The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-16
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SUPERlgTENDEETS CONFERENCE
Address by the Goyernor-ohr Duty 10 MIR.
Negro-CompIiments Passed-Need Of Bet
ter Teachers. &C., &c.

Address bv tbe aoyernor-Onr Duty 10 Mr..
Negro-CounIimeuts Passed-Need Of Bet
ter Teachers, &c., &c.
A convention of county-school superin-
tendents was held in the hall OF the House
OF Delegates last night-Mr: farr, SUPER
intendent Of Public Instruction, presiding,
and about eighty superintendents present.
Prayer was offered by hcV. George w.
Dame. OF Danville. Mr.. Farr eulogistically
introduced Governor Cameron 10 deliver
the welcome, and the Governor, In ga
simple and unstutied" address OF half an
hour, congratulated the people OF Virginia
upon the progress the cause OF education
has made. lie said he spoke "not as a
member OF aDy party, but as governor OF
Virginia, who represents all the people |;
that we are all for public education" The
last OF the opposition, once so formidable,
"is now heard echoing among the distant
hills.v Further on, after referring to the
sacrifices the men of Virginia made In re-
spending to Virginia's call to arms, and
our duty to the children and grand
children OF the Confederate soldiers,
| he asked, And what are you going
to do with the large element OF colored
people In your midst? You made them
voters. Are you going to make them fit
for the duties you imposed upon them
| Are you going to put them in the front OF
battle and give them no guns to fight
with! No. you should arm them with ed
ucation. Why! Because we want MIR.
Negro 10 be fitted to be q citizen. IL he is
not qualified, then he ought not to be a
citizen. Your duty is to teach him as far
as you can, and ii you can't educate him
the time will come in the history OF this
country when you can control that mat
| ter"
What the Governor asked was that the
superintendents and the public should give
the schools their help and support, fol
upon these schools depend the liberty, the
peace, the prosperity OF the country. lie
asked this OF all, whether you be on one
side or the other OF the terrible conflict in
this State" No matter, he thought
whether Mr. Barbour is boss, or Mr.. Ma
hone is boss, or Mr.. Cameron is boss, oil
| Mr.. Wise is boss, or Mr. Massey is boss, tC
this end [public educationl should We
work together.
In the course of his remarks the Gov
ernor spoke in the most complimentary
terms OF DR.. Curry, the agent of the Pea
body fund, and stated that though the Doc
tor had always opposed him in politics. hi
was always with him in supporting the
public-schoOl system.
Mr.. BLAIR.
Mr.. Farr next introduced Attorney
General Blair, "not as an expert" but
| like the Governor, a member OF the StatC
Board oi Education. Having to mention
school superintendents in this con
nection, Mr.. Farr added, "school super
intents. OF course. with the approval OF th'
Senate"
Mr.. Blair made q very good address
brief and pointed, embOdyiDg terms o
welcome and congratulation. He men
toned that the S500,000 received from th'
sale Of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohic
railroad was no longer in the courts, bu
that the money had been realized dandt turned
into the public.schoOl fund. He also re
ferred to prospective receipts from Con
gress
DR.. CURRY.
In presenting DR.. Curry rs the mex
speaker Mr.. Farr said that the Doctor ha,
done more for Virginia than any man il
Virginia, for he had been strengthenin
the public-school system where it wa
weakest. He bad given to Virginia wha
Virginia refused TO give to hersclf-educa
ton for the teachers. The Doctor ha
Joined him TMr. Farrl sin imploring th
legislators to give us little pittance t
educate the teachers" and the Doctor ha
ever been the able friend and defender {
the public free-schoOl system.
Or. Curry commenced bis address wit
a COMPLIMENTARY alusion TO MIR. Farr, bI
said that Mr.. Farr had done him more tina
justice.
DIR. Curry declared that he had tried {
do his duty without regard TO politics an
without reference to color. lie was labor
ing for the education Of all the children
white and black, without money and with
out price. Luckily for Virginia, bot
political parties are alike and equally con
mittcd in their platforms and public uttel
ances to this question Of public education
though he knew of few gentlemen VIII
are haunted in their dreams by the lea
that there will be no laborers to dig pc
totoes or to drive manure-carts if the Yout
OF the country are trained in the thre
RS. [Laughter] Virginia he regarded
much committed to the system as Masst
chusetts or Ohio, but the system is nc
perfect. Great, marvellous progress ha
been made, but much yet remains to b
done. How that could best be accou
plished, how teachers should be trained
instruct the youth, formed the subject
the Doctors able address.
Following the address Of DIR. Curry wa
an illustrated lecture by DIR. Little,
Washington.
Mr.. Farr was elected permanent pres
dent OF the conference and the secretary G
Board OF Public Education.
A resolution was adopted that the pres
dent report three men as 4 committee
frame bylaws for the conference.
Adjourned till IL O'Clock this morning.
EXHIBITION.
While the hall Of the House is devote
to the Convention. the Senate chamber
fairly we'll filed with articles which manu-
facturers wish to advertise and sell
charts, maps, blackboards, states, desks