The sea coast echo., 1903-01-10

trains the pupil from day to day in the
naoit OF self-control and respect for the
rights OF others does not produce law
abiding citizens nothing else is likelv
to accomplish it,"
simply because the public schools
nave not succeeded in banishinp crime
OF every description from our midst is no
reason for declaring the system fail
ure. Why, my friends, Christianity has
peen abroad in the land for 1900 years
and crime still exists. And you must
remember that with the school and the
church working in co operation, we will
never succeed in banishing crime from
this old world until the millennium shall
nave arrived. Then again some people
have an idea that il the schools do mt
DANISH ignorance as rapidly as the sun
would melt snow ball, they have failed
OF their purpose. Let me remind those
who would reform the world in a dav
thae progress does not go by leaps and
bounds, but by slow and steady steps.
Whence the improvement right through
this country If not through the influence
OF the public schools? Is there not n
higher degree ofintelligence all through
TINS country than there was a generation
agoT Are not our people, as a rule, liv-
ing on higher plane, both morally and
socially, than they were decade ago?
1t is true that some of this may be at
tributed to the influence of commerce.
and industry, especially to railroads
which bring the rural population into
closer touch with the great centers of
education and refinement, but there is
no doubt in my mind that the larger
plrt Of it is attributable directly to the
influence of the public schools. In this
connection our State Superintendent of
Education, Mr.. Whitfield, after assuring
us that illiteracy and crime both are de-
creasing in Mississippi, says. "There is
no question but that the influence Of the
public school on the general welfare of
the State has been good, and the gener-
al tone and sentiment is now better than
in the history of the State" He also
says that in making the statement that
crime is decreasing, eve must take into
consideration the fact that the popula-
ton OF the State is increasing so very
last that the amount OF criminal business
in the courts appears TO be increasing,
but when compared with the population
it is less" The public schools, not
witbstanding the fact that they are often
hampered in their usefulness by narrow
minded officials, inefficient teachers and
want OF funds, are not only training the
children OF the State for future useful
ness, but through the. children are ex-
erting an influence for good on the pa
rents.
Again it must be remembered that the
public school system in Mississippi is.
practically speaking, in its infancy.
The present system, you may say, dates
from the constitution of 1890. 1t is true
that as early as 1922 we had what was
then known as the Literary Fund.-"
and the first real effort to establish a
uniform system was made in 1886; but
almost nothing was accomplished in this
direction until after the Civil War, and.
even then the system was very defective
The magnificent system that is the pride
and boast OF every true Mississippian to-
day was developed almost entirely under
the direction OF ex-State Superintendent
of Education j. X. Preston, who smotc
the rock of educational resources,
so to speak, and while great streams
of intelligence have not literally gush
ed forth, great and lasting good has
been accomplished. And every school
throughout the length and breadth of
this grand old State stands as a beacon
light, beckoning the rising generation
on to higher and better things.
You tell me that this great system is
a failure; that the enormous sums Of
money contributed for its support year
by year by the patriotic and liberty
loving citizens of this great common
wealth are all spent in vain? That the
labor of our seven thousand or more
teachers, who are devoting theis lives
to the education Of the rising generation
as well as to the good of humanity in
general, is to count for nothing. You
might aswell tell me that the MISSISSIPPI
ri river dooe not flow towards the sea,
OF that we never had such conflict as
the Spanish American wer. why, my
there is not teacher under the
sound Of my voice that did not receive
his early training in the public schools.
Nay there are but few in the State, to
say nothing of other professions, that
did not receive their early training in
the public schools. Then is it not rea-
sonable to hope, after the 100000 chill
dren in our schools today have gone out
into the different avocations of life and
tie leaven has continued to work for
another generation, that the public
schools will have accomplished all that
ever has been claimed for them? o, my
fellow teachers, may we all realize that
upon us much of the success of failure
of the schools of old Hancock depends.
Let us resolve to redouble our efforts to
make them accomplish the desired re-
suits. May they become, through our
labors, such a power for good that each
succeeding generation will rise up and
call us blessed.
Senator Morgan of Alabama says "I
cannot see that there ia anv great diffe-