Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-25
COULD NOT BE HERE,
sUpT. nocc. OF FORT WORTH. TEX.
WRITES At LENGTH.
was Invited 70 Participate In the Educs-
tionaI Meeting. Hut Could Not Come.
Letter to the Dispatch.

Letter to the Dtspatcns
Mr.. Alexander Hogs. a native Viz
gilman, now Superintendent OF Pubic
Schools OF the city Fort Worth, Tex.'
writes the Dispatch the following letter.
which fully explains Itself
Whether the old world crosses the Az
lantic. or the eastern. new world, crosses
the Mississippi In their search OK new
homes, their hearts go back to the cradie
of their infancy. In obedience to TINS
great law, ever since 1t was determined
that the Department OF superintendent
NJ the National Educational Association
should meet In Richmond. the capital oil
my mother-State. had hoped, had worked
10 the end to be present--to come BACK
tn renew my acquaintance, at least with
many of my associates Of past days-many
brothers-alurrni of our cherished alma
mater. our mother university. But j am
denied this anticipated pleasure-and SO
wrote Dr. Kiehle, when he was so KIND
as to offer me place on the programme.
Our board did not object-really indi-
vidually preferred should 60 but remem-
bering my acceptance OF a place upon the
programme OF the iSSs-mceting In Wash
ington, and the fact that also agreed TO
and did make a plea for Federal AID 70
the common schools Uhe Blair bilD; and
the offence that this position then gave
our United States senator's and the Demo-
cratic party OF Texas "a party unlike the
Democratic party then, and even now III
virginia.. the board thought IL injudicious
for me to leave-to take part in ~ as
sociatcn whose leading members had Ia
vored the Blair bill once, and who now
had on their programme THE South and
Its Problems"
VIRGINIA NOW AND OF OLD.
However. I send you-for my people and
nv educational associates meeting TINS
wear In the capital of my home-this let
ter fraught at least with the warm anec-
ton of a son absent only in the nesh'
To the members of the association gain
cred from the leading cities of our country
IL gives me great pleasure 10 say that
while the wealth and former prestige OF
Virginia may not-will not strike the
visitor. the stranger. as II once did-stlli
her unaffected hospitality. her cordial well
come. will be just the same it was thirty
years ago.
Bereft as she was Of her wealth and her
peculiar educational facilities, still all
her institutions for higher classical and
scientific education are again taking their
former places.
As allies Of these. the free public schools
have been inaugurated. and for the equal
cultivation of all classes, without regard
TO race color. or previous condition Ana
when IL Is taken into consideration that
hn mo n
poverishing conditions. the results are not
to be spoken OF disparagingiy. although
compared with the most favored States.
THE FEDERAL BILL.
Yes. I favored the Federal bill. because
I believed the general government over
the South-over the enfranchised colored
men-and the white men the youth not at
all responsible for the war, its conceptions,
or results. at least the rudiments of an
education-the ability to read the ballot The
was casting. Well might the Hon. Robert
G. Winthrop exclaim in his centennial
monument Grafton, at Yorktown, in 1881:
Slavery is not half abolished; emancipa-
ton Is but half completed; while millions
OF freemen with votes in their hands are
left without education" And while iilite-
racy has decreased slightly I'm the last
tles-the means-that we should have to
educate the masses? Can We say that
universal suffrage rests upon universal
education?
Can this be attained In the South
In our common cou ltry? Our North, as
well as South. when absolutely less Qast
report Of the Commissioner of Education
1s9l-92) was spent in all the States fol-
common schools than for pensions.
The amount for pensions Q&3), sl59,-
351 55S: for common schools report OF
1922. 1859. ll6s6S in favor of pensions
over schools, ,240, 500. The S77,o0O,tO0 pro-
posed by the Blair bill was for eight
years--ar, average of SO, 625, 900 year.
Pensions for the last eight years
have amounted to 1881. $40 67l, or over ten
nearly eleven times-as much as the
amount proposed by the Blair bill for the
same period. One other comparison; The
present estimated population Of the United
States is g., $50. 74O, or the amount of money
paid for pensions QS93) was s2.35 pei
capita The amount required by the
Blair bill upon the same basis would have
been II cents per capita, or pensions cost
the government seventeen times as much
as the Federal aid would have-or the
children who cannot vote now, in the esu-
nation of the opponents Of the bill, are
a pensioner who can vote now.
| want to educate the children, so as
10 prevent them from becoming PEN
sioners | am not opposed 10 recognizing
TO pensionng, IL you choose-those who
for services rendered in fighting the bat
ties OF our common country deserve PEN
sions. would house and clothe them
would give them all the comforts neces-
sary for their declining years.
VIRGINIA'S RESOURCES.
Rut Federal aid, or no Federal aid there
Is i'm Virginia, in her fertile soil, in her
rich valleys, ard her still richer mountain
ranges. the latent powers of her unde-
yeloped strength. Last GUNNER, after
spending weeks at Chicago, firing really
at the wonderful collections of the world $
contributions TO that great exhibition,
craved to visit again my old State-my
old home and old friends. on Saturday
night, August 18th, took the train-"Big
f'-for Cincinnati. and on Sunday morning.
after a pleasant night, I found myself on
the Chesapeake and Ohio
Seated OF, the right-hand side OF the
train, watched all the points OF interest.
Reaching Kenova, knew l was In Nir'
ginia.
OF the very many passengers on that
train--as usual, seekers OF pleasure-the
most of them seemed delighted with the
scenery.
As looked out upon mountain range
after mountain range, 1 thought of the
hidden wealth--the coal and iron in these
vast piles, the result Of creations dawn
there awaiting the touch of lthuriefs
spear, the pick. and the drill.
What convinced me Of these rich trea-
sures was the fact that upon the opposite
side of the New River the Chesapeake