The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-10-05

and to thi$rnmor you ask me to re;
ply" i do most ehedrfully Were itnot
that .isscaIealated to deceive some
who are not slamiIihF with niyssaai-
form course with'reIafence to these
institutions, ] might lstly treat this
NbsuFdsstaiss as siinplys lrsliefonF
t-l8vss BIZ 54iiI.ill 3.
publicly commcnded and .Salyocatdd
our free schools, and the.earlrstness
with which | have labored, with
tongue and pen, toincrcaso their eff
fieiency, both in our own and in 9th
cr States, it seems indeed strange
that l should find myself called upon
to answer to a charge of opposition
to them.
In the Convention which framed
our present Constitution, was a
member of the committee which re-
ported the article on education, and
to which, as it was finally adopted,
gave my cordial support, A com
parison of this article with the cor
responding one in the former Consti-
tuition will discover that several i'm.
portant changes were made by which
free schools are placed on frmer
and more efficient basis than before.
First. The State Superintendent
was made n constitutional officer of
the Executive department. Second.
While before, provision for free
schools was left to the discretion Of
the Legislature, this article requires
it to provide efficiently for them
Third. Also, several fruitful sources
of income were. set apart sacredly for
their support, so as to put it, in good
degree, out of the power of legisla-
tion to interfere with their perpotui-
ty or efficiency. In-the honorof this
work | claim an original and abiding
share.
In 1872 was invited to deliveran'
address before "Thc Teachers Asso-
citation" at Fairmont. The subject
assigned to me was, "What the Edu-
cationar interests of the State De-
mand Shall be Taught" &c. In that
address said: at is source Of pro-
found qualification to witness the
success of our educational efforts in
West Virginia. This is revolution
that cannot go backwards. 1t ere
ates its own momentum. 1t moves
by a power within, which increases
as it moves, and which strikes out
the light and the heat of its own
vitality. Let US remember that a
knowledge of only the clements of
primary education adds % per cent.
to the value Of a man, as simple
laborer, and see to it that none are
allowed to grow up in ignorance
To educate the rising generation is
the most practical way to utilize our
resources. The wealth of our hills
and valleys, and the number of our
population will be but barren bless
ings, if we add not the intelligence
and the virtue which make the true
glory of a State. Enterprise isborn
of noble impulses of the heart, and
conducted to success by light and sci
ence in the intelligence of people,
and education alone furnishes these"
So l thought of our educational cf-
forts then, and so with ever deepen
ing conviction, think of them now.
In 1878, l was called by Governor
Jacob to fill vacancy in the Office
of State Superintendent of Free
Schools, occasioned by the rcsigno
ton Of the Hon. c. S. Lewis, and in
the report which | then submitted,
any one honestly curious to know my
views of our system of Free and
Normal schools, can find them une-
quiyocally set forth. During my
service in this office, Iwas requested
by the joint committee of the Senate
and House of Delegates on the revis-
| ion Of the School Law, to assist them
in that work; but with the exception
of occasional conferences, | soon
found nearly the whole burthcn of
the labor left to my hands; and,
therefore, to our present school law, |
may also refer the honest inquirer
for views of the general plan and
scope of our free school work. With
the light of experience and more
time for reflection upon the relation