The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-27
UNIVERSITY MUST
Be MADE CAPSTONE
Establish System of Rural High
Schools, Leading Upward.
PLAN OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
Prof. Barringer Appeals for Free Non
Sectarian Education. and Shows Eff
fects of it and Lack of 1.-THE
University's Fine Showing.

fects of it and Lack of 1.-THE
University's Fine Showing.
Following Is the address Of Professor
| Paul B. Barringer, chairman Of the Uni
versity of Virginia faculty. at the re-
cent educational conference at the Uni
versity:
Mr.. Chairman, Superintendent. Ladies
and Gentlemen
| take the position regarding the pub
| lie school Of Virginia that there is but
| one course that can offer hope for this
State. and that is a complete general
! non-sectarian system OF education. such
as was proposed by Mr.. Jefferson one
hundred and twenty-five years ago-a
system Of elementary schools, complete
| system of public high schools or acad-
| emies, and a university. This is eN-
actly the system which has made the
States of the North and West what they
are to-day in wealth and power, and it
has been the lack of such an educational
machine that has caused Virginia to drop
from her one-time position OF primary in
wealth and influence to the position
which she now occupies-some twenty
five from the top in a total Of forty
FIVE States.
It must be remembered. moreover. that
from the very beginning Virginia has
had education, and good education In
the old days when only the ecclesiasttc
type of institution prevailed she had the
best, and great was her reward. She
lowered among States as giant among
pigmies. But with the change from
monarchical to a republican form OF gov
eminent there had to come. of necessity.
a compensatory change in education. and
that great political and educational pro
phet. Jefferson, saw it: and seeing, tried
hard to save his people. but they would
not heed
THE RESULT.
The result is that the ecclesiastical
type of school has reigned almost supreme
in the South till within recent years.
and what has been the effect? During
the last century the whole South has not
produced any leaders OF really national
reputation except her military men, like
Lee, Jackson, etc. who were educated
att West Point, a public school outside OF
the South Except these. what men born
during the last century have we pro-
duced who would for an instant compare
with Washington. jefferson. Madison.
Monroe, Marshall and others of that he
roc age of American history? Not one
These men, born English subjects, knew
the evils of Church and State; they fit
ted the day and the institutions of the
time; but times have indeed changed
The moral to be drawn from this Is
clear and is as follows: Men educated
in schools Of the old ecclesiastical type
cannot for moment compete in the ma
tional arena, public life with men edu-
Gated in the public schools.
The war closed with Virginia and the
ether Southern States in the same state
CT mind regarding ideas Of social order
as when they entered that contest; but IN
one thing they were all agreed and mat
was that the system of education in
vogue in the South before the war was
failure and should be changed. This they
felt. but SO impoverished We're they that
they scarcely knew where to begin. IN
spite of social chaos. however. in spite
Of abiect poverty. in spite of the
eleemosynary faint which still hung
a@ound the name of free school in the
S.o.:th, they did begin in 1870. under the
Immortal Ruffner and what has been
the result here? After but little more
than a quarter Of century of trial, the
people of Virginia, a a people, are agreed
that it is the only system of educa-
tca ever applied in this State which
gives promise alike to the poor man, the
middle man. the rich man, the whole
people. 1t nus the nccGS Oh the Gay
After centuries of experience and CEN
turtles of trial. all other systems have
failed to lift the people, and have failed
to furnish leaders from our people who
could be pitted against the products OF
the public schools from other States,
What leaders of public policy or public
thought have we furnished this Union in
the last century? None.
JEFFERSON'S SYSTEM.
n ia Nd
fight to the last gasp. but if not ''fit"
they are always forced to the wall. The
h;stry of the transition Of the ecclesiasti-
cal type Of institution in certain parts
of America is instructive New England
first accepted the present American sys-
TEN of public schools, and what was it?
It was exactly the public school system
offered Virginia in 1919 by Thomas Jeffer-
son, item for item, and word for word.
A public free school system consisting
of an elementary or. grammar school, a.
rus,lic high school and a university.
In New England the institutions of
higher learning. although founded under
church control, soon saw the light and
they fastened to change. Who ever
thinks of Harvard now as a congrega-
tional church school, and vet this insti-
tuition was unde5 that domination for
rnore than a century Who ever thinks of
Yale as a church school? And yet the
gentleman holding the presidency Of that
| Institution to-day is the first man not
2 CONGREGATIONAL minister who ever held
fiat Office And If ever this postion is
| filed q gain by a minister it will not be
| because he is a minister. but because the
minister is mar. Princeton. mere re-
| mote from the center OF this influence.
| Is still in the throes of transition. Not
| lone since \ fTarnard wont IN from 'e~
nresiaert her faculty and alumni that
the ha-a Of eccleeia e+i"is'n be ren7cved
from Princeton and their demand was
Lcard croelovtc~:an;sr' wiz not hence-
| forth Dominate Princeton Stem nv ston
t',n cam, changes are taEino place in the
whole TTnitc7 States. Tho sectariar7
schools ~ first arta oonist'c TO Tho nuhlic
Schools have seen that this system of
| e1,,ca+ ior * iri->;oal to = Chris
+ian life or GOOD morals. and tnev are
| al,irr the ch,rc gas e'Owl-. but Srrolv.
| 10 cnrfc-v7 ~ il7o shirt Of the are Thov
,.,-a eoer tre+ thnrn can be no r"al con-
| nati+;or in 1oirr GOOD and lifting tho
| ,-o,-th IF this country 20 higher life
ana higher air,c is dom" 9c.od.
rho ror'nr Of t-orsitinr is as follows