The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-10-31
PUBLIC SCHOOL DIPLOMAS.
4 Step in The Right Direction.

At the school house on last evening
meeting was held in the interest of ed
ucation. This is but the first of a series
OF such meetings which Superintendent
Wharton proposes holding in the various
districts of the county. With Superin-
tendent Wharton came the president of
the Normal, Prof Welch, who favored
US with an excellent address, relative to
the great importance Of our common
schools. He stated that the public
schools are the hope of our country, that
our laws are but the embodiment of pub
lie sentiment, which will begood or bad
in proportion TO the intelligence of the
masses, which must be educated in the
common school. He said that our com
mon schools should be made permanent,
and raised to higher standard; and as
a means toward reaching these great
ends, an effort should be made by pat
rons to secure professional teachers, and
then to keep them; that men who would
not think Of employing the pettifogger,
or quack, in other business affairs, even
though his services can be secured for
much less money, fail, too often, to ap-
ply these business principles in the en-
ployment OF those that educate the
young.
After President Welch finished his adj
dress, Superintendent Wharton followed
by an address, in which he spoke of the
great need of making the work of our
country schools more effective, and as a
step toward accomplishing this, he then
explained his plan, called the "Graduat-
ing System, which he hopes to inaugur-
ate in this county. In substance, this is,
that graduating class be formed, con
sisting of those pupils throughout the
county, who can complete the common
school course during the present school
year, giving each pupil, when the course
is completed, certificate or diploma,
such as is common among our higher
institutions of learning. This system,
though new, has been tried, and proven
to be Il success. Pupils will soon see
that there is something ahead; that this
old ln0notonous routine of going over
the same work year after year, has
ceased; and it cannot help but create
a healthy ambition III every pupil
and elicit more interest from teachers,
and especially parents. At the close of
his remarks the superintendent called
for an expression from those present as
to whether they were in sympathy with
such movement. Messrs. Miller, Rud-
ISL, Little and Nicklin were called for,
and each expressed himself as being very
favorably impressed with this plan. Mr.
Nicklin, though he felt impelled to give
us some of his greenback views, pledged
himself to stand by anything that would
further the interest of education. The
superintendent then called for a vote
from the house. The feeling in favor of
this system seemed to be unanimous, as
no one voted against ii. After the an
nouncement that there would be meet
ing on the evening of the 31st for the
purpose of organizing literary society,
the meeting adorned A few moments
were spent in sociability, when all re-
tnrned to their homes feeling that the
evening had been well employed Pres.
WEIGH has the peculiar faculty of max
ing himself sociable and agreeable with
all, which will help him much toward
making his work a success. Our worthy
superintendent certainly deserves credit
for the noble efforts he is making to adj
vance the educational interests of this
county. This must have been the feeling
of the many that heard him last evening
May he meet with success.
DAVID, JR.
Central, Fremont Township.