The Van Buren press., 1900-01-20
4 STRONG. ARGUMENT.
In Favor Of Increased Taxation for
Public School Purposes, by
Prof. James Mitchell.
STATE CONSTITUTION SHOULD Be AMENDED
Permitting Special Districts to Vote =
Seven and Half Mill Tax-How the
Five MIL Tax Has Grown in Favor.
Present Average school Term.


Present Average school Term.
Prof. James Mitchell, editor OF the
Little Rock Democrat, spoke as fol-
lows on school Revenue" at the re-
cent annual meeting of the Western
Arkansas Teachers Association, held
In Little Rock:
Mr.. President and Teachers-You
do not know how greatly l appre-
ciate the honor conveyed by the invi-
tation to address you on this occa-
sion. For was one of your number
pnce in my younger, happier and bet
ter. days and ! feel at home in your
company. Looking back on my life
IS travel rapidly to its sunset, | am
persuaded that most of the little
good /! have accomplished in this
world, and certainly the least OF my
wrong doing, was in the line OF your
work. 1t has been long, long time
since presided in the school-room,
nearly quarter of century, and
many changes and improvements
have taken place in the profession, or
rather In that time teaching has
grown to the dignity Of profession
In all this long time that has separ-
nted me from active work in the
schoolroom have never lost or abat-
ed my interest in one of the noblest
callings to which men and women
consecrate their lives. In the days
when l began teaching Qt does not
matter how long ago) the average
teacher belonged to the school OF the
Peripatctics. He was a nomad and in
the majority of cases he was from
New England. Fitz Greene Halleck
describes him accurately, thus
"Or wandering through the southern
countries, teaching
The A B C from Webster's spelling
book;
Gallant and godly, making love and
preaching,
And gaining by what they call
hook and crook"
And what the moralists call over
reaching,
A decent living. The Virginians
look
Upon them with as favorable eyes
As Gabriel on the devil in Para
disc"
I still look back to the administra-
tion of the oldtime teacher, IVAN
aering through the southern coun-
tries" with feelings of fear and ven
GRAFTON, for 1t was one of them, a
scholar and Christian gentleman,
that guided my youthful mind
through the tangled labyrinth Of
early Latin, through Historic Sacra
on through Viri Romae, down ns far
az the fourth book of Anten's Caesar,
where he unfolded to me all the in
tricacies and complexities of the
bridge which Caesar constructed for
the purpose Of crossing the Rhine.
Speaking Of Teaching the A b c
from Webster's spelling book" re-
minds me of little incident which ]
beg TO relate in order to point NOR
al ON the status Of education in Ar
kansas, One day last summer, on
opening my mail, came across a let
tar from an old and highly esteemed
friend, DR.. John c. Branner, formerly
state geologs. of Arkansas, but now
holding the chair of geology in the
Stanford University OF California
The letter, as | recall II, read about ns
follows; "Denr Prof. Mitchell, you
will fnd enclosed fifteen cents in
postage stamps. want you TO
20 to the nearest book store
in Little Rock and purchase Tor
me copy of Wcbster's spell
ing book, the old blue back
that you and / studied when we were
boys when we had spelling matches
and stood up and spelled each other
down In the good old days Of Tenncs-
see and Arkansas. have sought in
vain for this book in California but
I am sure II can be had in Arkansas" :"
Now DR.. Branner would never inten-
tionally cast slur upon Arkansas,
hut there was IN this letter what
seemed TO be a reflection upon the
state. Here was an old book, obso-
-kte and discarded In nearly all OF che
states OF the Union, but he was sure
4 corld find II In Arkansas And so !
did; and nt the first book store that
entered. And as / took the book to
the postoiilce to mail II said to my
selt: "This old book passed out OF
use more than thirty years ago in
most of the states and was followed
Ny simple and better publications, but
n IL with us yet, Any old book will do
ss Arkansas" II was this reflection
that caused my rich southern blood
TO boil and made my state pride as
s<rt itself. The thought that Arkan-
sas children in these, the closing
days Of the nineteenth century,
when progress, advancement and en-.
lghtenment arc the order OF the day,
should be compelled to learn orthog'
ssphy from nm ontiquated and cum
Sersome book, old In my boyhood
dnys, was u most humllatlng refec-
lion and fact most unwelcomc,
Brethren Of the profession, let us get
<st OF II. No wonder that they say
ei us that In some parts OF the state