Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1890-10-24
EXTRACTS FROM AN ADDRESS
Recently Delivered Before the
Teachers Of st. Louis County by
Franklin P. Sever, Republl-
can Nominee for State
superintendent Of
Public Schools.

address referred to are pages con.
densed in that address.
In the course Of his remarks he
said:--
ga Great university should be
the pride of every state; should in
asense, be its light; the reservoir
into which all the primary educa-
tion of the state should flow.
How does the University OF
Missouri compare with the Uni
versity of surrounding states?
Michigan is n small state, has a
cold and rigorous climate, and is
separated into two parts by a
great lake; was admitted into the
Union as late as 1887, and in 1880,
had population of only about
one and one-half millions. Her
school fund is small, being only
about five and one-half millions,
but in 1889 she enrolled 1855
students in her University.
Missouri is large state; was
admitted into the Union as early
as 1921; and in 1880 had popu-
lation Of two and a quarter mil
lions. Not traversed by any
natural barrier; with varied, yet
most desirable climate and rich
soil, producing great variety OF
cereals and grasses in the north;
grain, tobacco, flax, hemp, fruit,
etc, in the central part; while
even cotton can be grown IN the
southern extreme. Rich in forest
productions; with a mountain of
iron; inexhaustible fields of coal; !;
vast quantities of lead and zinc;
fine quarries; and, in short,
enough undeveloped resource to
make her immensely rich and
powerful; yet with all these adj
vantages of age, population, eli
mate, wealth, and q school fund
approzimating the immense sum
of ten and two thirds millions of
dollars, she only enrolled 625
students in her university in 1889.
Kansas is a young state; was
admitted into the Union as late as
1861; hes no splendid forests; with
g. climate of driving storms IN
winter and hot winds from reflect
ing san'l beds in summer; with
soil inferior, and with resources
less abundant than our own; with
a population inss 1880 of less than
one million, and a school fund of
little more than five millions, Or
less than half our own, yst with
5oS students enrolled in her Uni
versity IN 1889.
Why are these Universities SO
far and SO rapidly outstripping
Our own?
Not because of age, for we are
the Oldest. Not because Of popu-
lation, for. ours is much the great
est. Not because of superior
wealth and resources, for we are
superior in both of these"
The only reason to be found and
given is because Of inferior legis-
lati Oh and management of our
educational interests.
With proper legislation IN, and
with right management Of our
education, there is no reason why
Mlssouri's University should not
soon become the greatest in the
west.
And not only would Legislation
and management of such a COM
plexion and character as estab-
lished Though against tremen-
dous opposition) our present
mag niticent school fund, give new
life and new impetus to our Uni
yersity, but it would also give a
new life and vigor to the even
more important educational inter
ests, viz: The educational inter
I'ests in the rural, districts through
out the length and breadth of the
state
Educational--as we'll as other
interests in the rural districts
are too often undervalued or en-
tirely overlooked, and the educa-
tional interests of the rural dis
trlcts in our state have for so long
been neglected, that even our Uui-
versity is perishing largely from
dearth of material, that with pro-
per legislation and attention
would be even more abundant
than in Michigan, Kansas or 9TH
er western states.
This dearth of interest is notice.
able all along the line of our edu-
cation.
Again referring to Kansas, we
find that last year the State
Teachers Association, which met
at Topeka in the dead of winter
(Dec. 1880 reported 1900 teach
ers enrolled.
The State Teachers Association
OF Missouri was held during the
most favorable month of the year,
June 1887 and Notwithstanding
the unusually strong effort made |
by the officers to secure a large
only about 400 teach
ers were enrolled, and this is the
largest enrolment in the history
of the Association.