Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-27
THE saTloaAl EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION.
Opening Proceedings To-day.
A TTs,s to the Psesiient.

HAN at n O'Clock this morning, With Mr.. j.
OrmOnd Wilson, superintendent of public
schools of the District of Columhis, president
of the department. in the chair. Prior TO the
meeting of the department the members of
the same assembled at tine Office of General
Eaton, United States commissioner of eiu-
cation, and after short time devoted to
social intercourse, proceeded TO the hall.
THERE WERE PRESENT
at the opening session this morning General
John Eat-n, commissioner of education, and
the following superintendent and others iR-
rested i'm the work Of education
II :. EaTbeil, superintendent, East Sa ginaw, Mich
willie, Tennsy lyana; Ale1anderC c. Hopkins suPerin
tendeRt public instruction, Indiana; Richard l..
CaTn~- superintendent, Alexandra, Virginia; John
u fhiIbrlck, ex-supetlntendent, Boston; Ge9rge j.
Lucky, superintendent, PIttsburg, Pennsylvania;
" illiam L Dickinson, superintendent. Jersey Ciry
sIiyania q 1ItbTnr stae anIeot IF
Connecticut; r. Mcmillan, superintendent, Youngs-
town. Ohio j p NlCkersham, state superintendent
Of PenHsylv lillian r. Creery superintendent,
Baltimore, Md; VI. A. Newell, state superintendent
Of Iowa Mr. q. A. Burgess president of Northwe.t-
ern Christian University Indiana polls, Indiana; \
i. g; J. Enthoer, l.. s coast survey A. E. NoIen,
Washington. d. G.; r. y. Stuart, Washington. d.
johnson chairman sub board cOlored schools. WASH
ington, ID. c; Fred. Ginn Boston, Massachusetts;
Zee. Washington, L. q. Mr.; A. +. Now."n; f'rmeT-
y superintendent 81 col0red schools, WaIhlngt IN,
Dc. Rev. Peter Parker, ID. D.i Mr.. j DeIIs m
president Of Baker University, Bald vim city Kan
Wcoard mi1er board Of srb9 iI5as WI
inrton, u G.: Rev J. G. Butler chaplain l. s
House Of representatives. Mr. james p. Tus;in,
Prayer was offered by Rev. ]. F. Rankin;
after which Mr.. Wilson made brief address
OF welcome.
Gen. Eaton moved that Mr.. Brown, of In
diaHapOliS, be elected secretary pro tenn, that
officer being absent; agreed to.
G.. Y. AtI4ec is the assistant secretary.
Gen. Eaton, and MessrS. WickerSham of
Pa. and Abernethy of Iowa, were appointed
"a committee on business, and they reported
fnPfAlr ana ha cor rir,l
out.
y motion was adopted that the department
call on the President of the United States.
Gen. Eaton moved that all interested in
education be permitted to participate in the
proceedings; agreed TO.
Hon. b. G.. NOrthrOp, secretary of the state
board OF education of Connecticut, was intro
dUCcd. and read paper on the
LEGAL PREVENTION OF ILLITERACY."
Mr.. y. first referred to the compulsory eiu-
cation law of his state, and said that, through
the assistance of manufacturers, it is being
carried out successfully. He urged that edu-
cation was the universal right of man, and
the want OfeducatiOn meant poverty. The
people approve the law, stringent as il is. He
noticed that the labor unions favor Obligato-
Ty education, and they had aided, i'm a great
measure, the carrying out OF the law. He
closed by giving some statistics showing the
success of compulsory education in England.
In answer to questions, Mr.. NOrthrOp read
the Connecticut law.
Mr.. NorthrOp also stated that the law had
met with general and cordial approval. and
had brought large numbers into the schools.
The leading manufacturers throughout the
state cordially sustained this law, and vol
unteered to sign the following pledge - We
hereby agree that we will employ no children
under fourteen years of age. except those who
are provided with certificate from the local
school officers Of actual attendance a school
the full term required by law" They had
shown degree of HberalIty and interest in
common schools worthy of special COM
mendatiOn. But this law applies not To man
ufactUTerS only, but to merchants, mechanics,
41l of
should be executed with equal strictneSS
toward individuals and companies. tie fur
ther stated that the attendance at the schools
was 1896 per cent. of the enumeration.
Mr.. Phillbrick, of Boston, made some COM
ments on the address of Mr.. NOrthrOp. en-
dOTsing his views generally, and said that in
England compulsory education was a sue
cess. as also in Belgium and other countries.
The result is seen in the fact that only two in
every thousand Of PruSSian cOnScriptS were
unable 10 read and write, while in France,
twhere education was not compulsory. TWEEN
ty-nine in every one hundred could not real
and write. After stating the result of the
compulsory education in Massachusetts, he
announced that he was in favor of q national
law ON the subject.
Prof NJ. n. Newell, of Maryland, said that
he was opposed To compulsory education,
but IL the law was To be carried out by CON
citation. persuasion and argument, he would
favor u. He doubted whether all the benefits
derived were 10 be- attributed to that law.
He thought that compulsory education had
been given up, and 10y the remarks male as
to the manner in which Connecticut and
Massachusetts carry out the law he wOuld
infer that compulsory education was not a
success.
Mr.. Luckett. of PittSburg made some brief
remarks on the subject. and expressed the
hope that the discussion would be deferred.
An invitation was received from ex-GOv-
eTrOr Shepherd TO visit him socially to-mOr-
row evening, and accepted.
Mr.. NOTthrOp moved that the department
call on the Secretary OF the Interior tO-mOr-
row morning, the members first meeting at
the Department OF Education at % O'Clock
a. III.
General Eaton reported that the President
would receive the members between L and /
O'Clock, and the department took recess for
that purpose.
VISIT TO PRESIDENT GRANT.
The members, on arriving at the Execu-
and within a few minutes word was brought
10 them that the President would see them
in his office, to which they proceeded. Su-
peTintendent Wilson introduced the mem
berS by name, and briefly stated the depart
ment of superintendent had called TO pay
their respects to him, highly appreciati ting the
deep interest he had evinced in the cause of
education, and desired to thank him for the
encouragement he had given in recommend
ing the cause Of national education in his
messages 10 Congress.
THE PRESIDENT SAID
that education was one OF the best recon-
StructiOn measures, and lle therefore felt
great interest in il, and had recommended
The cause 10 Congress; and would give every
measure in aid of education his hearty sup
port. As the execution of the laws depended
on the masses, and as the laws should be ex-
ecuted intelligently, il should be the duty Of
all 10 earnestly urge onward the cause of
popular eiuca ton.
The members then respectfully took their
leave OF the President, and were shown
through the rooms on the lower floor of the
White House.
The members visited the COrcoran Art Gal
lery and proceeded to jefferson Building.
where they listened TO an address by Walter
Smith, art director Of Massachusetts, at two
o'clock =. m.
THE THEATERS.-The National Theater
Will be reOpened this evening, with the eX-
IeTlenCed and popular manager, Mr.. Thai
deus j. Barton, in charge. By reference to
the advertisement in our amusement col
umnS, it Will be seen that low rates of adj
mission have been established, and that Mr.
Barton, following the popular plan he
adopted when manager of Wallis Opera
House in this city, makes no extra charge
for reserved seats. This reform, with the APP
pearance of those celebrated dialect actors .
Baker and FaTrOn, IN their amusing drama
Chris and Lena" ought to fill the house this
week. The play will be produced with new
songs and several amusing scenes, and will
no doubt be very entertaining. The new
manager, Mr.. Barton, is a courteous gentle
man and active and enterpriSing business
a.