Evening star., 1877-12-12
National Educational Association.
MEETING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF sJPERIN
TENDRNCE


At the session of the Department of Superin
tendenee OF the National Educational ASsOcia-
tion last evening General John Eaton United
States Commissioner of education read an in
teresting paper on the subject. What has
been done by the General Government i'm ain
of education He quoted from the annual
messages of many of the Presidents of the Uni
ted States and from the acts of Congress and
state legislatures, To show that the subject of
education has always received great attention
in this country. But our forefathers showed
their appreciation OF the benefits of mental
culture not only 10y words bat 10y deeds
There shall I've reserved lot No. l6 i'm every
township Tor the purposes of education" The
munlfcent grants made by the several states
were detailed at some length. The policy of
the General Government in enc0ura ging learn
ing by setting aside the proceeds OF the sale OF
public lands was alluded TO. Interesting facts
were read concerning the education Of the col
ored people. and of the Indians, and i'm refer
ence To the schools at West Point and Annapo-
lis. The great defect i'm the plan of past diStri-
button OF educational funds has been its inc
quality. Besides the enlargement of the Etu-
cational Bureau, pecuniary aid from the gov
ernment Il required: but this should be an
proprately distributed. The speaker closed
with quotation from Grimke, of South Caro-
lina.
General discussion of the subject followed
the reading OF the paper. DIR. Orr. Of Georgia.
stated that in his state the war had decreased
the rateable value of property from 600 million
To 2iO million dollars, and with less means they
had the Immense burden of l1i.Nn colored chill
dren 10 educate. At least 4Oper cent. of the
Georgia voters cannot read their ballots. Ii
any state needed aid ii was Georgia. MeSSrS
PlilbTick. Mass. Bowman. ny. A; Lorne Mass,
ana Henderson, ny, continued the discus
sion.
TO-DAY.
The Department of SupeTintendence as
SpmBled this morning in the lecture room ot
the Congregational Church. The committee
on the representation of our educational in
teTeStS at the Paris exposition. reported.
through its chairman, Mr.. WickerSham, the
adyiSahility of requesting the President of the
United states To appoint aS one Oi the paid
commissioners competent. scientific expert
in matters of education To organize and take
charge OF the exhibit of the United
States and also 10 appoint a fair proportion Of
the honorary commissioners with reference TO
this purpose The report also recommended
that an effort be made To obtain a fair share of
the Congressional appropriation for this pur-
pose. and suggested that the measures above
indicated should fail. no creditdbc education
al display could he made at the exhibition.
DIR. LoIing then addressed the meeting on
the subject OF the aim OF American education.
Dr. LoriHgS facts were interesting and in
StructiVe, and were impressed upon the meet
ing by the vigorous words in which they were
clothed, and by the very effective manner of
the speakers delivery.
Representa- We Garfield then addressed the
meeting in his usual happy manner and was
heard with the most absorbed attention. He
piayiully referred 10 the great educational
ease of brains against brick and mortar. The
two great defects of the modern system of
school education are the cultivation Ol build
ings 10 the detTimcnt of brains. and the over
examining of the pupil with numerous studies.
The fact that the number Of failures 10 enter
West Point was Increasing yearly should be
met and explained by educators. No subject
is of greater national Importance than that of
education. III ever the United States should
escape the fate predicted 10y Macaulay il would
be through the efforts of the SrhoolmaSter.
Mr Pnilhrick. of Mass, made vigorous de
fence of the present school system, and Sug
ge>ted that the trouble at West Point was in
the ld-fogNiSm of the examiners, and NOT in
those examined.
Mr. Hancock. of Ohio, continued on the side
oi the present system, aud said the aim of
teachers today was To make their pupils cult
waited men and women aud not tO ht them To
pass the examination at West Point.
Mr. HOlbTOok, y. j., upheld Mr.. Philbrick in
his views.
The president solved the West Point pro
bem. The grade of examination has been
raised. and tie system of selection Il vicious
The politicians use the nominations 10 West
Point ia pay their political debts. He illus
trated and enforced his views by a recital Ot
his experience in his OWN state, where nOmi
nees rs the result of competitive examinations
have always passed and stood high in their
classes, while persons nominated Oh political
grounds have generally failed.
The discussion ot the relative merits OF the
old and new systems made a Lively fight. and
considerably shook up the dry bones of the
department. An elaborate defence of high
schools by Mr.. Dickinson. Pa. and a reSolu
tion on the subject by Dir. HOyey brought the
morning session to a close.
The exercises this evening will be very inter
esting. A paper ON Industrial Education +"
will be read by DIR. j. ID. Runkie. president of
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The President of the United States will be pre-
sent.