West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-04-14


chanicai College ut lexington,
Kentucky.
T1e idiosyncracy OF the present
era Of national development is skill
ell .abor. Old modes of work have
passed away. Everywhere competi-
ton is cloee, sharp and eager Year
after year colleges, established for
specifc ends, turn ont specialists to
grapple with the problems of The
time. These problems are chiefly
materis'istic, They relate to mines
and mining, and railway and loco
motion, TO improved meth ode OF man
ulecturing aud planting, to markets,
trade aud tsIiffs, ell nore or less sf-
!ected by the overohangiDg multifa-
rious web Of modern invention. The
sluggarl has no chance 'or place
in the strCcgie. But the most will
liz must De taught. In toe contest
for IN l,viduaI existence, tue agole
cations Of which max, up tns exist
ruce Of the State, results 10 10 the
trained. Ia Kentucky we nave no
system Of training. We bsve few
chools that are worthy Of the name
The rich send their children abroad
to be educated. Toe poor remain at
lome to see the stream Of pr gress
pass iaen by. TIE institution 10
which We have the honor to bo as
s,mb "a to-day may be considered a
founda'jou- stone TO the. ediGce which
1t Is Tile duty OF X ntociy TO rear.
and, # IT be treated generously and
managed wisely, it viii prove an iu-
estima6le blessing in future genera
tiocs. IL is because l believe this
tnat have consented to appear here
on this occ sion, and l am iIes to cay
that, had tie honor OF a seat 10 the
legislative body, l should not hest
tate 10 ren6tLen the hand Of hose
who are making so earnest and in
teli- eat an effort toward better
standards 0! education for the peo-
pie
The State Of Kentucky lies direct.
y across the line ofnationa! progress
and development. Wesre surround
ed by movement. Soon or late our
vac; resources must be brought to
the earth's surface, and the only
question for us to coneider is this,
shall we bring them forth ourselves
and reap the profit, or leave the work
to be done by strangers? ihe bust
est are the bappiest. Let US 90 to
work, my friends; and, aa education
is indispensable to successful work.
let Us begin by laying the founda-
tions Of school system iited to the
nseIa Of the time and adequate to
our own peculiar wants.
I 30 not claim that universal ed
nee ION IS universal happiness. Nor
sbail enter upon comparison be-
lweau tle simple peasant hfs Of the
Arcadia, as we read it in story and
song, and the busy life Of those who
-trugg.e for the pr "a which fortune
holds as rewards Tor work. cay
that Kentucky can not escape her
des'iny, whichis Gxed by her gcog-
raphy. That on this accouut, higher
staodards Of education Of the 10 asses
are Indispensable to the development
o ofour material resources, and that
our future absolutely depends, for
good or ill, upon the direction which
is eiveu 10 this development. do
not believe in what are called the
good old times. believe the world
to-day is batter in every reepect
than ever it vas, AID thetit is stead.
iIy advancing in ell its conditions,
and I heve in my mind g eye the pic
turs Of a State, rich and not corrupt,
strong and not iIl-balsnced, where
equel laws are justly administered
aud society is not perpetual con
test between The tramp and the mil
ionare. Kentucky may realize this
ide +, is for us, the people, to
comprehend tbs value Of these, viii
Ing and eager 20 turn them TO sc-
count % BE- for you, Senators and
Representative, TO work out the do.
tai's
In one Of ls greatest orations.
turning from tho consideration Of tae
pubic poity which bss made that
htils barren patch Of stone and clay
we call New Eog.and 20 powerful
and rich, 90 speak Of the part played
in tbs dfsms OF Ysnkee progress by
the free-sohool system, established
by Plymouth co ony as far back ss
1870 Daniel Webster summed up
al