San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-07-25
Prof Cooper on Chautauqua Hill.

Monday was teachers day on tho
Hill, and after u previous failure oil
two, Prof. Cooper, State Superin'
tendent OF Public Instruction, was
actually on hand to address the peo
pie. The day was not we'll chosen,
Monday being rather the dnllest Of
the week, so the audience, though
respectable, WAS nothing like what it
ought to have been; even teachers
were few AMI far between. We very
much regretted that, our people were
not out en- masso to listen to the en-,
unciation of truths which vitality
concern the pr csent ard coming gen
crations.
Pro. Cooper is q gentleman IN the
prime OF life, plain and unassuming
in appearance and manners, but
thoroughly energetic and earnest in
his allotted work. An ab,o and
faithful official, THE MAN in him tran
sends the office. A man of talent
and learning, he manifests heart
and conscience as well, and is fired
by human sympathy and patriotism
to labor for the mental and moral
elevation OF the mass of the people.
We cannot undertake hero to give
more than M imperfect synopsis Of
his speech. We will just remark
that the circular from his pen and
the passage from the Statesman
which we publish elsewhere in this
paper, will give a good idea of the
drift of his argument.
The lecturer stated that he did not
consider education the primary duty
of tho State, but of parents. Yet the
State was Interested In securing the
education of the rising generation
from the fact that general enlighten-
ment is essential to the stability of
government, and the gov
ernment must soon pass into the
hands of those who are now children.
He said that the compelling of all to
pay taxes for the support of educa-
ton, although some may have
no children, was by some re-
yarded as undemocratic. He thought
10 was good democrat, but did not
hink SO, neither did the fathers and
ounders of Texas, nor did the Mther
If democracy, Thomas Jefferson. 1t
vas right that individual selfshness
hould be held subservient to the
public good. He made many happy
in this branch of his
which We regret we can
lot reproduce. He said that people
Who thought the public schools were
lot good enough for them and their
hildren were too good to live under
republican government, but should
eek an introduction to the Prince of
Wales and have their pedigrees re-
constructed. He said that the gen.
raj intelligence of the people was
he only security of free govern
nent, and that education and free
government must stand or fall to-
,ether. This part of the address dis
'layed much earnestness and feeling,
nterspersed with passages of real
loquence.
He referred to the fact that public
ducation was opposed on the one
and by the cvolutionists, led by
Herbert Spencer, and on the other by
he Roman Catholic church, and said |
hat the best answer to both was to |
lake our common schools so good
s to be indispensable to the general !
'ell being.
He closed with some practical re- /
larks to teachers and others, insist s
Is especially upon the importance of |
aving schools properly graded, and
n teachers enforcing their own con. ,
lotions of what is best for the pupil [
ithout regard to the different sug- ,
estions of parents or children. He [
.yled the opposite aud too prevalent /
purse on the part Of teachers
) 'pedagogic demagogery." He ,
Iid the strict enforcement of true I
raded system not only insures q G
borough mental training, but also 6
,mpels observance of the principles 1
morality and good breeding.
In short, the speech and the occa- i
on gave a genuine "lOve feast" lin c
.ethoiist phraseOlosy) to the friends G
popular education present c