The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-16

IL ia the empire OF liberty, civil and reig-
| ious. which. please God. shall never die. Aye.
here in our very midst over in old historic ~
! Johns church. with words OF burning eio-
| quence. the noble Patrick Henry sounded the
| keynote: Il know not what course others
may take but as for me- give me liberty or
| give me death !" and our Commonwealth, re-
! peating the cry as the folds Of its banner are
/ flung 10 the breeze. urges that liberty must
! be preserved The introduction OF even the
! simplest kind OF religious exercise IN an ihs'i-
tuition of public nature. that is deSigueu LOT
/ all the people and supported by all tho peo-
ple lars az once upon the melody or our ma
/ tional independence. IL. of a necessity from
which there ia no escape must favor some 70
/ the exclusion OF others. IL IS known that one
! class of citizens. though as mucn AZ any
others contributing to the support Oh huo
pnbhc schools. yet must withdraw their chiid-
4 rem from them because their religious con-
! victions cannot allow them 70 permit then
children 10 attend the schools.
In the vast heterogeneous mass tnat MAKES
ND tho American people to-day, with the
! many. many differing elements OF ciYihlauoh
and varying degrees OF religious training
/ who can determine on q creed that snall sat
/ isfy the heart and conscience OF all the peo-
| pie and there are none whose rlght 10 Aatis-
! faction shall not be recognized. This right
OF the individual TO be recognized made our
nation what il is to-day. The attempt at
denial of this right sent the Mayfower of the
ppritans Z, battle with unknown seas,
| tin its keel grounded on the ledge
/ Of Plymouth Rock The assertion
of this right reused our revolutionary
fathers. took them from their plows ana
! placed at their head. for undylng lame VIZ
/ ginia's nObiest SON. whose ashes now ming.e
with It's sacred soil IN the peace or vernon
/ hallowed precincts. The consciousness OF
! the possession of this right makes every
American citizen prOuder than king, DODlef
than thrOned monarch. Therefore not 10 DIS
turb this right let the public schools be pub
lie schools. dedicated in the name OF the
Commonwealth 10 innocence aud education.
Let the children of the republic furrow the
broad and limtless fields Of secular knowl-
edge, under secular guidance. all alike all
equal all free unhampered by aught that
shall divide or separate.
by THE PEOPLE.
The second condition mentioned is that the
public schools as they are materially shall be
morally supported maintained and upheld
by all the people. / do not desire TO dero-
gate OF detract one particle of title from
the excellence of such schools as may be es~
tablished and patronized outside thereof.
but il Is in the public schools alone that the
true democracy Of our country is displayed.
1t is in the public schools only where is best
seen the broad basis on which our Govern
ment rests-tbe basis OF equality. Later IN
life men raise up distinctions between each
other wealth draws q terrible chasm between
people, AZ tblitEt, ~ tAAo bAA ~ IuoLlLNf IL
the church. in social relations, the iavorlte Of
fortune gains recognition, often unmerited;
even at the bGllOt-boX wealth has only too great
q power But IN the schools the lines are not
yet drawn. Here in truth there Is no royal
road to knowledge. The child of the hOd-
carrier and the child of the millionaire may
sit on the same bench. The son of the cob
bier may thrash the son of the
rch man for whom his father cObbles;
rags rub elbows with silks tattered caps
hang on the nail beside velvet ones and torn
shoes often lead patent feathers up the rugged
hill of learning Nowhere Is the perfect equal
ity the true democracy Of our government SO
plainly shown. In view of this TACT and IN
view of the fact that the excellence of the
public schools renders such a step unneces-
sary. the parent who sends his child 20 pri-
vate Institution OF learning does wrong. The
distinction is bound to have its effect on the
children. They will wonder why these chill
dren are sent D. private schools. Are they OF
finer OF of cOarser clay than their fellows that
the public schools cannot contain them The
child cannot but note the difference, and In ITS
own instructive way be impressed by 1t. and
feel that after oil ali of us are not alike we are
not all Of Us the children of the republic and
the flag of our country falls uneyenly upon
those beneath it, Nav, let 1t not be SO. 1t Is
a mistake which, / earnestly trust, those who
are making it will see and Correction their
children's sake-fOr our cOuntrys sake.
Let the public schools, as far as their scope
extends, embrace all the children of the re-
public. Let them suck knowledge from the
broad bosom of the goddess OF our common
country. Let them all lilo Graded upon the
snowy hillocks" of Liberty's virgin breasts,
where
Gently instructed they may hence depart,
Greatly in peace Of thought and have their
fiji
"Of knowledge as each vessel can contain"
Let them above all things learn that which
the public schools and the public schools
alone, can teach. that to be an American citi-
zen IS 10 be greater than king!
THE GRADUATES.
To you, my young friends. / would but add
q few words of admOniton. This day has
long been looked forward TO by yourselves
your teachers. your friends and parents. IL
has come aud in their assembled presence,
you are about to take formal farewell of your
public school life. But this farewell is not an
ending, but a beginning. 1t IS the com
mencement OF a larger. stronger and broader
life You will step from the gentle guidance
of loving teachers to the tasks of the seyerest
OF taskmasteTs. You will sit on the benches
of the great school OF life and take your
knowledge from the hands of bitter eXpe-
rience. You will be compelled 10 travel on
paths not hewed out for you. but which must
be cut by the toll OF your own right arm. In
this let me ask you TO remember one thing.
10 mathematics you have learned that the
shortest NlsiGutb DbLWtcu TWO DOlliS - lIt
straight line. In life the shortest path TO per-
lection and happiness is the straight path
the path of rectitude and integrity. Let your
footsteps in this path be firm. The mathe-
NAUTICAL line is hard and sharp and has no
graceful curves or bends. SO this path of
rectitude. this straight line of life, may seem
at times hard and sharp and uninviting 1t
may have no luxurious by-ways of pleasures
and gains. no beautiful bendings of plant !
conscience, no softening curves of pleasant !
vlces-it IS hard. stony plain and sharp. but |
along its straight course you can see far, far |
ahead into the future of happiness and from |
its finty rocks you can learn that adamantire /
courage that will enable you TO front all diff |
culties and fight your way through all OBJ |
stacies
Furthermore. you are together now in your |
leave-taking and commencement Heaven |
alone can tell if. in the unrolling of time, you 1
will stand shoulder to shoulder in the great /
turmoil of life. There is "a beautiful flower |
whose seeds are very numerous The wind in |
signing through the leaves and petals of this !
flower scatters them broadcast over the fields /
and wherever each tiny seed falls there it |
takes root. sprouts. buds and blooms into full |
Lew flower You, each OF you, are seed, and |
together you make up a beautiful flower one |
of the many that this month blossom from |
the public schools Of our country The /
sitting winds of hfe's various fortunes may |
scatter you far and wide from each other, and |
from this place. but remember wherever each |