Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-23

nina 60 hano In nanC. we are nOk
obliged to go even as far away as Cuba,
or The Philippine Islands 10 And this COM
hination. Too many OF our own people
are contented with their lowly condi-
ton.
THE BEST TRAINING
] believe that NE flnd the best training
FOR the minds through the education OF
the hand In Industrial and manual train
ing. always bearing In mind that every
human being should be Instructed In the
highest form Of education that will pre-
pare him to DO his best workout II is
as absurd to say that the undevoloped
man with the hoe should be educated
through the classics as to say that the
philosopher should be confined to an edu-
cation fitting him to use the hoe. II
real classical education will At any man
to 80 Gods work on earth to his best
advantage, he should have It. and prob
ably 1t IS fair TO say he can usc 1t but
il IS absurd to say that every child
should receive Il. II Is essential for the
teacher TO receive the broadcast and best
education. including mental and moral
training. and every form OF culture and
refinement that will give inspiration to
Their wo:k. But ] believe that teach
er's education should lie based on thor
cugh understanding OF manual and In
dustr:aI treininc.
OPPORTUNITY AND MEANS.
In our Southern country we have great
need of educational development. and the
conditions are such that you have the
most helpful opportunity for CARRYING
out the most important educational ex-
pertinent that the world has ever seen.
You h. We great difficulties to overcome
but yo, have every facility with which
to overcome them. On the one hand there
Ia m
and in many sections great poverty. You
arc burdensd with eight millions OF the
negro race. and with it all ill.cracy. On
the other hard you have modern too!s
with which TO meet the s;tuat1on-the
railroad. the Telegram phi, tic mail. raw ma
terial in abundance. great manu1acturins
development. fertile soil. good climate.
tractab!e labor. etc. and ruling popu-
lation with the spirit and pride or the
trte American. These are the elements
Of your problem.
Has not all experience shown mat II
Is essential in republic that al! children
should receive at least an elementary
education In order that they may learn
to meet with intelligent understanding
their responsibilities citizens, and mas
II not been found necessary. IN order 10
accomplish this result to provide the Tree
public school system supported oy taSa.
ton? Is it not a generally accepted tact
that in those sections CT our republic
where the largest sums of money are
spcnt in the education OF the cElio. are
found the greatest production aho the
highest economic development? II IS al
most a law that production follows IN
direct ratio 10 the monies spent IN cdu-
cation OF the child To illustrate speci1-
cal!y the form and kind Of education
which is most fitting. I would call atten-
ton TO the actual results obtained through
the Industrial teaching carried on at va
,, rious institutions in the South.
But the education of all the people
cannot be attained through the few larger
schools which are scattered throughout
the South The whole can only be reach.
ed through the public school system or
the South and through the organized
departments of the State educational sys-
tens. It is the little school house at
the four corners which must be go
STRENGTHENED and so directed that every
, child In every community may nave tne
same kind of education. even though II
be to less degree that me emu ',.. .s
in the larger institution to which we
| bays referred: and that brings me to the
| consideration Of the ideal or modern
public school for the rural districts
| OF the South.
THE IDEAL RURAL SCHOOL.
| believe that every school should be
! located on at least ten acres of land.
that il should be provided with ccmpe-
! tent teachers whose residence should be
on the school grounds; that the school
terms should be not less than eight
months; that the school house should e1-
tend lis influence as many miles as pos
sible. SO that, especially In sparsely sell
tied regions. il may be supported oy the
largest possible number of scholars. Con-
centration is essential to efficiency. Seq
g-esation and the building of inferior.
small school houses supported by few
scholars tends to inefiiciency. The schooi
should be the center of many social &C
Invites. 1t should be made attractive
and appeal to the child. About the school
building should be a garden where nature
studies and the science Of agriculture
could be taught. Within the building
the simpler trades and industries should
be taught TO the boys. and the domcstic
sciences to the girls. In short. the deVel-
opment Of the mind and OF the neart
should be worked out through the training
Of the hand. and by teaching that labor
in any form is digniied and can be made
attractive through intelligent understand
ing. No school can be called model. how
ever. unless it can eventually be support
ed bv taxation An ideal school is not
necessarily a model school.
Why should the business men be inter-
pSteQ IN SuCH "OTk. W nave t'SSSA
doubted the advisability of giving your
own children a reasonable education
are not such doubts always about the
the children Of others? What advantage
is there to the community If it undertakes
The responsibility and the expense OF ed
ucatins every child? If we have found
method by which a loafing boy on the
streets can be transformed into MAJ
with ambition to own his own home and
with sufficient education to run farm
or follow a trade intelligently-is there
any doubt as to the wisdom of pursuing
such a method? If method can be
found which will secure the production
Of two bushels of corn instead OF one,
of two bales Of cotton where one has been
grown. is there any doubt Of the eS-
pediency of following such methods:
There certainly can be no doubt In our
i minds that satisfactory methods have al
ready been found 70 produce such results
for any race and that our problem or to-
div is no longer to seek the methods but
to find the means of carrying them out.
The intense activity of the educators OF
the South is evidence that the means VIII
not be la cking.
What can the business man do IN
practical way to assist in Transforming
the ignorant child into productive con-
sumer. think that I can best illus
trate some Of the ways In which help