The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-25


around the globe swifter than the voices
of the morning. While the groans of the
dying fill the air all the world sits weep
ing over the multitude trampled to death
on the plain of Moscow, or mangled by
cyclones in st. Louis Power so mighty
was never welded by the gods of Olym-
pus. The world is growing smaller.
Place your ear upon the wire and hear
its beating clearer and louder. The ocean
highways are thrOngcd with steamers
more numerous than the numbering wa
CONS which carried civilization across the
prairics a century ago. LIES opportuni-
| ties are greater than ever before; OppOr-
tunitics for power, for wealth, for knOwl-
edge, for doing good, but the responsible
ties are equally great. For meeting them
there is need of training the most minute
and cXactng. The complex character of
our modern civilizations demands of each
individual perfect preparation for the
part that he will play in life. AS the diff
| fcrcnt parts Of the mighty steam engine
must each be strongly wrought, perfectly
| constructed and nicely adjusted, so in
| modern life the machinery of society de-
| mands the perfect preparation and adj
juStmcnt of each of its members. There
is no place here for ignorance Every
body must be educated and thoroughly
fitted for his work. if not, he clogs, him
ders and ruins, or else is crushed and
destroyed in the ccasclcss competition of
universal cndcaYOr. Ignorance is no
longer merely vacuum void of knowl-
edge. 1t is plcnum of errors, bringing
unhappincss to the individual and danger
to the state. All the cumbrous machm-
cry for taking care Of the people and
supcrccding thought has been abolished
Monarchy. nobility, theocracy are gone.
Society is self-govcrnin. 1t must work
out its own salvation. There was a
time when the people were denied the
right to read the Bible. \ few would
read it for them and tell them what to be-
icvc. There was Il time when people
were denied the right of education. 4
few men. highly trained and educated,
would govern the ignorant mass of i'll
paid laborcrs. Even now it is maintain
ed by some that the people have no right
to higher culture and higher training. \
few whom the accident of birth and
wealth has blessed would monopOlize
this power But the barriers are all
down. The people are realizing their lat
cnt power and claiming for themselves
the divine right of knowledge. They
have made the chief function of govern
ment to be no longer war, but educa
ton. With pitiful army of 25,OOO
soldiers this mighty Union of states pays
mock obcisancc to war With its irwin
chile army of 1J,OOO.OOO school children
it preserves peace and secures prosperity.
The greater portion of revenues raised
annually upon the continent is spent for
education.
When new state is born into the
American Union its first act is to provide
for its citizens Il thorough system of pub
lie schools, beginning with the country
school house and ending with the state
university. Government no longer OK
lists to rob and plumber the weak, but to
lift them up and make them strong and
Sclf-supporting. If this be socialism. it
he n dream, il is the divine dream of .Jc-
sus;i is Il sweet and happy dream dispcll-
ing the nightmare that comes from fear
of the people. Public education is no
longer Il disputed problem. 1t has be
come an economic necessity. In the
last century and first half of this, the
struggle was between educated labor and
ignorance. The struggle hcncefOrth will
be between educated labor and labor bet
ter educated. The state that let's her
children grow up uncducated or half edu-
Gated, that fails to sharpen their intel
lects. inspire their souls, develop their
conscicnccs. strengthen their bodies and
train their hands, condemns them to
wrctchcd lives of poorly paid labor and
social unhappiness. The problem of ed
ucaton involves all other problems. 1t
involves the problems of vice and crime,
of Plutocracy and paupcrSm. of drunk
cnncss and personal purity. of religion
and government. The most progressive
states are those that are dealing moss
wisely and most generously with cduca-
ton. The state of Michigan sets Il no.
BILE example for her sister states. Rccog
nizing that the light of learning like the
light of day. must come from great cen
trail luminary. controlling, Illuminating,
and vivifying the whole system, she has
established and richly endowed, as the
head of her public school system, great
university. She has equipped it most
thoroughly, and has opened its doors free
of charge to every man or woman that
may choose to enter. Here the youth,
not only of Michigan. but of the world.
may receive the culture that comes from
literature, science and art;
and all this special training which fits
them for any trade or profession in life.
Libraries, museums and laboratories are
here provided with equipment unstinted.
The state of Michigan, not yet century
old. is strong in her intellectual life. ami
mated with noble impulses for progress,
and moving rapidly forward in material
through the mighty influences
of her noble university. ThithCr flock
the most talented and aspiring youth of
many states, and there are kindlcd the
fires of noble aspiration and lofty en-
dcavor, awakening enthusiasm for hui
mainly and confidence in human progress
that can not fail to produce power and
happiness.
But where is there greater need of uni
versal education than in the south?
Here an ancient system has been over
thrown, and new problems of tremendous
moment have been added to those that
confront the rest of the nation. Prob
lens of race, social, political moral and
Industrial, of a magnitude surprising
those ever presented to any people before,
now confront the people of the south.
The south will prove equal to their So
luton. The same hcroSm and fortitudc
which inspired and sustained her upon
fields of battle, the same patriotism. vir-
tue and wisdom that enabled her leaders
to control for century the dcStiniCs of
the Union, will give her power to meet
the future and conquer its problems.
For this victory there is need of cduca-
ton: education universal, free and con-
trollcd by the state; education from the
kindergarten to the university: education
for white and black. Especially is there
need for education that is thorough and
far-reaching. Half knowledge is about
as bad rs none. In the twilight of
knowledge chimeras stalk; chimeras of
superstition, of religious fanaticism. of