Evening star., 1901-04-15

etc This amount was .nE materially in
creased for more than forty years.
"A far more seriqpst obstacle to the
growth of our comnadh schkol during those
earlier years lay in the general acceptance
of the false and vicious idea that pub
lie school is of necessity a~pauper school.
Color was given to this notion by pro-
effect that poor children should be taught
reading, writing and grammar the pay
children being favored with additional in
struction in geography and Latin. A rule
made in 1881 affords an excellent ilIustra-
ton of the tendency to exclude from the
benefits of the public schools of that day
children whose parents We're supposed to
be able to pay for their education. 1t con-
tanned the astonishing provision that no
scholar should be continued in the schools
the income of whose pareHts exceeded the
sum of 1.50 day. excepting where there
were more than four children in the fam
lily. Think of the alternative! The I'M
happy parent who rejoiced in the gener-
Gus income of s151 day was effectively
barred from the benefits of the free school
unless he should happen to be the proud
father of five children. There were othe,
practices which, though well intended,
served to mark that hateful line between
the rich and the poor and that even more
odious distinction between the child of the
rich and the child of the poor which per-
petuated caste and postponed for years
the full acceptance in this community of
the American idea Of the common school
as a school that offers absolutely equal op-
portunities for all who desire to claim
them
'I characterize the period from 1904 to
1S44 as the of the pauper school, the
charity school or free school, as distin
guished from the pay school.
Il call the period from 1865 to 1875 the
era Of development-a period of reconstruc-
tion as we remember, in our national life
and also the time when the far-seeing
Shepherd was engaged in his monumental
task of evolving a new Washington.
Marking an EnOch.
give things came to pass during that
time any one of which would have marked
an epoch in any system of public schools.
They were:
First The appointment of superin-
tendent of public instruction.
Second The introduction of the graded
system.
Third. The organization OF normal
school,
Fourth The awakening of the popular
mind to the Importance of providing suit
able school buildings for our growing
needs.
Fifth The final extinction of the pauper
school idea and the complete establishment
of the public school system in favor or
the people This long-delayed recognition
was of course, the direct outgrowth of the
increased efficiency of the schools and the
inevitable conollary of the splendid i'm
provement I have noted.
ut would be unSeemly and unnecessary
in me to make any extended reference to
the present condition of the public schools
of the District of Columbia. Suffice 1t to
say that other men have labored, and we
have entered into their labors, and that we
are debtors to the wise and unselfish en-
deavors of all who have preceded us. Our
organization is at last complete-from the
kindergarten to the high school. Our man
ual training schools are bound to open new
avenues of usefulness to the boys and girls
who enter upon their practical courses.
''If it be suggested that our curriculum is
T ay1Xr hat has moi
vet attained the broad scope of that prom
inent institution for the education of youth
which was the dream of Jefferson and his
co-laborers. The education that is designed
to fit American boys for citizenship will
never grow narrower than 1t is today. 1t
will keep pace with our material develop
ment as a nation, because 1t must
The New Citizenship.
1--WE no longer send our sailors forth to
battle in wooden halls. pit fintlocks
against Mausers The nation that puts ST.
900 into a single cartridge will not stint
when called upon to fit its children for the
completer living Of the new citizenship.
Each day our flag floats under strange skies
and our commerce plohghs through new
seas. Our admitted supremacy in industrial
arts and processes that have for ages been
the exclusive property of some old nation Is
the despair and wonder of Europe today.
In our competition as a, world power with
other progressive peoples we have MAIN
tained our prestige by the sheer eXtrava-
gance with which we have lavished endow-
ments upon all conceivable agencies, public
and private, for the education of our peo"
pie. Woe is America, therefore, If she
preach not the gospel of free opportunity
to every child that sincerely seeks that
fuller and broader knowledge which 1t is
the happy province Of our age and country
to bestow."
When Mr.. Stuart spoke of the wise and
unsefsh endeavors of all those who pre-
ceded u.s. in the building up of the public
school system of the District he turned to
Mr.. ]. Ormond Wilson, who sat beside him,
and the ex-superintendent was roundly ap-
plauded, Mr.. Stuart referred to Mr.. Will
son connected with the period of pro-
gress between 1865 and 1915.
Schools of Washington.
Rev. Henry Y Satterlee president Of the
board of trustees of the Cathedral School,
spoke for the schools of Washington"
After some pleasantries, Bishop SatterIee
spoke of the peculiarties of this city which
mark it as an educational center
'Washington is an unique city" he said.
ut is perhaps unique in all the history of
the world as a city identified exclusively
with government. and all it's traditions
arise out of this governmental association
He spoke of the opportunities for educa-
tion which the government itself creates
and Of the army of experts in various
branches of knowledge, which is necessari-
ly attached to the city. The city is becom-
ing more and more center of education
as the nation grows and becomes world
power The acquisition of island possess
sions will make necessary addition to
the educational branches of the govern
ment.
"At the present time" he said "the es-
tablishment of postgraduate courses in
some branches of expert knowledge con-
nected with the government are now being
contemplated, whereby graduates of col
leges may come here and have desk room
in government offices, where they may
study questions that cannot be so well
studied elsewhere. Before hundred years
pass by Washington must inevitably be-
come the center of education Of the coun-
try at large
The American University.
Bishop Hurst. president Of the American
University, had been invited to be present
at the banquet, but owing to his absence