Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-25
Common Schools and the Florida
Convention.

The question whether the State should
undertake to build up one or more col
leges within its limits or devote all that
it can afford for educational purposes TO
the improvement Of its common schools
is being agitated by the Florida Consu-
tutional Convention.
There ought 10 be no doubt about how
| this question should be decided. No
effort should be spared to improve the
common schools. The better the common
! schools are the more intelligent the
people will be, and the growth Of the
State in wealth and population will be in
| proportion to the intelligence of the people.
1t Will hardly be denied that the States
that have made the most rapid progress
in everything that contributes to the
greatness Of a State are those which have
done the most for their common schools.
1t is far better that the whole popula-
ton Of a State should be fitted TO utilize
the means Of self-improvement which are
supplied in the shape OF newspapers and
magazines than that a few should be
thoroughly educated. The young men
and women who acquire taste tor knowl-
edge at the common schools, and are
qualified there 10 appreciate and utilize
after their school days are over what they
find Of value in current literature, make
citizens who constantly aim to improve
their own condition and that Of those
about them. They are quick
to seize upon new ideas in
their own business or occupation, and to
make the most OF them. The difference
between the appearance Of the face Of the
country where the common schools are
excellent and where they are very poor
is so marked that it does not fail to at
tract the attention of the most careless
observer.
There is, of course, a certain State pride
in great institutions Of learning, but it
must not be forgotten that there are com
paratyely few such institutions in this
country, and that the greatest of them
owe little or nothing to the States in
which they are located. Not all of those
which are called universities and colleges
are such IN fact. The most of them, per
haps, are little more than academies or
preparatory schools.
Unless a State is itch, and is willing to
appropriate money generously through a
long period of years to the establishment
Of great educational institution, it had
better devote all il can spare for educa-
tional purposes to its common schools
ard leave the work of establishing a uni
Yersity to its rich men.
The young men and women of Florida,
or Of any other State that has no college,
who desire a liberal education can afford
to seek it at oneot the great colleges of the
country. In fact, if college were to be
established in their own State they could
not attend it at much less expense than
they could attend one Of the institutions
that have worldwide regulations, and the
advantages they would enjoy would be
very much less.
The Florida convention will make a
mistake if it dlverts any of the education
al funds of the State from the common
schools to the establishment of colleges or
a university. Many ought not to be
made to suffer with the hope of benefting
a few. Make the common schools of as
high a grade as possible, but let the uni
versity proposition alone for the present.