The Washington times., 1895-06-23

teachers
''As a matter of fact, no other enterprise
managed and controlled by the colored
people, or with which they are identified in
any part OF the country, has brought TO
them directly so great benefit
advancing beyond the limits of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, the benefits OF the public
schools to the colored race can be clearly
seen from the large number who have en-
| tered the learned professions and are
| filling positions of teachers and iHstruc-
tors in colleges, schools, academies, and
| in all the walks of life requiring educational
qualifications.
The other medals were handed to the
winners at Convention Han Thursday
night in the presence OF 5000 people
during the commencement exercises OF
! the Central Eastern and Western High
Schools all of which are Jointly known
| as the Washington High School. AS in
the other cases. appropriate speeches were
made. and The Times warmly praised for
| its good work.
One of these medals was for an essay on
What the Public School System Has
Done for American Womanhood.'' The
| judges were three ladies well known in
the literary and social worids-Aiiss Kate
! Field Mrs Jules Guthridge and Miss Mol
! awarded the prize 10 Miss Marie Christie
/ MCkelden, Miss Field adding: The writer
! seems 10 have done some thinking for her
I self, and does not founder in the slough
/ of sentimentality, which is the curse of
/ the average schoolgirl composition"
! Here is Miss McKelden's essay:
From the dark ages, when woman was
! looked upon as inferior To man and deemed
unworthy of an education, TO the present
! day, when throughout our civilized countries
! all professions are open to her, the progress
/ has been gradual. Now there are only a
4 few countries that have not followed the
! example of their greater sisters, and in
! these only the rich women learn to read
/ and write
! But in America the public school is es-
sentially the peoples school. To the fact
! that it is open TO people of all classes
and sexes, it owes its rise.
The first step in The advancement of
| a village or town is the establishment of
/ public schools. Heretofore only those per-
/ sons who could afford to pay heavy ex-
] penses in private schools were the educated
! Consequently the boys in a family were
given a paid education, while the girls
were left to deyelope physically by labor
|. rather than mentally by study. Now the
era for woman has arrived. The public
! schools have been established. and since
the privilege OF free schools has given the
same advantageous starting point TO girls
they have kept steadily, side by side, with
the boys.
What a cosmopolitan thing the public
school is. Here all classes of people meet
and in Some cities all races. This neceS-
I sarily broadens womans mind, which
has been hitherto narrowed in the monoto-
nous round OF gossiping life. Even those,
who 10y force of circumstances are not al
lowed to extend their education beyond the
Z - tI,Ic
weged forward and drop into the very
niche of life which is there inspiration for
higher things.
Then to those who are permitted to go
T onward what avenues of learning are
open. Besides the mental advantages, TO
the girl with taste for culinary art there
t is the cooking school, to the one plant with
her needle the sewing department, and
TO the one who has the knack for car
pentry there is the development Of origin
ality, deXterity, and great utility in the
manual training school.
Then to the High School, which sur
passes the college preparatory schools,
the girl now moves onward. In the study
Of the classics, sciences. and languages
the mind receives its polish and the con-
tact with the cultured class of teachers
counteracts any untoward influence at
home linus they become fitted for teach
erS and all teachers are benefactOrS of their
race.
This. indeed, is the main thought to
( which the education Of all classes OF
women lead-what profit viii IL be TO
/ posterity? Think what a race VIII in
( herit the earth descended from long
( line of cultivated men and intellectual
womeni This is Just the beginning. The
women who have made the Woman's
Congress famous and whose names and
deeds are known throughout the world
prove what education in the public schools
has done for women and what it VIII do.
After what has been accomplished by the
general education of the woman in half
a century, what VIII be the result in the
coming century with its broad outlook
/ and significant undertone of future victory
Ten thousand golden ages rolled into
one!'
"what the Public School System has
/ Done for American Citizenship" was the
/ subject allotted to the masculine members
! of the high school graduating classes, and
! the essay that won the prize came from the
pen Of William A. Page. The judges in
! this competition were three of the best
/ known in the brilliant list of Washington
I newspaper correspondents, Messrs. Karl
( D. Decker, Alfred Henry Lewis aud Maurice
! Splain Mr.. Pages views on this i'm
portant topic are:
THE first principle Of n Democratic
form of government is that all men are
created equal. our forefathers, in fran
ing our first documents or state, fully
realized the truth Of this proposition, and
4 therefore granted to every man the right
! To an equal share in the governing power.
Under such a government, the safety
of the State depends on the intelligence
4 OF the people. Clearly, then, it is the
imperative duty Of a government founded
4 on the equality Of men, to see that al
are intelligent. This can only be accom-
/ plisned 10y a system of public education,
under the direct control Of the State.
but some may ask, will the govern
/ ment receive return sufficiently large
/ To warrant the expenditure of great sums
for the purpose of educating the youth
fuI generation? / answer, yes!
Admitting that the very life Of a Demo
cratic form of government depends on the
/ Intelligence Of the people, can the ex-
peuditure Of any sum in dollars and cents
/ be too large, or too great, if it insure the
stability of the government? Clearly not.
Public education inspires feeling Of
! patriotism in the American youth. From
! his earliest years he hears mysterious
rumorS OF that vague, awe-inspiring thing
the government. He is told that the
! government is educating him for purpose,
and that he must repay her by his allegi-
ance and support. For years he looks
forward TO the tine when this education
shall he finished; when he can step forward
proudly and say, am an American
citizRn.
side by side with the moral effects
stand-the practical results. Public edu-
cation secures a perfect understanding of
our principles OF government; and iISures
an intelligent vote on questions of rational
/ importance. What this nation needs now
is a public, composed OF COOL deliberate
men, who win act only after calmly reason
] ing, and who win rot be Influenced by
the rauting of politica! demagogues.
There is, in tie United States now, a
] class of nennle who delight In reXoIu-