Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-16
3 AND A.
nooK-KrrprNn--c1.laan

embraced q dynamo, motor. indaction
COl,' telephone, microphone. galyanometer
anu storage battery.
The commencement Grafton.
Az the conclusion Of the delivery OF the
PtI@Ss COLONEL John Il. Purcell introduced
,Hr, r. ii. Richardson, editor of the At
!an'a journal, 0s the commencement orr
1or. COLONEL PurcelPs remarks were eI-
ceedingly happy.
Mr.. Richardson commenced his address
WIN Tho contention that public education
IN any Just sense is indeed the child of this
century ard public education. such "a IA
now afforded in the most intelligent and
most liberal communities, is the child of
TINS generation. The truest statesman, he
said, 10 he who realizes most profoundly
tue importance Of developing into uracti
cal power the intellectual force of the peo-
PIE. Inc best patriot is he who is most
profoundly concerned that this tremendous
Iorce snail have right direction; the most
useful phlanthropist, he who contributes
most 10y influence or material means 10
estao1sh, equip, and maintain agencies for
the true education Of the masses.
DEAD vs. oUIcKESING KNOWLEDGE.
:. =, 1t is safe to say" the speaker remarked.
that the education is best which pro
duces the largest result ont of the natural
endowment OF its subject. II is equally
0ftfn
supplies only mass of dead knowledge
without quckening in the slightest degree
the intellectual or moral faculties and
without fitting its recipient for productive
work OF any sort whatever. There is now
Z. greater demand for nourishlng fruits of
the tree OF knowledge than for los beau
teous blossoms. Men have learned that
the conditions of life may be improved,
IT'S comforts increased, and its wearing toll
diminished by the application of know
ledge to material by manual as well as by
purely intellectual training.
A CHEERING SIGN.
This tendency towards practical educa-
ton IS one of the most cheering signs of
the times. II has been resisted, but hap
ply resisted in vain, by the shallow senti-
mentalism which shudders at the mere
suggestion that education should have any
| relation 10 affairs, but claims that it should
be sort of aerial, intangible. rOse-colored,
DAINTY, and dreamy intellectual accom-
phshment.
The speaker then called attention to the
| average difference between the wages of
clerks and mechanics, and gave some inte-
| resting statistics touching the relations of
ldlcness to criminality as shown by prison
| reports, which reports initiated strongly
in favor Of technical education. He also
traced the history OF public education in
Georgia, adduced figures TO show the llbe-
rahty of that State in the direction of en-
cOuraging technical institutions for both
young men and women, entered a strong
plea for the educational training of the
latter and II conclusion said:
BRITISH CONSERVATISM STARTLED.
British conservatism was startled and
| British pride was humbled by the revela-
| ton at the Crystal-Palace Exposition in
| 1851 that England was being left behind in
| the industrial arts by her continental
nejghbOrs. But England did not attempt
/ TO defend her old methods; she fastened
| - reform and reconstruct them. Those
/ great industrial schools were founded
| which have made the skill Of the English
artisan famous the world over and have
! gwen tremendous impulse to English
/ commerce. They have stimulated English
/ manufactures and increased English trade
/ TO an incalculable degree; bat this result
J has not been more valuable than the bene-
| fits these schools have directly and indl-
! rectly conferred on the wOTkingmen OIL
! England. To these institutions IL due very
| largely the reform of the oppressive APP
| prentice system. They have enlarged the
| opportunities of the English boy who has
! his own way TO make in the world; they
have improved vastly the condition OF the
| working classes 10y increasing their earning
| capacity and thus stimulating their PRIDE
and elevatlnG their usual tone.
! In a recent number Of the North AUleT't-
can ReUicto Mr. Joseph Chamberlin con-
/ tIasts the condition of the wage-earners
| of England now with what it was fifty
years ago, and were 1t not for the high
| character of the writer it would be almost
| impossible TO believe that within half q
| century such a revolution had been
wrought in the social, moral, and material
condition OF large part OF tho BRUSH
! nation.
:" As England in 1851 realized that she
| must afford her artisans opportunities foI
] better technical education, we have begun
/ TO appreciate the Importance of similar
policy.
THE PAUPER LABOR OF EUROPE.
1.-THE pauper labor of Europe is a politi-
! cal bugbear which is vigorously paraded III
| our campaigns. but it Is the skilled labor
| of Europe that the American worklngman
! has to meet in competition. And the fact
| that we can obtain the best quaHty oil
| many articles Of necessity only by lmpor-
/ tatiOn Is IN most instances attributable Ia
| the fact that the labor which produces
] them has been trained IN lnduStrlal SCHOOLS
! for which we have no rivals.
I'm native intelligence, IN character and
! shirt theworkingman of the United States
! is without peer, but his opportunities toi
! scientific training are painfully clrcuul'
| scribed. The fact that in some branches
/ of manufacture he has dlstanced competl-
| ton simply proves his great natural supeI
| riority and indicates that with equal
/ chances he could 90 10 the 'front.' III many
| other lines of production. A prominent
politician who, like many OF his llk' II
! Given TO boasting of his affection tor the
/ workingmau, was during o recent cam,
| paipn dlspOeed to take unto himself FreaI
| Glory because ne addressed fellow-cltlzehs
/ in suit of cloth of American manuiac-
ture. Every yard Of the fabrics that clothe
| our 65, 900, 600 people should be maze III Ihe
| United States.
SHOULD BE MADE At HOME.
EVERY engine that drives end every
| wheel that turns in the vast machinery 0l
| onr industries should be homemade. we
ought TO produce not only All the dV,,I-
| tuTed articles that we need, but we ougn'
! 20 ba able to make them cheap enough
| and GOOD enough to hold our own IN neu-
t.ai ,,orkets against the best OF competl-
/ go We will never be able to 90 inns 10y
.rearinc artificial barriers agalns! the com
/ netitiOn of foreigners who e6cei US ~ "" va
| rious manufactures, but we can 20 ~ nS
/ teaching our worKhleu ~" "
! beat competition. .or;o, ,yo
ore beoinning to appreciate tins tact ana
| 10 arm ourselves with the only reIiaplo aliu
o4sn;ent equipment for industrial pros
nsrity-the equipment OF educateu lao ~
| God has given us the most a3unuan ,, auu
most varied supply OF valuable raw iilat 70,
/ rioI that ia to be found IN any couhtr! on "a
| The globe. When we learn how 10 usG ~ " "
he hest advantage we will be truN i IaoS
nendent. Our industrial schools are iT nv
| mo ma toward this consummatl9n, -, ~
liza If practical education Is taxing Pos
sass;on of the people. II IS not ohly 20,
yeloned in technical schools IKE th ns An IN
- ia 6eginning to penetrate our ehtite eu ~
nationaI system. In many of the citles % y,
tbc United States pupils IN .conlni ;n
snbools are receiving elementary IL
strnction in the mechanic arts. nrV;iS
S where ere the education of the hand Is gaming
ground. 40 p,cuvoSp.
at, "a 10 the honor of Richmond thal
omon, her citizens have been toun NO.
anU ober sufficient to establish ana man IN
. hIn such school as this. II Is 10 ino
lam taln ~ Virginia that sho IS conceIn.inS
t.Noif so profoundly about the eau n,
nsibo or children. She long ago put heT i1o %,
OF net he miserable theory OF one OF ne, eSi
u9yiv colonial Governors, VINO IA fpea
onl'{{ i thank God there are no .heIi
scbools nor printing, ana l h9po mr 10,
not nav - hrought diSobedience anu