The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-14
DEMOCRACY AND
EDUCATION"
FUNDS FOR SCHOOLS SHOULD
COME THROUGH THE TAAA-
TION OF ALL.
THESE ESSENTIALS IN EDUCATION
PhIanthropists Commended for Gifts 10 tduca-
ton, But it is Best that Institutions
Shall be Supported by Pub
lie Taxation.


| Washington. D. c.. July 13.-(Spccal.)
| The National Educational Association
which has attracted $4,000 teachers IL
! the National Capitol, has adjourned af-
: ter IL session of marked interest Inc
J Washington papers speak in terms OF
| praise of the address of DIR. Chas. ID.
McIver. of the State Normal and In
, dustrial College, on democracy and
Education" Several short speeches were
made on this topic by leading educators.
but DR.. McIver's was easily the best md
| received the closest attention. He said
without faith and generosity, it IS
impossible to be n Democrat. On the
contrary. Il superficial view of ones en-
vironmeHt, a little pride and seltishness,
IL little dedication of tradition under the
soothing name of Conservatism, pro-
claiming as a religion the doctrine that
'Whatever is right" are the chief in
gradients which go to make up a thor
oughbred aristocrat.
'"rhat the wisdom of all the people is
greater than the wisdom of part of the
people sounds mathematical and aXioma-
tic. yet the practical adoption of this
principle by individuals or governments
variety. The average man, even among
intense Democrats, frequently betrays
the weakness of his faith in the people
by showing that he has more confidence
in the wisdom Of small committee. #
which he is chairman, than he has in the
wisdom of all the people combined
because of this weakness of our faith.
we are inclined often to give more at
tcntion to preparing men to serve on the
small committees of life. so that they
may manage the peoples affairs. than we
are to educa ting the people so that they
may direct their own affairs. and so that
their voice, which in theory is supreme,
may be supreme in fact.
Thomas Jefferson stood alone among
the fathers of this republic in his adj
vOcacy of absolute Democracy and uni
versal education. His first important act
as Il public man. was the introduction of
n bill in the Legislature of his State for
the abolition of slavery, and his second
was for the establishment of Il thorough
public school system. He wanted neither
physical nor intellectual bondage i'm a.
Democratic government, and while he
never saw his ideas adopted in either di-
rection, and while he himself died a slave
owner, yet his implicit faith in the peo-
pie, and his answering advocacy of
their education, will mark him forever as
one of the patron saints of Democrats
and educators. 1t was while advocating
his fayorite doctrine of universal edu
cation that Aaron Burr exclaimed gueru-
lousy at him What do you want to edu-
cate them for? They are hard enough
to manage now
And there are men today who. driven
from Aaron Burr's position by the omnip-
potence of truth and time. are retreat
otence of truth and time, are retreat
guise of generosity and patronizing
friendship, are saying. L am willing TO
give them the three rs or i am willing
to give them Il four months school term,
or so many years of school work, etc.
''ln this republic, who gives the peo-
pie anything? Are they not the govern
ment themselves? God speed the day
when the public school shall have done
its work, and the people shall have come
into their own inheritance.
'',The subject Democracy and Educa
ton suggests to me that we must have
democracy in education. This means:
list. Teachers who believe in genuine
Democracy.
''2nd. The source of revenue must be
Democratic.
''3rd. The administration and applica-
ton of the funds must be Democratic.
First Teachers should be men and
women who believe and have the coura &c
and tact to teach that every person has
an inalienable birthright to Il fair chance
in life, and that no man or woman can
escape labor of some kind without shirk
ing his duty; that idleness is IL moral
Il 4
Il millionaire and that many of the
greatest sins and the greatest blunders
of government and society can be traced
to the ideness of the rich and the ignor
ance of the poor: that every attempt ut
an aristrocracy on any other basis than
the golden rule laid down by the Great
Teacher is sham combination of self
ishncss and hypocrisy. and that an ar
istocracy founded upon the Golden Rule
is ideal Democracy.
Second. | do not want to be misun
dcrstood in what | shall say about the
sources of educational revenue. / yield
to no man in doing ito those men who
have given of their means to endow edu-
cational institutions, but if the people
desire to have the scholarship of these
United States in grateful sympathy with
their own interests, | think that theirl
safest policy will be to provide sufficient
means to give to every man and woman
an opportunity for the highest culture in
institutions supported by public taxa
ton. ! want my children to respect and
honor the great educational philanthro-
pists of the world. but prefer that they
should owe their education and theirI
preparation for the battle of life to all
the people. and together with this debt,
Il feeling of obligation to repay all the
people by using their powers so as toi
bless the world. than to owe this same
debt and obligation to the best phian-
thropist that the world has ever pro-
dnced. If the people are wise. they will
continue to secure the grateful obliga-
ton of the trained intellects. who direct
public thought in any civilization.
Third: There have been two very
nndemocratic methods Of applying the
public school funds of this country. The !
lower public school has for many years