfield setting forth the Importance
of affecting a permanent organization
in which he was sustained by Profess
sor Loventhal, Col. w. III. Fessy was
temporarily called to the chair and
Wiley Powers appointed Secretary. A
committee on Permanent Organization
rspsrtsd as officers, Snpt, n. j, Whit
field, president; Dol. ". II. Fesey,
Vice President; Wiley j. Powers,
Secretary and II. G. Merritt, Esq,
Treasurer. The President appointed
as a committee on Constitution and
Bylaws. Col. W. Fessy, w. j. Powers
and H. C. Merritt to report at the next
meeting, Saturday, February 18th.
| On mqtipH the Secretary was in
strueted to purchase blank book f9r
recording the proceedings of the meet
ings and he was also instructed to
furnish copy of the minutes Of this
Institute to the Tobacco Leaf and
CHRONICLE for publication.
The committee on Resolutions re-
ported the following which were unan-
imously adopted:
Resolved. That we heartily endorse