The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-05
CTR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BY DIX. ). l.. VI. CURRY
The Members Of tho General Assem-
nlr and the soblic az Larre-N WV
rnanks renderod-rhe Speech

.r. and tho .ubliC az laft'-'
thanks rendcrcd-rhe Speech
b,oblv cultivated audience assembled
.,orinc in ,te hall Of the house Of Dele
20 r.f,n 90 very interesting address
se.vered b., th, Hon. Dr. J.L. u. Curry.
a., snnonnccmclt bad been mace IN the two
go. during ,he day that DIR. Curry would
.s,.u. tro mcmuess OF the General Assembly
- .to nuhiic SO large on Public Educa-
.,n The hall was completely hilcd with an
,h.ooo representing the very best ele-
-ort. of the .ty and State. Quite a large
-,rb. p ofladles we're amongthe listeners and
.l fotowea tie speaker with the deepest
shortly after S o'clock Lieutenant-Gove
,.-I uase Tyler called tae meeting 20 order
'~3 Introduced the lion. John T.. Massey.
.nerinteaf rent 90 Public Instruction. who
.n a tew a.nroprate remarks introduced
IT, Curry. the speaker of the evening.
Dr. Curry spoke Cor little over an hour DO a
f.rhiv interesting aud fascinating manner.
.ra during the whole time commanded tle
Undivided attention Of his audience. h7
spoke iu substance IS follows:
nr. UER
isa privilege % have an audience a. leg
t~..f.r-. Perhaps. ia the discharge OF ihS
duties ] have had tie ho.Dr of addressing
moro Legislatures than any man nNlhs. IN
.te q uiJea States law is tGe eKi ress,o- oA 80
r raiar sovereignty. Law makers Mo
SEN because of confidence lr tlelt "O""y
..i willingness o. prom 90 tDo peoiC M.a,,
10 hehooyes them o. q aa iHle.t Gen. Wv"
Of tAe condition of the c0l try. OF us hee'S
capabilities. This re- il.it5 a Iat az
..ai. lance with statistic. win Haull"'S'i"-
ton. with economic. and lol'ical sc!e..e
AID tins knowledge does you come ~ 't'o-
ton. nor is lt impaired ol tnS D"i.o.
Tile British Parliament ~haNluaAy appoints
r. mmissi1rs and gets the Judgment OF, ex-
,e-fs. Yorr kind invitation 20 me proceeded
q .bflosa from "a 0rafeIUl appreciation OF the
-... 0O0 whi.f Virginia has received from the
Iaaholv education fund. and from o WISH TO
ear from ore wl SO lie IS a ministry oI
southern edlcii IT,,
...nling OF the status and the wants OF the
State. The year 1850 wrought q revolution
FL. which history furnishes no parallel. by II
secession as % remedy FOR political Ills ana
slavery. as involving cOerCed labor, guaraD-
teef property I'm man. were ana
INFLATED. These altered ideas and cOndi-
,.rs involve s~tupendOus consequences.
Do ...|||H LNA"A UAN0rAAEo AAAo AtNWANNAEt
mas have IN store Tor US il has not brought
agricultural prosperity.
1IE NEw SOUTH.
Tie New South" so brightly pictured. rs
oil. vet "a fgIent OF the brain. More than
h4. fe population of tho South, essentially a
u-s. populat.On. is engaged in agriculture.
vf... IS in a very depressed condition. and
tls doubtful whether the planting interests
are ll as favorable a condition as IN 1866.
The general Government is IN partnership
With manu- acturlug and mining. but not with
larm.I except iu ne single article OF sugar.
Agriculture mas only One-tentn OF the increase
Oh. tie total wealth Of the country. notwith-
Standing the immense numbers engaged and
tLe enormous productions. One manumc-
turing State. with a population OF over -.OlO.-
OI1. fOstered by the tavOrlng pohcy OF the
Government. has a total assessed valuation %
property of s2.154, l3l. i26. while nine farming
States, with o population of over l2,OUU.OOJ.
show o. valuation of -, 1873. z52,441.
Imay DE allowed TO suggest that agricul-
tural depression may be largely traceable to
CAUSES either directly educational or closely
related the etO. EXecraOle roads. bad tlllage,
bad economy. bad cooking, narrow vision.
vulgar p%rejudices. Idle habits, traditional
customs. contempt for manual labor. may
have much 70 do with our deplOrable cOndi-
ton as well as slavery. sparsihed population
and prevented Investigation OF Industries.
ILs One-crOp system continues even more
lurtfully. Formerly the planter lived indie
reldeutly and produced much that was con-
sumed. Now he buys ever thing. Inre-
m~unemtiye crops and disOrganizedlabo have
prevented Improvement of lands. Skilled
labor and better tillage are imperative. In
olden times labor was unskilled, but 1t
lad intelligent supervision. NOW the la
lorer. especially the negro. perpetuates, IN
large degree, the Ignorance, lmproyldence,
leeIlessness of tomorrow, carejessness or
the enete system. without the eye of the
master" which Poor Richards Almanac said
was better than the labor OF two hands"
FATAL DOMINO
We must not shut our eyes 10 the improve
meut. slow as il Is. in our wi state in small
farms. in trucking, cattle-raising. fruit-p~O-
ducing. mining and manufacturing. Despite
the fatal booming and promoting" towns
have sprung up and grcwn. railroads have
been invaluable. and he IS the unwisest states
man who legislaIes to the prejudice OF these
Wealth-urOducing. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
agencies. The public has shared with rail
ways In the saving which has resulted from
increased economy IN railway building ana
management. Virginia. has immense resources
iu marble. limestone. slate. fire-clays. cOklng-
coal. iron ore and 0ituminOus coal and mer-
charitable timber. In such industries Is our
most hopeful outlook, but they de-
mand intelligent and skilled labor. This
skilled labor Is an indispensable cOndl-
ton Of our success. Of holding our " IN
tie sharp competition for the prizes of life.
and IS needed in proper farming rs we'll as IN
manufactures. At an association of entomOlo-
gsts in Washington the president declared
that 10 per cent. of the annual value of Amerl-
can crops is destroyed through the farmers
ignorance of available means Tor the proven
ton of the ravages of insects. Add 20 the
loss from insects. waste OF manures, deteriOra-
ton OF washing away of soil. cruel use OF
horses and oxen. loss of milk and meat from
Il usage of animals and something more
would seem to DO necessary than Government
construction and management of warehouses
Some one said that be who discovers and APP
plies @ remedy for potatO-r0t is a greater bene-
factor than he who translates Virgil or HO-
mer. Intelligent labor. applicati on of science
% U~rsctical life. would save many leakages
aud add much TO production and profit. in
a.. human concerns we see substitution 81
machinery for human labor. There are in
tie suburbs of this city striking object les
s0ls az good farming, where most sterile soil
has been reclaimed and made TO yield alum
dant crops.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
These preliminary discussions bear on the
great question of public schools. Emerson
sad of Massachusetts,. We have neither Ter
tie lands. nor wa~ter-pOweT, nor mines. nor
forests. but we have children, and through
them we can take hold on the great world If
wee ssnl them forth such as we can make
them 10 o.r schools. and through her chill