San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-08-06
LECTURE ny PROF. ROTE
On the Subject Of Public Schools and
their Organization In San Marcos.
delivered Tuesday Night
July 2s, 1885.
Rspshsa Tor the FAR Pss...

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with his address rs follows;
) Fellow-oitizens Ladies' aud Gentlemen O
San Marcos II affords mo pleasure 4
DO present with you tonight TO speak on
topic OF which have some knowledge, ys
| do not claim quite ~ much as my honore'
friond has youchsafed 10 me. But shal
endeayor TO make M clear M possible Ger
tain viows and points that interest Jon al tn
present lime on the subject Of public edu
cation.
II IL hardly necessary for me to pre-
sent the question whether there Ia no
cessity for education. In q city as enlight
ened as yours Is that question certainly
needs no discussion at my hands. Still
shall present one or two points now, in or
der to mako part OF the argument which
shall follow.
In this country education has to do with
tho preparation for citizenship in Other
countries Il has to do with making men
good subjects, Then, il in a country like
ours, under our civilization and under oui
system Of government, II is necessary that
we educate for citizenship, II is necessary
that all men--when soy all men ! use the
word in its generic term, including both
men and women-should DO educated that
they may exercise all the rightful functions
Of sovereignty. A man cannot exercise the
rightful functions of citizenship, Of cover.
eighty, unless he be educated; for If he ia
not educated he is liable TO be controlled by
dcmagogues and led astray and do great
injury to the country in which he lives, by
education he becomes higher being and
can use his reasoning powers AZ to whether
certain things are good or evil. Therefore
no should be educated. lie should be edu.
Gated also because If man was not intended
to be educated he would not be possessed
with powers of mind capable of cultivation
and development But, as said before, ii
requires no argument before this audience
to establish the fact that he has to be tdu,
Gated.
And next, now that men are to be edu.
Gated, the question comes up, who shall
educate tho people; in other words, who
shall educate the peoples children2 We
know very well that our country and society
is largely divided upon the basis of denomi.
national standards. Now the question is,
and it Is also very important question,
especially with some who hold that the re-
| ligious education Of man should go hand in
hand with his mental development; and to
a certain extent this is true; but the great
question first is How shall men be odu-
Gated? As citizen it matters not whether
he be Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist
or q Methodist, because as a citizen he may
be either of them and yet not destroy his
citizenship. But first of all he should DO u
citizen therefore we must first attend to
his mental development coincident and con-
curing with the physical. While this men,
tal development isgoug on the morals must
bo taken care of, but tho morals of q man do
not depend upon sectariau views or denom-
national standards A man mny be II moral
man and hold to neither or any of them
Now then, is there any need for denomina-
tional schools? I say yes, there is need
for UNCONVENTIONAL schools, and they are
doing their work there is much need for
them, but the question comes up: Can the
Catholics educate the people of Texas ?"
The question comes back again, why
shall they in preference to all others edu-
cate the people Of Texas, when am Pres
byteriau and don't believe in any of the
tenots of their faith?" The question thon
comes up, shall tho Baptists educate the
people Of Texas?" and the answer comes
back, No" Then we come to all the
other denominations Presbyterans, Bap-
lists, Methodists, Christian Disciples, or
whatever else they may be calied-the
question is asked, and the answer comes
back "Now Then, if they cannot educate
the people of Texas, who shall educate the
people of Texas? The people of Texas
shall educate tho people Of Texas, it belong
ing within tho province of the State that
they shall educate the people of Texas, that
they may become good citizens -intelli-
gent, well trained good citizens that they
may exercise truly the functions of sover-
eighty.
But some say, "Why not have religion
taught in the schools?" To that the ques-
ton comes back, What religion shall be
taught" Tho people of Texas being Ill
vided into SO many denominations by rolig
ION, when mep teach the religion which
Msy believe, it may be an objection to those
who do net believe it. Then again, the
question comes up, if the teachers of Texas
are to do the teaching of religion, then /
say what is the use of all these temples that
are setting up their spires in all the cities
and towns of Texas? Had wo better rae
them to the ground or turn them into school
houses? II tho teachers OF Texas are TO
nerform both the functions ct the teacher
and preacher. We will dispense with the
preacher. Bat the two ouyht 20 SO hand in
hand. Let the teacher develop the intel
lectual man. his moral being. aud when the
weeks work is done let each family send its
children &c the church with which II ailili-
a;cs; this is the way. then they perform
their functions in their proper sphere and
the teacher performs his in his proper
sphere. Now then il may be readily seen
that the question - to who shall educAte
the pSoyle II Texas is answcre1-the people
Of Texas shall educate tic children % Texas.
without regard to any dsnomiuatioual iires;
nothing to divide them, but they are on the
great s5cisl plane - equality Of al Den-
We 6cu't mean by that ye a-e E'i1g