The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-02-03
The school ouestion.

Correspondence or the Herald.
AUSTIN, Jan %, 1881.
After delightful drive about the city and
over the prairiaa, behind the spanking Nor
mandy pair OF greys of DR.. stoddart, an old
Galveston friend, stopped for few mos
ments at the executive mansion and there
met the governor. who is alwsys ready TO
receive any citizen and freely 10 converse
with him onqueslions of state, etc. Anxious
to learn bis views fully on the school ques-
ton, the conversation driled te that subject,
and on which message will shortly be sent
in by bis excellenoy to the Legislature.
now give you his views as we'll as l can re-
call them.
Tho governor remarked that The three
natural steps Of education we're: LIST. The COM
mon schools for the millions ID. The acsde-
mics for the thousands. Sd. The university
for the hundreds. And these, Ile urges, are
equally essential to good society, and thus
arranged produce q uniformity Of education
and harmony of course; and AS we have now
the means for the attainment, we ought to in
augurate the move at once. The university,
be thinks, ought to be located at the seat of
soyslulneE!, whore log forty acICs u laAd
ara set apart for Il, and where the legislation
of the country may be hest learned. 1t
should be open for females as well as males,
Just rs IA tho common schools. Academies
should be provided ia every
county for \ higher grade OF learning.
la these students should be prepared for
Tho university. Tho agricultural and mo-
chsuical college, being hrsnoh OF tho uni
versitv, should be placed under the same SUI
porvising conitol. lie speaks highly Of the
Importance cf the agricultural and mechani-
cal college, and says that one-half million of
the public lands should be sci apart for that
ius iiutiOn as part Of the university.
The normal schools are essentially part
Of this grand educational system, and white
and colored teachers ought TO be there duly
prepared for their future professions. There
should DO two more Of them besides the
one ct Huntsville, one to 20 be located In
northern Texas, the other In western Texas,
and the revenue TO support these schools
ought not 10 come out Of the special funds,
but from The general revenue fand.
The governor ssys that the reports show
that tho public schools have been taught
upo1 an average, about four months annu-
aily forthe last five years. and % taught last
year with one-sixlh Of the general revenue,
plus The other available sources. But 80 TO
keep It I'D with fhersDid increase Of The scho-
lastic population viii not be possible much
longer, Is this population has for the past I've
years been increasing 10 per cant annually,
whereas The available school fund has not
been increasing 5 per can't. The schools
should be kept up b this four months stand
arr. At least. II jewellers in the cities desire
|lonrsr terms Of schooling they should unite
IN assuming 10 control tbtir own schools BY
special local tzrAiion. Most az the ssales
take care Of their public Echools. aner this
mauner. he lays also thai be npprehends
that onefixth appropriation Tor me EeKt
two yenrs VIII nor Be enough 70 leep the
schools I'd b four no1ttsand The legislature
should lock 70 tina The only chance be sees
to DO this i 70 mike rapid sale Of The school
lands At a fair value. In Quantities 70 sui
purchasers. And be co1isuds that TIE sales
en- Only BE- nsdo, ~ = rule, In large trtcts-
1fmhar isnd ought 70 be sold f1r money
doEn, but prEirs lands On long time with los
interest
Ths rorerncr further rsccrmends thlt a
susie Lari Agency" once ought % be
cra1fd % ttess purposes- Dnoer - oirec-
licn an1 csrs fte irt1s might bs sod. ne
rczuIt'1g funds irT4tsd, g. Z he lanos n Ne
hnu1s II tie plrrtssen ths1 t11e1, t1ns
siministins Ne prblr estt ard i1crsaslng