The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-24
DR.. Curry on the Public Schools.


Curry, the successor of the late DR.. Sears,
as the General Agent of the Peabody Fund,
addressed the Virginia Legislature by in
vitation.
DR.. Curry was resident of Richmond
at the time of his appointment to his pres
ent position. He was an ardent Demo-
crat, and many OF the voters Of Augusta
and Rockingham will remember a dis
cussion several years ago. in Harrison
burg, between him and Mr.. Massey. the
latter being at that time the recognized
champion of Readj Both were Bap-
fist ministers, both fine speakers, and both
were we'll posted. The discussion was one
of the ablest of that canvass. and though
Mr.. Massey was then regarded as almost
invincible on the stump. he met his match
that day, and DR.. Curry's friends were de-
lighted with the result.
| We recall this incident as illustrative OF
| DIR. Curry's former political relations, and
to show that the chastisement he gave the
Democratic party in his lecture was
prompted solely by his deep interest in the
Public Schools and his belief that the pro-
posed Democratic legislation on that sub
ject would result in the embarrassment if
not irreparable injury of the system.
We copy the following synopsis of his
address from the Dispatch:
DR.; Curry. making proper acknowledgement .sl oelsI
sembly, spoke of the responsibility of represent
| tatives In having to look after and promote the
public veal In all civilized countries 1ncreas-
| ing provision is made for universal education
| In educational problems the highest Interest of
humanity and OF American citlsensn,p "a are IN
| tary and naval defence OF nations to nurture
national jealousy and hatred, but education,
moral and intellectual, is the cheapest defence,
and while developing true manhood and wo-
manhood best subserves the proper ends OF
DR.. Curry referred to the oft-quoted remark
of Sir William Berke1y, thanking God that there
were no free schools nor printing IN
arstocrat two hundred years ago had long
served the purpose of those who sought to sheer
under the imposture of work. The sophistry
| of bad name is often a convenient substitute
early as:I6M a school movement was begun.
and William and Mary Is the Oldest college in
the United states. Leading Virginia statesmen
l-Washington, Wythe, Jefferson, Madison. Gov
| ernors Campbell Mcdowell. and Wise-were
cited as advocating the education of the Dhole
for male students, and eight for female students.
4 Dr. Ruffner in his report for 1873, said ut is
o. msie snat has larger
Il portion of her sons in Superior institutions
probably than any State or country in the
world"
/ Slavery und other causes prevented the edu.
| cation of all the whites, and there was painful
| illiteracy, demonstrating the necessity OF more
| systematic governmental action and OF larger
revenues. The war unsettled everything. pan X
du dusty reyolntionized opinions and nstitu-
| tions. Amid the desolation and darkness the
| earliest manifestations of sympathy with our
distress and our needs came from the greatest
benefactor of the South, George Peabody, q
Massachusetts man. who entrusted to the abb
Board Of Turstees So 00) 900 to be distributed
among the entire population of the South with
out other distinction than their needs and the
opportunities OF usefulness to them.
In 1870 the State established an uniform sys-
tenn of public free schools and placed the sys-
| tenn in charge of DR.. Ruffner, to whose ability
and success the speaker paid glowing compli-
ment. Our schools now average a session of
4,74O white teachers, and 1O2. l55 white pupils in
daily attendance; LIS colored schools, ~
colored teachers, and a daily attendance OF 49,
| $50 colored pupils.
| The Doctor discussed the value to State of
| general education with q substraLum of moral
Character, an showed that the free school was
the ally Of free State and the foe of over-gov-
ernment He also showed the superior value
of intelligent over ignorant labor, and the in
Responsiveness of intelligence for the right and
safe use of the elective franchise When he de-
| picted what the Old Dominion needs in the
grand struggle for the prizes of life il was mani
| fest he had given much thought to the material
| as we'll as to the intellectual and moral needs.
The more practical part of the address was an
exposition of what is required for the more
complete and continuing SUI c ess OF the free
l. An absolute divorce of the system from
party politics.
tees and teachers. To leave lie gro schools under
| the control exclusively of negro trustees and
to consign the schools to inefficiency and in
feriority 1t is the first step towards fatal pol
transportation Of school revenues to the
schools of the race paying the taxes.
3. Better teaching to be provided or stimu-
lated by normal schools and teachers institutes. 1t
was evident that Dr. Curry regarded this as the
most important part of his speech. His ideas of
teaching as an art and science he elaborated
andsillustrated forIthe purpose of showing that
teaching was the nilometer by which the value
OF the schools was to be determined. We are
sorry that we have not space to reproduce the
arguments on this head and that We canuot i'm
part the earnest convictions OF the speaker. as
schools and teachers Institutes.
DIR. Curry's peroration was an imagined pic
noble women Of the past looking encouragingly
and beseechingly on their descendants and i'm
ploring them to put the old State in the very
vanguard OF progress and of freedom.
DR.. Curry. as general agent Of Peabody Edu-
cation Fund, has addressed all the southern
dresses were published by the State for general
distribution.
In the Wings report of the lecture it is
stated that ''Dr. Curry's reference to SUI
perintendent Farr's report of his admins
tration of the public school system was
highly supplementary to Mr.. Farr."
1t is safe to say that the most unregen-
crate Coalitionist could scarcely have more
pronouncedly condemned Democratic ac-
ton, past and prospective, as it relates to
the public schools. Here is the acknowl-
edged head of the system in the United
States. and the political friend of the Dem
ocratic party, telling the majority of
the legislature that the platform upon
which they were elected, would. if carried |
into execution, as they have promised to
do, result in consigning the schools to in
efficiency and inferiority, and then to cap !
the climax, using the very argument that the
Coalitionists SO persistently advanced in
the canvass, viz That turning the colored |
schools over to colored trustees solely, |
would be the first step towards a fatal
policy-appropriatio of school revenues
to the schools of the race paying the
taxes
But DR.. Curry goes farther still. He |
makes a strong argument in favor of
Teachers Institutes, whilst bill of Dem
ocratic paternity and advocacy is pending
to have these Institutes abolished, and
then to crown all actually compliments the
administration of the present State Super
intendent Of Public Instruction, when
Democratic orators are screaming that
Farr doesn't know how to spell, and that
the schools will perish if not rescued from
his control.
In short, DIR. Curry emphatically tells
the Democratic party Of Virginia that it
Is either the enemy of the public school
system, or doesn't know what it is about,
and leaves the friends Of that party to de-
termine whether it is ''fool or knave.''
In the House last week. Mr.. Dunn Of
fered bill in the interests of physicians
which if passed. will cost the people dearly.
It provides among other things that no
product of opium shall be sold without
This would compel pre- ;
scription even for paragoric, or any other
simple prepar alton that contains opium.
Another provision is that no prescription
shall he rafillad if tho phuc;o;on o;,;,r. - | I