The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-07-13

fi1itenuswUriHs Address, bellN'fe" wv
rylcr Iesas, June Doth'
Tho lo.l,wlugcdmcls are made from lho
,dmirblo address OF Col. o. N, Hoilinis'
worth drIiyuod at rylerJuno son. lhofa
address is too lengthy 70 bo reproduced bni
H. is u document worthy oi plIu7ll !
throughout, ,r.-
n,i'y comproheudcl tnc value ana import.
une, OF universal education. History
GsfuishCs no instance whore any govern
mcut ever manifested more interest IN
behalf of popular education than did the
fathers OF the republic Of Texas. And be
IL said TO the credit OF the sound statesman.
ship that has controlled the Legislation OF
the republic and the state from
1886 10 this date, the wise
poiicy inaugurated by the sires of '3G has
neeu persistently adhered to. Under the
operation vi this policy Texas to-day refers,
with pride and grateful memory OF her
heroic fathers and wise statesmen, 10 ner
educational endowment represented ny 20
500 900 cash common school lund, S00O,-
coo University fund, $ll COO for her unior-
tunate blind, $500 Tor her mutes, ana 10
a landed endowment of 4OWO,CU acres TO
her common free schools, $3.50 ,OOo acres III
fee simple to the counties for the beneht OF
common schools, 1000, 600 acres to her IN
| iyersty, 100000 acres to her Institute TOR
the Blind, 100, 900 acres to her Institute for
the Mutes, lO3, 229 acres for her orphans
home, and 100000 acres Tor tie unfortunate
| uuatics. What other state i'll the Amerl-
can Union can boast OF such endOWmeht
| What other people under the sun can claim
such a legacy? Each county holds in Zee
simple for free school purposes lands equal
in area to one-tiftieth part OF the state OF
Rhode Island
Our university lands equal the territory
of Delaware. The lands held i'll trust by
the state, as q permanent endowment Tor
common free schools, comprise an area
larger by 6,000,0 acres than The whole ter
rit0ry of all the states Of New England,
And the aggregation of all our school aha
asylum lands constitutes an area greater
than one-third of the German empire.
The question before the people OF Texas
to day, which shadows all others, is how
shall this princely inheritance be managed
for the best interest of the children and the
commonwealth" Here is question
worthy your consideration; worthy the
deepest thought and earnest efforts OF
statesmen. 1t may, if private interests OF
land spectators and local politicians are
considered be, like many private estates,
'squandered, and the children of the state
robbed of their possessions; or. on the
other hand, if wise counsel prevails, be SO
managed as to yield to the children, for
purposes intended, its full value.
Let it be ever so wisely and economically
managed, it will never constitute more than
| Il nucleus upon which 10 Dulid q compete
system of education.
We have the nucleus, the ground work OF
a splendid system of education, deeply and
wisely laid by the founders of the republic
and it only needs patient, pains-takinS and
wise legislation to develop it to standard
Of perfection unsurpassed by any othel
government in the world. But to do this
we must have more money. There are to-
day three hundred thousand children o.
lawful scholastic age in the state.
The state assumed the obligation of theil
education, and public sentiment should
demand that she shouli ~ it faithfully and
efficiently. Under the c stitution ard the
law the state cannot: I'dGently discharge
the sacred obligation iAa has assumed
The constitution and lie law must be
changed.
There should be a state superintendent o
instruction; there should be county SUI
perintendent of public instruction in all the
populous counties; there should be spe
cifc state school taX-the revenue provided
for support of schools should not De
dependent upon amount raised iol
general revenue there should be
authority granted to counties to sup.
plement state aid by local taxation
there should be uniform system of the
examination of teachers without charge,
which would give them authority to teach
for a series of years in any county OF the
state: there should be authority tor organ
| izing permanent schoo. districts in all popu-
Ions counties; there should be revenue
provided for a longer school term; there
should be better teaching and better COM
pensation paid to teachers; summer normal
Il ClnI h In a
| their powers and duties clearly defined; q
state educational council, to be composed
of delegates chosen from the respective
summer institutes, should be established
by law, and its duties and powers clearly
defined: there should be established in each
populous county free county academy, to
be composed of pupils selected, upon COM
petitive examination, from the elementary
schools of the county; there should be q
state university, complete and thorough in
ali its appointments, to be composed, in
mart, of students selected from the county
academies upon competitive examination.
| Texas is an empire state in territory, but
the empire in the field OF literature, art,
science, and material wealth. She pos
ses.es, in her soils, in her climate, in her
minerals, in her forests, in her water power,
| In her grapes, all the clements of material
greatness, and she needs only TO cultivate
| the brain-power Of her boys and
girls in order TO realize the full
fruits of oil the rich blessings with
which nature has endowed her. To
accomplish this grand end, to place our
own loved Texas in the van of the march OF
J civilization, to place her in that proud po-
country. but rejoice in the superior skill
and talent of her own sons and daughters
let MS work with tnat determination
which knows no failure, for II better system
| of education; work for the common schools,
work for the academies, work for the col
leges. work for the university, work by
your vote and your influence for honest
government, and thus serve your country
your children and your God.