The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-10
TUESDAY. MARCH 10, 1903.
THE CONFERENCE FOR EDU.
CATION.

81l III tNOlNE|LNLlNSAs II - - 90
CATION.
a circular has been issued by the Exec
&3snive Committee OF the Conference Tor
1-d,,cation in the South, calling attention
10 the meeting of the conference IN tne
RI citv of Richmond on Wednesday,, the "a
~ April. ..I5uring the five years In which
the conference has been In existence
saws the circular, "its spirit and AIMS
Il hive been increasingly manifest. All SIN
zero friends Of education are welcomed 10
is conversations. The controlling policy
ii has not been concerned with the protes-
8a;slonal side Of education, but IS dlrected
]; toward ute consideration and discussion
Of such topics as have a common interest
tor patriotic and intelligent citizens every
rank of educators, officers Of educatlohal
corporations, legislators and public edu-
cational officials.
Through the spirit developed at me
s former conferences certain bene1cent re-
suits are clearly evident. Among them
may be noted more Intelligent public
d opinion and more active public con-
\ science in educational affairs, the promo
II ton of helpful operation among teach
ers the encouragement Of teachers
through the sympathetic. power evolved
by the common educational purpose OF
great company OF earnest men ana
women. and the general impetus created
= HI the cumulative power of a growing
n moral carnestness in behalfHof universal
4 education TO broaden and deepen these
and other cognate influences is the aim
Of the committee to which the arrange
. ment Of the approaching conference IS
delegated" lis
We are distressed to see that some OF
the newspapers In Virginia are not only
refusing to give this movement their sup
mort but are actually doing all IN their
power to njure 1t and prejudice the peo-
69 pie against it. We can but conclude that
this opposition is due to ignorance. We
do not believe that any patriotic VIZ
gilman who thoroughly understands the
movement can find it In his heart to
oppose 1t. But some Virginans have taken
at for granted that this Is a missionary
movement" on the part Of Northern peo-
1 pie, who are coming here to. "coonize
=,
4 Yankee school marms and upset our GUS
toms and conditions and try to convert
our children TO the Northern view.
Iii point OF fact, the men who are at
the head Of this movement have NO IN
tention Of establishing schools Of their
own in the South, have no intention OF
doing anything except In hearty coop.
Grafton with the authorities in the sew
cral States. When the executive officer
OF the General Education Board was
asked sevefhl, months ago who were his
y agents In Virginia he replied that they
were Governor Montague and Sunerin-
4 tendent southall, and that is literally the
fact. The General Education Board
which is supplying the money, is work.
ing heart and soul with the school au-
thorltIes, and tho simple fact that the
II Governors and school authorities of the
several Southern States have received The
Isl Northern men kindly and have agreed tc
work with them ought to be sufficient
evidence to the most skepticnl that there
Is no foundation for their msglvlnGs
But the Southern Conference for Edu'
Cation is entirely distinct from the Gen
crnl Education Board and from the South
crn Education Board. 1t is sort OF
y free lance affair, and everybody Is In.
yltcd to come In and hear the discus
s!cns and participate in them. 1t com
{5 mits the delegates 10 nothing, Tho con
ference Is composed largely of Southern
men, although there arc educators from
all sections of the United States, VIII
meet together every year and cxchnng
means and methods. This conference ha
been invited to Richmond by dlstngulshc
citizens Of Richmond. by the Rchmon
Education Association, by the Richmon
Chamber of Commerce, by the GoYcrnc
OF the State. by tho Legislature and ID
\ partment of Education, by the Unlversit
of Virginia and Washington and Lee I'm
versity. II this IS not representative the
we do not know how 1t Is possible to 81
representative invitation In this Stat
VIC submit that the interests of Yirglni
are quite as safe In the hands of thes
representative men and women as IN tn
hands OF a few people who have not eve
taken the trouble to investigate.
The TImes-Dispatdh heartily and OF
i Enthusiastically approves the Southern Cor
II ference for Education and the Sputher
All Education Board and the General I1duca
ton Board and the entire movement. all
The Times Dispatch Is intensely southcr
and intensely Yirginan and as jealous (
the traditions as any newspape in III
State. The conference viii be the grand
est educational rally Virginia ever mar
III and we hope that It win be attended b
every man and woman in the State VIII
has the cause OF education at heart.
8iie5s 49, FIJI 81 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES