The San Francisco call., 1898-04-01
Teachers of South ern Cal ifornia Gather in Con-
 ventiOn.
Mayor Snyder Gives Them Greeting on Behalf of
 the City.
Some Trite Advice From the Stand point of One Who Is Not an
 Instructors.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, March 31.-The first session of the Southern California Teachers Association opened to-day in , the Congregational Church. The at tendance is large In welcoming the teachers to this city Mayor M. F. Sny- der spoke in part as follows:
 As the city's executive, it affords me much pleasure to extend to you a most hearty welcome to Los Angeles on the oc- casion of the seventh annual convention of the Teachers Association of the seven southern counties of California. It is in- deed a pleasure to welcome so distln- guished, so intelligent, so representative a gathering. Here are ladies and gentle men who play most important part in supplying the materials out of which is constructed the mighty rudder which steers our grand ship of state.
 It is you, ladies and gentlemen, who first teach the little ones how to creep in the world of letters, in the world of science, in every branch of useful knowl- edge The scenes of your labor and de- votion to a grand calling are laid in a land of wonderful possibilities. The lit tie freckle-faced, red-haired youngster who eXhausts your patience at times with his uncomfortable desire to engage about marbles, tops and kites than about spelling and mathematical problems, may some. day sway great convention with his eloquence; he may some day be presi- dent of Harvard, Yale or Princeton; he may be financial Napoleon; he may be President of the United .yCates.
 1 believe that teachers oftentimes make mistake in the way they deal with char acters such as the one I have just men toned. It takes wonderful lot of pa tience, I presume, for one to daily try to hammer knowledge into the head of a youngster who seems utterly indifferent, and yet as the history of all nations will serve to illustrate, these same freckly, uninteresting youngsters have ln many instances shone brightest in the world $ history, while other boys whose prospects had been brilliant as the monday sun never reached even the first round of the ladder of fame.
 So don't lose interest m the slow boys. Pound knowledge into their heads whether they want 1t or not, and some day, when one or more Of them has made a good name for himself, he will not for get you.
 DO not understand me, ladies and gen. tlemen. as taking sides with the slow, uninterestng boy as against the live, the same weight in the scale of success. All were created equal and all were put on earth for a purpose, and such being the case you who have their futures in hand have a grave responsibility. which each of you, I know, fully appreciates and which will not pass from your hands sighted.
 The members of this association are en- gagged in a noble work. All the condi- tions are favorable to them. l wish each of you unlimited success Tn your laporS, and bespeak for SSu the reward which comes to deserving ones. Permit me. in concluson,- again to extend to you a most hearty welcome to our fair city. May the convention prove 8 source of much benefit to yourselves and to South ern California.
 The subject of American History in Public Schools was handled by Pro- lessor C. A. Duniway of Stanford Uni- versity. He said American history should be taught because of the inn portant knowledge which it contained. He severely attacked an address de- livered by Hon. Frank Davis before the County Teachers Institute yeste. lay. The speaker said that if teacners had understood as much of American his tory as they should they would have repudiated the statements of MT. Davis regarding loyalty to the "boss," which meant that boys should be taught the necessity of keeping that worthy sup piled with cigars and beer. The "boss" was by no means the honorable leader of the people, but politician who used power for his own ends. There should be only scorn for such statements.