Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-14

EooN1 VI uNAtcl QutllbN anu AZ cheaper rates
than the merchant princes of Manchester and
Leeds could afford. 4 royal commission was
raised TO inquire into the reasons, and it was
discovered that the German WOrkmen, trained
themselves in high technical schools, had
been reinforced by the thought and study of
the learned colleges and the practical expert
nlents of the students and professors therein
till degree of skill and ingenuity hitherto
unknown IN similar manufactures had been
reached. The learned and industrious work
men had solved the problem of cost and quail
lty together. Investigation in other COun-
tries only confirmed the first discovery
and the English people were plainly told that
unless they should establish chronological col
/ leges and institutions of high grade they must
+ make up their minds to lose their position as
/ the foremost manufacturing nation on the
/ globe. 1t Is safe TO conclude that the English
+ Government will avert the threatened danger
/ by providing the remedy at once.
There are not wanting those in our own
I country who nave felt and recognized the
I Importance of this subject. In 1852, the Gen
erai Government appropriated what is known
as the land scrip fund to the States for the
/ purpose OF providing N each State a college
( Tor instruction in agriculture and the me-
Z chanic arts. In December, 1852, the Commits
/ siOner of Education, in response to a Senate
/ resolution, made an elaborate report showing
\ the results of the appropriation, with the pres
I ent state Of technical education in the Union.
( In the same year the Congress appropriated
/ over S4Sl, 600 IS the Indian tribes Of the West
/ for the purpose of industrial education
/ Many Of the States, following up the policy
I mented the land scrip fund by direct dona-
/ tions from the Treasury. in order to carry out
more effectively the purpose foT which the
Private individuals, catching the spirit of
I the times, and impressed with the Importance
/ OF this branch of education, are endOWIBg col
/ leges and universities with the means neces-
sary to impart such instruction, in many OF
/ our sister States.
The colored people, too, have by 20 means
/ been overlooked by those who are friendly to
! their lntereStg. a norton of the income
| ing from the Slater fund has been applied, in
accordance with the directions of the donor,
( to tho support of schools OF technology
| throughout the South. having for their object
I the educating and training of the cOlOred
children IN the branches taught IN such insti-
buttons. \ department for this purpose has
been added to the Atlanta University
and the sum OF $1,000 appropriated annually
for its support.
children, at Macen, has opened a depart
ment OF the same kind. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that our Legislature
refused to establish such an institution
for the white children of the State, vet it Is
! some qualification to know that the General
Government IS determined to give the In
/ dams the benefit of such education. 1t is some
/ consolation to know that the Northern friends
1 of Southern negroes are determined to give
/ TINS population among us the benefits of such
1 education. 1t Is some consolation to know
/ that our sister States of the South are
awakened to the importance of this matter,
/ and are apparently determined to give their
And 1t IS some consolation to know that the
milliOnares of the North are opening and en-
I downing departments IN Vanderbilt and Yale
and Washington Universities for the purpose
of allowing the children Of the rich and the
proud to obtain the benefits of sach education
The comments Of the press, while the mat
ter was yet pending before the Legislature. if
read in the light of the subseq Hent fate of the
bill, would create a smile, no doubt, to day.
The New ork papers said the movement was
an evidence of the fact that Georgia still in
{ tended to deserve and keen the nr0I11 n Of
the Empire State of the South. The Tonnes
see papers, commenting Senator Browns DO
sltlOn ON the subject, said it marked the COM
nencement OF new era in Georgia IN the
line OF progress. The Alabama papers prom
l6ed us lelp, and heartily commended I ne nm
Gertaklng. The South Carolina papers hailed
the movement as evidence of an awakening
10 sense OF the new order OF things Missis-
slPpl papers urged their own citizens TO he
stir themselves IN like direction. Even the
Boston papers declared that the movement
was 4lomentous, and bespoke an effort to
solve the great problem forced on us BY the
war. Not a paper in Georgia opposed it
most OF them favored the movement Not a
leader or note. not man of brains opened his
mouth in any other way than to commend the
policy of the proposed measure.
l. Technical education is especially ADAPTED
to the present wants and necessities of the
race II Is essentially resolution to first
principles. II aims at raising hand work to a
level with brain work and advancing both
together.
This result is demanded by the character of
our civilization The spirit of our age is en-
phatically practical and utilitarian. Even
in educated circles the old canons of taste
and criticism, of merit and orthodoxy are
changing. The newspaper has become the
great authority in our literature.
The dayiOf fine theories, sickly sentiment
muddy metaphysics, is passing away.
Science has assumed the central position
among the great agencies of human progress. !
Discarding the former idea Of show and dis
play for the dslectatiOn Of her wondering dis
cIP,'es only, sne is employing the vast re-
sources Of her kinslom III the multiplied
ton OF new sources Of wealth. in the
enlargement Of industry, and in the eleva-
ton and advancement of the race.
The state of the public mind, the bent OF
public achievement, renders technical eduet
ton necessity.
The school-room ought to gather up the
threads that run through the great lines Of
tho9ght IN the country, and putting the
student early IN possession of them. enable I
him or her most effectively and unerringly to
find and to I'LL the allotted place in the ma
chinery of self-advancing progress Such a /
school-rONm would be the reflection of the
great world outsde-an image If its thought |
answering its questions and solving its prob
lens. Here should be found the roots of that
knowledge which will insure to its possessOr
and glory.
Men fought out the battle of the classics
herlted from former generations; when (
ease and leisure fostered poetry (
and high art, and the ideal Of ali /
happiness was to be able to enjoy life without 4
the necessity of laboring continually to &C
quiremeans to support it.
Now science has risen up, full statured and I
exactlng obedience from people called to la \
Dor Tor all excellence with hand and brain,
proposes to concentrate in her dominons the .
hope, the heart and the VIII of the world.
me sewing together of the fig leaf in the I
garden, it is said, was the germ OF all subse- {
quent invention. Since then, mans handi-
work, adding value to the raw material, has
htted and prepared the products of nature for
the uses OF the race. Few things are used or
employed by us which do not owe something
to the skill or the labor of men.
In state OF nature men are estimated ac-
cordlng to their ability to use their hands their
eyes, their ears or other senses. The Esquimaux
IS rich among his fellows, and can marry anv
girl in the land, if he but own a single iron
spear head and have the courage, the strength
and the skill to use lie.
On this side lies a region wide enough for
Infinite development. Great men are only SO
because they are teachers. They have seme-
thing to do or show or to say to their fellows
Power to control is based on superior power
to show and declare to others what is neces-
sary to be done and how to do it. & man Is
only great when judged by results.
The poet, writer, orator, statesman-these
are all educated handicraftsmen in the high
est sense of the word. Reasoning from anal
ogy, the loftiest development of human power
ought to be in the domain of mechanical con-
struction. Gods mightiest glory is revealed
to us In creatlOn-In the originating, putting
as moral universe.
Law in nature is only the application of
Gods mind to material things. In the study
of these laws then is revealed the mind Of
God. In ancient days the attestation OF a di-
vine commission was made to rest on the
ability to control material things apparently
to conflict with law.
The striking nature of miracle was due to
the fact that to finite eyes the working of it
reversed the great law Of physical philosophy,
and effect no longer followed cause.
repeat, that in this wide range of hand
work, with an educated BRAIN putting its
achievements into form and shape, lies ali dis
cOYery, all invention, all development all
progress, all material success.
Here may be found the origin of all the
power and glory Of our modern age. Not TO
Latin, or Greek, or Mathematics is traceabe
the wonderful advance of modern times Civ
ilization took its first forward strides and
gathered its amazing victories from the labora-
tory Of the chemist and the workshop of the
engineer. On these thresholds it began to
work ITS world wonders. AristOtle's philOsO-
ply could never move people one step for
ward on the way of material progress and de-
velopment. The dry pandects OF the gloomy
stagirite never made bread for the hungry,
stored the Golfers of the rich with gold, or
broke the crust from the gems of the orient.
There is no mater al wealth in metaphysical
abstractiCns.
To the inventor, the architect, the builder
to all those standing on this high platform
Of human endowment-the ions are IN
QeDteu for this modern era advanced I