Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-25
The Gathering One of the Finest
Ever Seen in Texas.
THE FORT WELL REPRESENTED.
The Plans and Offers Of Prizes of the Texas
Worlds Fair Association Set Forth.
The Annual Address of President ". S.
Sutton Well Observation-Disclosures
Speeches DELIVERED and Able
Papers Read.

was mucn larger than yesterday IL was a
body OF fine looking men and bright. hand
some women, all wearing look of intellI-
gence and culture. 1t may be described as
grand collection of the pedagogical wis
dom of the state Assem- blyauce, the flowers
of the professor, culled from all parts of the
educational field. The school teacher was
very much abroad to-day. When President
Sutton raped for order every available
seat on the floor of the great hall was occu-
pied, and before long the gallery was
packed with an interested crowd of visitors.
The secretary of the association reports
that there are present about twice as many
female as male teachers.
After prayer by Rev. MIR. Wright of Aus
tin, Mayor Mcdonald made an address of
welcome, which was responded to, first by
Mrs. Ed +. Warren, of Fort Worth. vice
president, who spoke for the association in
brief but eloquent manner. Other
responses were made bo Jacob Bickler of
Galveston, who spoke for the private
schools, and Professor Cody of Georgetown
for UNCONVENTIONAL schools, and Professor
Cousins of MeXia wac spoke for the schools
of the state.
In the absence of the secretaey. Professor
Long, Professor Carlisle of Fort Worth
was appointed secretary protein with Pro-
fessor Jones of Salado as an assistant
The Choral society of Austin rendered
beautiful song, and President Sutton then
delivered his annual addres, which is as
follows:
PRESIDENTS ANNUAL ADDRESS.
THE Joy of living in such a splendid and
luminous day as this is inconceiVable
These words, uttered one day last summer
by distinguished United States senator,
formed one sentence of an eloquent tribute
to the late James B. Beck. They are
cheering words, and what is better, they
at least approximate the truth. Every
earnest teacher is consistent, persistent
foe of pessimism. and every school-house is
prophecy of future happiness. 1t is pre-
eminently the school masters business,
especially in a democratic country, to
spread abroad the knowledge of mans
great progress, to increase his faith in
humanity and to multiply and strengthen
his hopes for future good.
This association, take it. is gathered
here to-day because we believe that the
great problems of human life, whose diff
culties the labors of the past have aided
largely III removing, are nearer solution
than ever before Should it be our decided
conviction that mans progress is ended,
his destiny wrought out, or that it is useless
for us TO engage in efforts to improve his
condition, everyone of US would keep aloof
from educational conventions, deeming 1t
more worth the while to spend time and
energies in securing a reelection, and in
selfishly fighting for the almighty dollar.
What miserable set OF pedagOgues would
we become almost as miserable and venal as
some modern Ananiases have recently pict-
ured US If. as the chief article in our creed.
should be found: 1T is our solemn belief
that the state has organized and is foster
ing system of education for the purpose
of providing places where her youth may
assemble and receive instruction from men
and women who believe that the universe
is a failure, and that education is hum
bug" Despite the fact that we may some
times hear it said that insincere, spread
eagle speeches and papers full of cant and
driveling platitudes are delivered in our
meetings, yet we all admit upon searching
our hearts, that we are glad because of this
yearly elbow-touch with our fellows. and
that we rejoice because of the inspiration
and the power that comes from this blessed
fellowship.
Taking it for granted. then, that we
Texas teachers arenot troubled with dyspep-
tic philosophy and that this giant of State
teachers association is positive evidence
that there is better time coming, let me
rehearse briefly very few doctrines of
hopeful educational creed. May you be
able to pronounce them sound, land may those
who are strangers to them find them profit
able for correction and instruction in right
eousness."
l. The teacher should know why he
teaches. We believe. with Emerson, that
our work should be brave and preventive;
that politics is an after-wOrk, poor patch
ing; that we are always little late; that
the evil is done, the law Is passed and we
begin the uphill agitation for repeal of that
very thing the enactment of which we
should have prevented. This doctrine is
certainly true. If the little red school
house placed upon hill is to serve any pur
pose, it is to prepare boys and girls for COR
rect thinking and right doing. Within its
walls the training pupils receive, far more
than the knowledge they obtain is to tit
them for an active, vigorous, useful career.
If education means anything, the one great
object it seeks to attain is the redemption of
the world from ignorance, from weakness
and from vice. We all recognize the fact
that the accomplishment of this great pur-
pose lies far in the distance, but no one of
intelligence will dispute that
years spent in forming and fixing habits of
speaking the truth, of dealing honestly and
with ones neighbors, of showing
for the law and its officers, of being
punctual and industrious in the perform
ance of duty. give to society
BLESSING OF UNTOLD ADVANTAGE.
The governor, in his message to the legisla-
ture last winter, correctly answered the
question why we teach, when he stated:
mo greater principle was ever uttered
than when our fathers said that unless the
idle to expect the continuance of civil lib-
erty or the capacity of self-government."
Again, we all agree that the teachers
should love to teach. We may go into the
practice of law occasionally, or once in the
greatest while we may even marry, but still
the man who despises his calling is not re-
garded worthy of it. The teacher who each |
day watches the hands of the clock, who |
YEARLY signs because they do not move |
more rapidly, who counts lOngingly from |
time to time the days that must elapse |
before the session will close who
frequently utters silent prayer that the |
trials and conflicts Of the school room may
soon terminate forever, by his very pres
ence and by his manner chills the currents
Of child mind and paralyzes its ambitions. |
When the leader in any business acts half |
heartedly, or without heart, no one is sur
prised at failure. The great generals of |
the world have always loved their work. |
They have taken great delight in perform
ing earnestly and shlfully their whole |
duty-yea, moe than their whole duty. |
Did not '-Stonewall" Jackson manifest one |
element, one great element of his character, |
when he kept vigil DER his slumbering |
troops2 So the genuine teacher Is not |
afraid of doing too much work for the COM
pensation he receives. He feels that his |
reward lies largely in the possibilities of |
life he will open up to his pupils His |
work is pursued diligently, faithfully day |
after day. With whole heart, with a
steadfast purpose, he quietly, modestly, |
iauingly endeavors to elevate the real life |
81 his little world, that life which IS |
spiritual and eternal He believes that the |