The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-24

| North who met at the first conference
came as the guests of a Virginia gentle-
man, who believed In the value of co-ope-
| ration between Northern and Southern
men interested In the great cause Of uni
versal education 1t is we'll for us, too,
to remember that the principles which
| the Southern Education Board has adopt
| ed for its own are those of Virginia
most distinguished educator, Thomas JEFF
ferson. His face looks out upon us from
the publications of this board, and to the
| PRONUNCIATION of his principles 1t Is de-
| voting its energies Nowhere can we find
| a clearer or more emphatic statement of
! the need of universal education than in
the writings OF this distinguished son. of
the Old Dominion. The bills which he
proposed to the Virginia Assembly In 1913
are so expressive of our own ideas that
we might safely adopt their important
\ clauses as the principles OF our euucti-
tional propaganda.
From the time of Jefferson to the final
realization of his plains in 1870, under the
| wise leadership of the Honorable w. ii.
! Ruffner, Virginias leading men have en-
| pressed their conviction that system
| of free schools Is necessary to the Well
being of n democracy st. George TUCK
| er. an able champion OF democracy and
universal education, believed not only in
Jef1erson's ideas on education but IN his
scheme for freeing and educating the
slaves In his Notes on Blackstone
published in 1903, Judge Tucker gives the
outlines of his own plan for the gradual
liberation and education Of the negroes
and adds resume Of Jelfersons Bill Tor
the more General Diffusion of knowledge
in Virginia. In 1S4l, Henry Ruftner,
president of Washington College, now
Washington and Lee proposed very
practical plan for tho organization ana
support of common schools in Virginia.
.'The first free school i'll Virginia, which
was also tho first In America, was the
one established near Hampton by Hen"
iamin Syms. in 1894 This school has done
good work from the day of It's foundation
and to-day, under the name OF the Syns.
Eaton Academy, Is well-equipped and
effective institution Of learning. But 1t
was not until 1870 that tho Constitution
of Virginia provided for a general sys-
tenn of public schools, Dr. VIM Henry
Runner, son of President Runner was
called to tho new office of state super
.ntendent Of Public Instruction. III
brief space OF time he formulated sys,
tenn OF free schools that has been most
| entisfactory-a system that was planned
| Nv Thomas Jefferson, advocated Ny 81.
| George Tucker and other leading VIZ
! rini,ns elaborated by President Rutfner,
| and finally established under the direc-
| ton Of Hon Wm. NJ. Ruffner, OF who!h
| ii has been said that In the reinaIkh .,,
ust Of Virginia's great and honorea GU
| zens no one has done more Tor ier e''' to"-
mcnt in all that is noble.
! BURDEN TO BEAR.
.pr+ the burden thrown upon the white
| o,,i,ans at the state by the necessity
~ nrnvidinr school advantages. not only
for their own children, but fog those Oh
tha negro race as we'll was heavy one.
N No Vas the negro problem originally,
one of Vlrginin's seeking IL "ouiu
Oe most interesting, were 81 .le,e
| fine. 10 show the heroic ende.Volsf il, no
Inv prominent Nrginians 10 Apoiisn 80,
~ When. therefore after the war
/ tho state faced tho necessary VI euuo :,
. ,,,u ali of Its children. black as wen ns
Mite Il is not strange that many ,ei.,
~ T7urfner says 'cXnsperated Una !.
~ -. ~ r,corTrcss Of the United States should
~, Ia grant aid in tho heavy las 7i,,o -
educating tho chidren OF me isi ,.,,,ro n
Il ,Dut,' said Or. Ruttner' uie s ss,r'u ,yorse
Il us TO educate them "oul' ,,,ya 70 bear
than all the burdens we hsAsa 49,,
st.'a'' ,aI, will come sooner or later.
sly HELP DID COME
II :, holm did come. not from ,he =, ~ y.
A'.u as he United States, be 1t sac 70
a. shame, and not for the freeiileil a.2, ar,
,rh,ougb the generosity or AZ, w. ~, a. a.
peabody. a Eft Of So 5oo,ooo was I,,oae
. | az DNa nr01nOllDn
rnrtIn,s Of our common country wnio''
~, s,rfered most from the destrucuVe
,,,,ges and the not less disastrous "on-
.a,,nrr.e of the civil war Hon. D. -
=, CRY of honored memory, the aseh
, a. nat fund. who has perhaps zone M,
| for, The establishment OF pupilc senoo.s
j IN the South than any other o'ie n.y. No.
/, In this country, In his last report W Nv
, tr,staas sncnks of its bcnehcent resH's
wv ,,,,,,,.ala,,s nprtaking of tie nature o.
: revol,tlon. Speaking further OF the WOES
/ =, M Peabody fund. he says: ihe,'
i saran. nm through tho South, under TINS
stin,,lat ting and guiding influence, eN
i ce,,nrt schools most Of which continue
4 until the present day, and are 'hcolpo
: rated with state systems.o Later cam
The slater fund, which Or, curry also au
k mlnistered most wisely,
!, II was not strange that DR.. curry, nn
+ dcrstnnding as did no other man, Sout'
/ or North what these two funds had &C
y compljshed should have greeted with en-
+ tbuslngm any organization that had To-
d its object the securing OF free schools fol
II eli the people. DIR, Curry did not NEE
+ with us the first year at Capon Spr'nEs
u hut the second year he presided ana eve
I after was one Of the guiding spirits of III
y conference His ringing words on tina
n occasion will never he forgotten by thos
q who heard them. Speaking OF the condi
y ton OF the South after the war he said
a "Despite the environments and the hope
n lrssness of the outlook. there were fe
. who felt that the salvation OF the South
d the recovery OF its lost prestige, dependn'
y on universal education, They felt tina
q M better service could be rendered to tn
u country, and the great problem wh'cl
embarrassed or darkened action, than
u scheme OF applying systems, tried ant
y known elsewhere, TO the renaissance q
the South Therefore, with hope ani
courage amid the gloom OF dlsappoInt
2 ment and poverty and despair, the pres
d sure of adverse circumstances, and tn
struggle for subsistence, they advocated
G and secured the Incorporation into or
9 ganic law OF general education as III
y only measure which promised TO lift III
: the lately servile race and restore ~
9 white people TO their former prosperity
: They I1ersogered In their efforts unit
nov every state In the South Inns stat
established Stste controlled, State sur
ported schools for both races. wtthou
., legal discrimination as 10 the benefit
y conferred Dr. Curry's eloquence rouse
~. ff that llttia no1,nory "a