The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-03-01
COUNTY TEACHERS.
Regular Meeting of the Teachers
Institute Saturday.
An Able Address by Hon. o. H.
Cooper-Important Papers
Read and Discussed.

meeting at the Baptist churcn, WIN very
full attendance of teachers from the
country.
Professors G. NJ. Robinson, Macarthur,
Lowry and others ably discussed the sub
iect of united history and presented many
new and valuable suggestions.
Miss E. s. Mitchell read a very inter
estine paper, entitled "The Objects of
Recitation" and Professor Knote one on
"Our Country Schools"
The latter was discussed at some length
as to how to best improve and control tn
schools.
Professor Leonard then read valuable
paper on "How to Teach Geography"
At the afternoon session Hon. Oscar II.
Cooper, state superintendent of public
instruction, delivered the following ad-
dress, which was listened to from begin
ming to end with profound attention:
SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
In such country as ours, the safety
and good order of communities must de-
pend either on the education of the
masses or on military force obedient to
single will, but po Rerful to compel obedi-
ence. In our country we may neither
hope nor fear that the preservation of
ordrr and the protection of property will
ever be dependent on military force.
But law and order are essential
to the existence of organized
society. Hence the universal diffusion
of education is essential to the existence
of the state. AS society grows more com
plex, and the administration of the affairs
of the state become more cumbersome
and difficult education becomes vital
need and of supreme Importance.
Education is the common right of all.
The vital necessity of education to the
maintenance of civil liberty and self
government was clearly seen by the
earliest and visest American statesmen,
Washington, Madison, Franklin, Hamilton
and others having united on this great
question. The fathers of the republic of
! Texas declared that the maintenance of a
system of universal education by the state
is essential to the preservation of liberty
and the perpetuation of free institutions.
The recognition of this fact has revolu
tionized educational theories. 1t is now
understood that education is right, not
at the parents cost, but the public and
general expense; that education must be
universal; that the right 10 it is as sacred
as the right to be free; in short, that the
education of his children is not only an
obligation of the parent but duty which
the state owes to ITSELF. This is the pc
sition To-Day of every state in the
American union. More than hall
the states have gone fur
ther, and, by legislative action, required
that the children of delinquent and in
different parents must attend school. Let
it be understood, once for all, that edu-
cation by the state is not charity en-
forced by the state, but a right of thu
child, and duty of the state inherent il
civilized society.
In spite of the fact that all the wises
and best statesmen of the federal repub'
lilo strenuously urged this principle, il
spite of the fact that the founders of oul
own commonwealth announced the same
principle in the declaration of Texan indie
pendenee, the elimination of the idet
that education by the state enforced char
ity went forward slowly in Texas until thu
asst decade.
Since that time what wonderful growth
and development has our school system
undergone? Ten years ago the enroll
ment in the public schools of the sta,
was less than oue-fourth of what it is thi
year, although the total population wa
only one-half. In the same period tn
school fund has increased from about
100000 to about $2,500O00. Yet, il
spite of this great increase, tn
fact remains that the average
school term in the state is one montl
shorter than the organic law requires thu
legislature to provide. The people de
mand that the legislature meet by prope
legislation the mandate of the cOnstitu
ton.
With the change in the theory whicl
forms the foundation of our public schoo
sy stem, with the wonderful growth of, tn
system in magnitude and importance
and with tie fallacious doctrine whicl
still dominates many minds, that th'
people of each locality should have the ex
elusive management and control of theil
own schools, no matter how incapabl Q the!
may be of the proper education of thei
children, or how Indifferent they may b.
to the proper conduct of the schools, i
is not strange that there is still great iacl
of definiteness of arrangement and com
pleteness of organization for carrying OF
the system. To this 1 might add tht
remarkable lack of comprehension of tn
principles underlying education by Ih'
state on the part of many of our law
makers, and the explanation of the lacl
of a complete and uniform system in ou
schools will not seem strange. But tn,
people of the state are pro
fOundly concerned and deeply inter
ested in the development o
an efficient and uniform system
of schools. When the wisdom and sounC
practical sense of our people shall make
itself felt on this matter, self-seekinl
demagogues will be amazed at their Owl
folly. Not many years will pass until on
school system will be the best in the south
and rival some of the admirable system
of the northwest.
Already, we have many as capabl
teachers and as good schools as can b
; found anywhere, but the antsgonisms o
, many local organizations expend in hos
Utility to each other energies il
} time, money, and thought whic
D should go to building up the edu
3 cation of the children. Thus on
schools often fall far short of the result
which they should accomplish and whic
I they might accomplish with the expendi
, ture of less money than they now cost,
9 they we're organized on a sim pler an
more sensible basis. You will readily IN
derstand from what have said that l ar
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