San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-05-11
~. Press Association and the School
Ih' Question.

poIov We pupuen, III i"'' sao 'VPois
below ,rmittee on the public school
oil u1 ., Of Texas, as adopted by the
sys'e press Association at Houston ON
,be Goth OF April: . ILL A.
lou" nf nreparing and presenting re-
duty ~ the general subject OF educa-
por' a upS The system OF public schools in
. .v state, in order to elicit discussion
.nS lead to such a ventilation OF the
ar% by the various state journals as
fupl,HSIib have tendency to bring about
wou sad reform in this important mat
heeu wonld respectfully and unanimously
tei, m the following statement OF facts
sugauoocstions to the association:
anu ' Il we're required to make selec.
-. of a body of members who applied
tOr education of the masses could be
ion successfully made, that body
lno0I he an association OF editors and
wouM men. Subjectively they
nomo 'pseIves must be educated. The
uaws and implements OF their PROBES
Gome ora of a mental character. Wheth-
sio ,,n;yersity men or self-educated, they
70 e. ocnuired literary business knowl-
n nare. thew are necessarily experts
FAMED in the use of thought, OF facts
snd il may be added, of human nature
and affairs. Therefore there Is no class
a a,1at onnreciates education more thor
n 'a impregnated with the spirit OF
t,'e araat man who wrote the aphorism,
s s is power" effectively the
od;toriol fraternity and newspaper men
canerallv work for and upon educated
Sersons. The greater the diffusion OF
Knowledge the more grist to the news
naner mill A dull bovine community
ftarvas ont the most brilliant editors,
omd would wreck the schemes of the
most enterprising publisher. The Jour-
nolist and the schoolmaster are natural
allies. They mutually make work Tor
zach other. though generally the teach
er sows and the journalist reaps.. In
many instances in the work the jour
naIist takes on the nature OF BROADCAST
mo over the wide fields, and the news
naper sends thousands OF children 10
SASS AS society is now constructed, an ed
ucated man can not get along without
his newspaper. It is his daily com
nanv his guide, his comforter, his
friend. But before this intimate rela-
tionship can be established the little
feet must pursue the thorny way OF
school training and education. AS we
understand it, every school is benev'
olent institution for the support OF the
nress. every college a newspaper ex-
change, and the university graduates
editors and divides the honors OF en-
liohtment with the free press. There
is every reason to think, therefore, tnat
the editorial and publishing fraternity
would be unit in the desire to have
an effective system of education estab-
Ished. It is but natural to believe that
the members of the Press Association
of Texas are sincere and earnest friends
of an effective and permanent system OF
public schools in our state. Your COM
mittee is constrained to conclude from
comparative investigation that Whlle
our state holds her own against hef
sister states proportionately in all lines
of substantial and social progress, the
progress made in educational matters IS
by no means such as the intrinsic I'M
portance of so great commonwealth
should cause it's citizens reasonably TO
expect; in fact, the condition OF our
public schools is of so low, precailous
and inefficient character, especially
when compared with those OF other
states of which Texas is the peer ana
even the superior in wealth and re-
sources, that the fact becomes source
of blank modification.
When this inferiority is analysed 1t
will be found to consist IN the puplic
school system. We have excellent prl-
vate schools. Throughout the state az
various points academies and colleges
of fair character are found IN success
full operation. The Agricultural and
Mechanical College, under the present
able management, is doing nople
work. The Normal School at hunts
vile is preparing teachers for the staUe
by sedulous and systematic framing,
and the hearts of the true friends Oh
education are gladdened by the promise
of a general university that shall, IN IA
few years, place Texas beside Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut in the proVls-
ions made for the higher culture OF our
youth; but the solid foundation is
wanting. The weakness Is shown III
the unworthy and provisional system
of public schools, that is no more ut 10
form the substratum of the educatlonai
system of cur grand state than Is the
tortoise in the Hindoo cosmogony TO
hold up the elephant that holds up the
globe on its back.
Before your committee would ven
ture upon any positive suggestion OF a
reformatory character it would peg
leave to present briefly some reasons
for the statement that the present pup
lie school system is unsouEd, defective