The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-29
WITH SOUTHERN EDUCATORS
MATTERS BEFORE THE CoNVEN-
TION. At MEMPHIS.

Memphis. Tenn. Dec. 2s.-To-day's
meetings of the Convention Of the South
ern Educational Association were the most
successful in the history of the organiza-
! ton
More than 1000 delegates. representing
every Southern state. and many visitors
from, the North and East, were in attend
ance, and because of the numbers present
it was found necessary to divide the con-
vention into three simultaneous meetings
Some of the most conspicuous educators
in the country are in attendance.
Tomorrow officers will be elected.
Among the papers read to-day were the
following:
THE Success of the College Graduate"
| by DR.. j. c. Jones of Missouri. In con-
clusion he said:
Statistics show that a college education
adds 200 per cent. to ones wage-earning
power No arithmetic has yet been de-
vised that can estimate the per cent. that
il adds to ones manliness, usefulness and
happiness"
''Washington's Interest in Education.
was the subject discussed by Prof. c. w.
! Dabney. president of the University of
Tennessee.
on the subject From the Primary
School TO the University" President
James X. Powers of the University of At
lanta. said in conclusions:
The young man about to enter upon
graduate work would do well to take at
least part of II away from his alma
mater. 1t will have a broadening effect
/ upon him TO become familiar with the
! equipment and surroundings of other in
stltutions and to be associated with new
| personalities in his instructors. The inter
| change of graduate students too, can but
| De beneficial to institutions. The very
presence of graduates OF other universities
| would be wholesome and stimulating to
| the best nstructors-rnoreover when ID is
| at all convenient, portion of the grad
uate work should be done abroad, say in
| some well chosen German university Such
course, too, is helpful to the country
at large, in that it keeps us in touch
| with foreign educational thought"
superintendent ]. II. Hineman of the
| schools at Pine Bluff, Ark, spoke on 1.-THE
! Duties of a Superintendent"
The Elective system.
| DR.. ]. H. Raymonds topic was ''Volun
tary VS.. Prescribed Studies" He said, In
| part:
THE elective system enables the stu
4
fore he has finished his university course.
| he Will have discovered what he can and
| what he cannot do. and he will not be like
| ~ TO enter for life-work any department
OF work where he knows he will be a
failure. He will have had time to test
| his likes and dislikes, and will be well on
the way to work which he wishes to do
| permanently before he knows it,
| AFTER all, the strongest argument for
| the adoption of the elective system is, that
| II has proved to be successful where IL
has been tried In West Virginia Univer-
| sity. the results have been Identical with
! those obtained at the University of Indi-
! ana, at Harvard, at Leland Stamford At
oxford and at Cambridge there are pracu-
| caliy no barriers to election. On the con
| tinent of Europe and in the United States
all the tendency is toward this system"
| English Spelling" was the subject
| taken by Gen. j. B. Heiskell Of Memphis
He eulogized the English language for its
| grandeur and capacity for every excel
| lence, but denounced it's spelled words as
! the most execrable burlesque on science
that ever chance developed out of igno-
rance and perversity. He then made cal
| culations to show the enormous loss of
time wasted in learning to spell, and
! quoted statistics to show that It caused in
| English speaking communities greater
| consumption of human life than war, peg
! thence and famine. He dwelt upon the
| mental generalization consequent upOn
teaching each word in the language by
rote. instead of adopting system that
would afford key to all the words.
He then took up the English alphab
and claimed that its letters were not suf-
| ficlent In number, that they had no fixed
value as signs of particular sounds, show
ing numerous duplicates.
| Demands Upon University Curricula"
was the subject of a paper by A. c. Per-
due, University of Kansas.
Papers by Georgians.
Supt. j. C. Woodward of the schools of
| Newman, Ga, said in part:
In a peculiar sense, the school is the
| common possession of the community;
| and besides yielding good returns annual
| ly in educating the children, 1t should
| carry over a large surplus of school spirit.
| educational enthusiasm and community
pride. Young men and women should look
| upon the school as the most dearly priced
inheritance of their unborn offspring, and
lend their most active cooperation in adj
vanclng educational spirit and progress.
Al the solicitation Of the teacher, they
| should form themselves into an educa-
| tiona club or league and set for them
| selves certain problems, "A school library
school equipment, decoration, etc. People
are ready and willing to act with prompt
ness in questions which they understand
TO be correct and helpful to the common
good
Let the teachers in the country, village
and city put themselves in this new chan
mel of life and new meaning will be
given to our social and educa tional world"
The paper by b. B. Jones of Lexington,
KY. was entitled ''The Business College
As 1t Should Be-"
At to-nighfs session a ringing address
was delivered by DIR. ]. L. M. Curry Of
Washington City on "Fducatio Devei-
opment in the South" The speaker was
listened 10 attentively by a large audience.
Miss Celestial s. Parrish of Randolph
Macon College, Virginia, read a paper on
Experimental Psychology in the Normal
School and College"
DR.. l.. c. Branson of the Georgia State
Normal School read a paper on Education
and Crime" In conclusion he said;
Finally, ] may quote you the opinion
of ex-Supt. Byrnes in the North American
Review man who knows the criminal
as few men have ever known him in this
country. He says, that saloons, criminal
associations. and ignorance are the chief