The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-01-16

Nashville, Tenn, Jan. 12-Follow-
ing is a synopsis of the final message
of Gov. McMillin to the legislature,
it having been read before that body
today:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
Since the convening of the last gen.
eral assembly, the people of the State
have enjoyed such a degree of pros
perity and such unbroken peace as to
make us grateful to a merciful God
for His mercy AID blessings.
You are familiar with the needs
of our people. l shall, therefore, only
call your attention to those policies
and matters of legislation that are
of greater importance.
EDUCATION.
The free institutions of the State
and the republic rest upon the vir-
tue and intelligence of the people.
For the general education of the
masses we must look to our common
school system. l would not decry
colleges and universities; they are
both great and SoOd, but as now or
ganized they do not, and can not, do
the work of the public school, nor
can they attain eminent success with
mon schools. Therefore, we should
bend every energy to their advance
ment. Much has been and is being
accomplished in this line; but much
remains to be done to bring the sys-
tenn to that perfection which should
be the aim of all.
The public school affords the only
education that a large per cent of our
people of this age can ever get. No
other one human agency contributes
so largely to the success of the Amer
ical citizen or prosperity of our gov
ernment. No sectional prejudice dom
mates it; and, since separation of
church and State, no single religious
denomination can control. 1t is the
power of the people unto the saliva
tiOn of the State.
At the very foundation of practi-
cal common school education lies the
question Of cheap textbooks. Our
State has suffered for many years on
account of the high price charged
for books used by the students Be
lieving that there was a fruitful field
for reform in this, urged the legis-
lature of 1899 to pass law authoriz-
ing the adoption of a uniform system
of textbooks throughout the State,
the adoption to run for a period of
years. Such a law was passed and
went into operation in September,
1899. 1t has, therefore, been tried
for more than three years. After
giving the matter thorough investi
cation and watching closely the op-
Grafton of the law, l do not hesitate
to express the conviction that it has
resulted in a great saving to the peO-
pie of the State, Improvement in the
books used, and of incalculable advan-
tage to the cause Of common school
education.
l recommend for your consideration
the enactment of such laws as will
inaugurate, wherever it is possible,
manual training and industrial edu-
cation as part of our common school
system. No step in any other di-
rection will result in speedier and
greater benefits than this.
DEAF AND DUMB SCHOOL.
1 think also that there should be
such change in the law as will author
ize and require an extension of indus
trial education and manual training
in the deaf and dumb school. The
students in this school have suffered a
great affliction, and l think that it
could be with great benefit to the stu
dent put upon a basis of more thor
ough industrial education. There is
no reason why, if a proper equipment
is given them in youth, the students
of this institution may not become
leaders in many lines of industrial ac-
tivity.
1t is also important that industrial
education be extended. as far as pos
sible. in the school for the blind, to
enable them to practice the use of
their hands. They use them less, nee
essarily, than those who see. They
do not have the opportunity to eXer-
else the hands that comes to those
who have sight. Therefore they should
be taught all of the arts and indus
tries which they can apply in life
that they may have that manual prac-
tice which will be useful to them in
all of the vocations of life. | would
not be understood as criticising the
present management. They have been
jealous and faithful.
SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY.
l urge upon you the establishment,
in some one of the institutions of the
State, a school of technology. Ten
nesssee is blessed as few States in the
Union with natural endowrnents. Her
immense deposits of iron, marble, coal,
phosphate, copper and other minerals
will afford an ineXhauStible field for
capital and labor for ages to come.
We should have some of our institu-
tions so organized that in all branches
of technology. becoming more and
more important each year, the student
can get an equipment that will enti-
tie him to rank in this with the most
learned of the land. 1t should not
be necessary for us to go beyond our
own borders for this education. We
can, by adding to the chair of our
State University or in the University
of Nashville, such appropriation or en-
doWment as will extend the good work
already done there and bestow bless
ing upon the State and the republic.
/ cannot too earnestly impress this
upon you.
COAL OF INSPECTION.
I call your attention to the law for
the inspection of coal oil and needed |
amendment. In the early days of the
use of coal oil and its products for IL
Illuminating purposes, one of the diff
culties and dangers encountered arose
from its highly in1ammable nature
and explosions resultHg therefrom.