The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-23
COUNTY INSTITUTE
iddFess on Education By J. h.
Hendry.

! the teachers have been edited by tht
addresses of Mr.. Peter Koch, J. E. Hen
dry and others. Mr.. Hendry's addres:
! was deliveredin the Presbyterian Church
on Wednesday evening, to a large and
intelligent audience of teachers and eiti-
zens. After music and singing Mr.
Hendry was introduced by Prof. Wylie
and delivered his address as follows
Al no period of the history of ouI
country has the requirement ola liberal
education been SO necessary as at the
present, and that necessity will increase
with accommodating rapidity as the years
pass by. This is an age Of intense
thought. Never before has the human
ras thought so earnestly and so gener-
ally. The world is throbbing with
thought The process is not confined to
the learned professions, the colleges or
the literary classes. At the loom, at the
pillow, at the forge, at the bench, at the
drill, at the shovel, men are as hard at
work with their heads as with their
hands-exercising their minds as yigor-
ously as their muscles. The results of
this mental labor are easy of detection.
Strikes and labor agitations and COM
munistic demonstrations are the first
rude and unshaped fruits Of this mental
labor on the part of the classes that
have until lately labored only with bone
and sinew And that these movements
are not more frequently and thorough
ly successful is because they are mall
formed and misdirected from lack of in
telligent action and educational training
on the part of their participants But
the children of these agitators, thanks
to americas free schools and able teach
ers, will not feel this want so keenly
The next generationof farmers, mechan-
les, miners and laborers will accomplish
by peaceful but intelligent agitation the
great revolutions of which their fathers
are the pioneers, and that are surely to
sweep our country and the world.
Races, politics, religions, social condi-
tions, even the rights of property are
all to feel the mighty upheavals of revo-
lutionary volcanoes that are already
gathering their mighty forces deep down
in the lower strata of our population and
are sending forth plentiful warnings of
the eruptions that are to come. The
man or the woman who would take part
IN these great movements, who would be
an intelligent participant rather than
blindly ignorant follower should
be now preparing for the great work by
contracting the habits Of thought and
acquiring the stores of knowledge that
are to constitute the motive power of
future progress. The time is coming
aszs1 eanai.aua uaDidlY when Ignorance will
be despised almost as a crime and when
intellect and education will be the only
guides through the avenues of success.
The masses of the colored race IN our
southern states are said to be frequently
deprived Of the rights of free American
citizens, which Lincoln's proclamation
sought to confer upon them. Is it sur
prising? Can it be expected that a
people whose masses are stepped in the
densest ignorance, though dominant in
numbers can rule an intelligent minority?
# is not fight of color against color in
the south it is struggle OF knowledge
against ignorance and no man need
wonder or murinur that knowledge
asserts itself. When the schools of the
so, thern states have accomplished their
benefcent mission the colored race will
enjoy another emancipation more i'm
portant to them than mere physical
freedom emancipation from the bond
age Of ignorance and superstition. Then
they will no longer be an oppressed
people then there will be no race prob
lens IN the south and the cry of "a shot
gun policy" viii be unheard.
The Irish nation has for centuries
struggled to escape from beneath the
heavy hand of England and t. achieve
certain individual political rights. That
she has not long ago accomplished this
end is because the masses OF her people
have not yet reached the standard Of
educational development that would en-
able them to succeed by peaeeable and
united action or (shall say it y govern
themselves if they succeeded. The
diffusion of general education among the
Irish people would fit them to attain
any object Tor which they labored.
In our own country we constantly hear
the murmurs and outcries of labor
against capital, Our laboring classes are
the majority and are only unsuccessful
in obtaining prompt redress Of just gre-
vanees because they are the ignorant
and misguided followers Of false and de-
ceitful demagogues who bend them to
selfish purposes and misdirect and di-
vide their power.
There is a strong and growing organi.
cation that demands equal political and
business advantages for both sexes
Mere demands will never accomplish
this end. As ladies show themselves
fitted for the work to be performed they
are taking positions hitherto occupied
exclusively by men. This process is go
ing forward very rapidly, not in obedi-
enee to demand, but because of mere
educational development in the sex,
The same evolution will command and
receive full political franchise in due
time if tile ladies' still think they need
that privilege
The great power which is 70 righf
these wrongs and accomplish these
revolutions is education. And what Il
education Webster defines it to b
the enlightenment Of the understanding
| the regulation Of principles and eharac
/ ter (; preparation for an active and use
I ful life not SO much the communication
Of knowledge as the discipline Of the IN