Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-26

look to the teachers of todsy-both mer
and women-as types of the highes
character, when every act will be an ex,
ample which will tend to ennoble the
minds of the youths. and may their flu,
ture success be inspired by their thoughts
as they cast a backward glance along
life's rigid pathway to those happy child
hood days, when their kind and loving
teacher who moulded their young minds
and was their youthful inspiration for all
that was good and noble. Some of us
who have passed many of the mile stones
along life's journey know what pleasure
we sometimes derive by sitting down for
getting for the moment the business cares
of life and letting our minds wander back
along the circuitous paths of our lives
until it reaches the old school room with
its floods of childish memories cliuging
around it-these are the memories that
cannot be effaced by time. They will
cling to the heart while life remains, and
who of us did not build beautiful castles
in the air. and how many of those bright
est dreams in those far away happy
childish days have ever been realiZed2
1t is not my intention to make any ex-
tended remarks. l am fully aware you
have a vast amount of interesting BUSH
ness to transact at this session of the as
sociation, and cannot spare much of your
valuable time on the preliminaries. l
will therefore detain you but moment
longer by saying few words in conclu-
sion about our system of free schools,
which every American citizen is and
ought to be proud Of This continent has
been the birthplace of great many emf
nent men and women in all the profess
| sions and avocations OF life. l believe
can safely say without any fear of con-
tradiction. that the United States has pro
duced mole truly great men and women
in its one hundred and fourteen years
OF existence than the whole world
combined from the birth of Christ down
to the middle of the present century
| Since 1850 all the European nations have
made rapid progress in the arts and
sciences and in the advancement of all
| educational privileges, which l attribute
has been mostly accomplished by their
Initiating us. All these grand achieves
ments is due to our system of free schools
which is the chief corner stone Of our
government.
er to not only teach our children the ru-
diments of common school education,
but to teach them loyalty and patriotism,
| to love their country and its free institu
| tons. to honor and respect our flag. that
heaven emblaZoned banner-the emblem
of freemen-which was first unfurled to
| the breeze more than one hundred years
ago. anu has met the admiration of the
| world. and is honored and respected in
every land and on every sea; but | am
sorry to say that our system of free
schools has not yet reached perfection
In my opinion it lacks al least one i'm
portant link in the chain, and that is the
school book imposition should be abol>
| ished. Who is responsible for it l cannot
say, whether il is the boards of education,
or the superintenents of public instruc
ton. do not wish to be understood as
saying anything that will reflect upon any
gentleman present; it is the vicious sys
| tenn denounce. which | am sorry to say
to the best of my knowledge is universal
throughout the land. But there is GER
tainIy something radically wrong some>
where; it is the only weak spot In our
system of free schools, and it is a fragrant
| when publishing houses secure a monop,
oily to furnish this class of goods. and
compel the people to pay more than four
| times their actual cost, and have the ia
tiucnce to have them CHI anged annually.
This is one of the most grievous burdens
the people have 10 bear. The state
should adopt a standard set of books
and have them published by the lowest
| responsible bidder, and furnish them 10
the people at cost and to he paid for by
general tsYstion; then we would have
free schools in fact as well as in name;
then fair school education would be
within the reach of all, both rich and
poor, and at the same time 1t would lie
lease the people from a heavy burden
they have been compelled to bear too
long.
PRESIDENT HALL RESPONSE.
Pres ident Hall made few remarks in
response, speaking of the beautiful and
substantial buildings of Rock Island
from the spires of which the stars and
stripes fiosted, and he spoke of the many
points which had been gathered by the
visitors from the faithful and earnest
teachers of Rock Island. and that the
work here seen would effect the schools
of northern Illinois hereafter. and that
the visit here had proven both source
of pleasure and profit.
A few minutes were then devoted to
business, Mr.. T. p. Goodhue, of Edge.
wood, being elected secretary pro tenn in
the place of the regular secretary. Miss
Len0rs Franklin, of Englewood, who was
not 10 attendance. Prof. p. o. Silver, of
Freeport, was elected treasurer for the
remainder of the year, Prof. e. c.
Snyder presented an invitation to the
association to hold its October meeting at
Freeport and extended the Inequalities of
that city. The invitation was accepted on
condition that suitable arrangements
conld be made with the hotels and rail.
roads. and the convention adjourned for
the afternoon.
sUPT. kIEHLEs LECEURE.
In the evening every available seat in
the Central Presbyterian church was oc-
cupied to hear the address of Hon. D. l..
Kiehle, Of ST. Paul, state superintendent
of pu bile instruction of Minnesota. His
subject was The Educational Basis of
Our Civilization and be began by draw
ing comparison between the Indian in
hsbitsnts of this country one hundred
years ago, and the present inhabitants.
The Indians had the same sun skv earth