Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-02-28
4b1 AaCNG THE !
R6PaInQAS
81 c. T ALLES

EEzm EzTch q q people, the nile
sto1ss Ehioh indicate their prugr@.
akuz the line q advancement and
Guhzztton are made kDgan bg tbeil
I umn1n scbDok colleges and univer'
sites No state 10 this Repgblic Ia
made better pnngreS IN thets regard
than las Misoari made during TIE
past tNeuty yearS Her c0udition %
dzy scientifically, is excellent yea.
superb Her public schools In city,
town and county, are 50 much better
than they we're twenty years ago that
one Is tempted 70 say they are n0V in
prime oguditi0a. The publie seHti-
meni behind these schools is good,
healthfai, strong and j. annually
growing better and stronger. The
county schools Constitute a power in
the commonwealth that Is not fully
APPRECIATED The boys and girls and
teachers % these schools make up a
force that is felt whenever and wher-
ever Il IS brought into play.
The teacher IS no longer regarded
as q nOnentity. Teaching IS B0w a
profession like law, medicine and
divinity. that calls for special train
ing; and this fact has demanded and
procured three Normal Schools in this
State where those wbO propose TO
make teaching a profession can re-
ceiys special training. These institu-
tons are essential 70 the growth and
Development q the teacher, and it is
the duty Of each Legislature to see to
it that these Normal schools are fos-
tered IN all proper ways.
A common school EDUCATION is a
necessity. The state That neglects
these schools viii rue the day il was
organized and viii curse the narrow
man who prompted the neglect The
Normal Schools are almost as essen
tial as the public schools. Well train
Cd teachers are necessary.
The legislature. as a whole, includ-
ing the clerks were invited to Column
bla last saturday and nearly all ae-
cepted the invitation. We left the
Capital City at 8 O'Clock and arrived
at Columbia at 10 O'Clock. We were
received with royal courtesy and,
amidst the booming Of cannon and
the rattle Of drums and the plaudits
q hundreds Of citizens, were escorted
10 the University Auditorium. where
speeches q welcome and responses
thereto we're made.
There are several young men In the
House and Senate who are graduates
Of the University, and II was a proud
right to see and hear them respond To
calls from the large audience. They
reflected credit upon their Alma
Mater, and In the future, 10 their
respective svOcations- viii be heard
from.
Pardon me for telling a story T.
illustrate the great value u a state
University. Ii is not a story" but
the narrative q a positive fact, an
actual occurrence. Some forty years
ago there was a boy in one Of the
mountain towns q the Dark and
Bloody Ground, not much different
from other boys, except in the deter.
minatiOn 70 lead, 10 get ahead and
stay ahead u all Others. He blacked
bOOus and shoes 70 help his mother
support the family. He was too pool
10 60 70 school He sold newspaper,
and that fact led him to read. The
reading opened a field to him. Hi.
ambition was awakened. He deter.
mined 70 have an education. He
worked his way up from the blue.
back speller" 70 the state College
at Lexington. There be fought poy.
erty, worked day and night 70 pay bis
oOad and get necessary clothes, until
be came out a fun graduate Of the
law department. The state gave hin
bis education as it has hundreds and
thousands Of Others. In a few years
be had paid all the money be had
borrowed On his "pluck." He then
made his appearance In the State Sen.
ate and took the lead. In a few yean,
more be became known as one Of the
best lawyers in the state and be was
elected Judge Of the Supreme Court.
and in due time became Chief Justice
Of Kentucky-all due to three things.
First he had pluck" % common
school facilities were at hand: 10.
higher education at the state college
was given him free. That state Is
dotted all Oyer with men who have
come up from the poor class Of PEG
pie 70 positions 81 honor. trust. infiu-
ence and profit, because the state gave
a higher education to all who wanted
II and would accept il.
At night Gen. John B. Gordon. Of
Georgia, gave his famous lecture, the
Fist Days Of the Confederacy. in
the University Auditorium. 1t was
packed full Of people. Columbia's
beauty shone with dazzling resplen-
dency and her chiyalry bore itself
CALAMITY. Three cheers for the brave
men and fair women Of Columbia -!
And a thousand for the Missouri state
University -. The old battle Scared
hero caught an inspiration from the
audience and be bore himself sphen-
didly. Many a tear fell from eyes
unused % weep" as he told in beauti-
ful and graphic sentences Of the DAYS
u 81, and his old comrades recalled