Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-07-04
HE convention of the State

Ocean City this week was
largely attended.
The Association elected Mr..
II. Crawford Bounds of Wicom
leo. President
The Public Schools of Mary
land have no better friend than
the present Governor of the
State. He is the friend of the
teacher as well as the scholar.
On Tuesday Governor Smith
addressed the Convention.
GOVERNOR SMITHS SPEECH.
although this is the fourth
meeting of your Association
since | have had the honor of
occupying the Executive chair
of the State. this is the first OPP
portunity have had of meet
ing and addressing you on
subjects connected with the
pulic schools. i'm which every
good citizen is, or should be in
terested.
81 therefore welcome this OPP
portunity to meet collectively
the public educators of the
State of Maryland. At the
same time | must confess il is
with some difiidence | assume
to discuss in your presence a
subject with which you are far
more familiar already than /,
and upon which you no doubt
have well defined and valuable
ideas.
But it is the exchange of
ideas which adds to our stock
of information, even though
our ideas may not all be of
equal value or the same quality.
Just as by the laws of trade it
is often of mutual advantage to
exchange commodities, al
though one party may have
only the coarsest raw material
to barter i'm exchange for the
finest manufactured product.
"Therefore | am more than
glad there are other speakers to
follow me, who are better able
to develop the possibilities of
the subject of The State i'm its
relation to the Public Schools
in the discussion we will pres
emily have.
ut is needless for me to say
it affords me much pleasure to
be with you to-day. meeting as
you do not only in my own
county and so near my own
home, but also amidst such at
tractive surroundings. 1t is
indaed a subject of congratu-
lation to the teachers of Mary
land that after the hard work
of the year is ended. and the
routine and the often uninter-
esting duties have been brought
to a close. they are able to
meet together for little ply
steal and mental recreation at
the sea-shore.
Il sincerely hope YOU will
have nothing but pleasure
while YOU are on Worcester
soil. and that YOU will carry
with you TO your homes the
happiest recollections of this
visit.
Il speak advisedly when
nay that the education of the
masses is the most prodigIous
as well as the most important
undertaking of the age, and we
feel gratified and honored that
you who are SO intimately as
sociated with that work. and
who so worthily bear a large
share i'm it, should be our guests
Il wish with all my heart the
teachers of this, and every
state. could be assured of at
tanning personal prosperity and
success co-eXtensive with their
influence and merit, because no
element except the influence OF
the Bible and the influence OF
the home. is so pervasive, Sc
strong, SO absolutely dominant
i'm preserving society, morality
and free institutions.
1.-The relation of the Stat,
toward its public schools is a
subject that has been as widely
and exhaustively discussed
perhaps, as any other question
of governmental policy. 1t is
by no means "a new question
nor yet is the question settled
There are countries whcr,
such "A system has prevailed fol
centuries. There are other
countries where it is of quit,
recent adoption. The latter is
true of Maryland.
Until 1868 there was No
general system of public i'm.
struction in this State. \ law
on the subject was then passed
In 1867 this was superseded by
another, which in It's fundamcn
tai and essential features is in
force at the present day.
erhp ideal of nuhIic school