The leader., 1904-02-17
EDUCATIONAL BUREAU
Under Direction Of KATE MARKHAM POWER.

Since my last letter was written the
records of the State have been In
creased AID enriched by the biennial
report of Professor Whitfield to the
legislature, for the years 1902-1903.
This report is now in the hands OF
the lawmakers and 1t Is easy to see
that 1t has made an excellent Inn
preston. The volume Is a large one,
but 1t is difficult to see how 1t could
be reduced without great loss to the
State and needless sacrifice of edu-
cational interests. Every one of the
two hundred and fifty pages contain
facts and figures. practically present
ed, which must rejoice all loyal Mis-
sissippians and which ought to en-
courage us to redouble our efforts to-
ward perfection Of the public school
system, which is above all other in
situations, the hope and the depend
ence of our State.
Prof. Whitfield does not waste time
on, or give space to, extraneous mat
tiers, nor does he weigh down his
valuable pages with lot of useless
figures which no man takes time to
read. He tells clearly and co1cisely
what he thinks 1t his duty to tell about
the progress of education in the State,
and he speaks freely concerning all
matters which retard or advance the
work. A perusal of the report is abb
sorbingly interesting to any one who
has the future of Mississippis chill
dren at heart, and it more than re-
pays the time given to its study.
Within the many pages are many
well worth quoting; and one of these.
to my mind, was so full of interest
the plain statement of so deplorable
condition of affairs among our peo-
ple-that l would like to reproduce
it, word for word. This, space for
bids, but will give the gist of it.
Professor Whitfield contends, and
he is right, that there can be no real
property in State unless the peo-
pie of the State are able ito perform
the higher, as well as the lower, grades
of labor required in the working UP
of our raw materials. In speaking
Of our inability to do this he says:
I'VE have just completed magnifi-
cent capitol-one that will be pride
to every loyal Mississippian for years
to come. What did Mississippi con-
tribute to it's construction, and what
did her people realize from it?" He
recites the fact that there was no re-
Spouse from Mississippi when archi-
tects were invited to submit plans.
From almost every other section of
this great land plans came and, even
tually, to st. Louis went the dis
tinguished honor and the princely fee.
When the contract was let Mississip-
pi furnished no bidder ald to Chicago
the profits were given. When skilled
workmen were needed they had to be
imported. Prof. Whitfield concludes
his lament-for such it is-with this
statement of the truth: Mississippi
carried the brick and mortar, and, in
the main, received day-laborer' S
wages If she had been compelled to
| construct the building with her own
skill, the beautiful capitol would not
have bee1 built"
All of this-and more-is true.
From the high-priced architect who
blocked out the figures of the tympa-
| num-back Of that, even-to the ar
list who designed it at his table in
some distant city-clear on through to
| the men who poised the eagle on her
stately pinnacle, the workmen came
from beyond our boundaries, and it
begins to look now as If we would
have to send afar to seek a la1scape
| gardner, if the spacious grounds are
ever to develop from muddy patch
of oats into anything worth seeing.
An fr MtcCiccfrTni rxyhn tho
love and knowledge of horticulture
| should be inherent!
The argument of the superintend-
ent of education is, of course, that
we will never be able to compete with
the best in the land until we give to
our children the very best possible
educational advantages. Had we-say
twenty-five years ago-put the imple-
ments in the children's hands, they
| could today begin to- hold their own
in the work TO carving out or building
up their future. AS it is, we are just
beginning to do the work properly.
To return to the work on the CAPT
| toll l recall one visit to the great
structure last spring, when hundreds
of men were working like~bees toward
its completion. / know practically
everybody in the capital city, but a
complete circuit of the building show
ed only one Mississippi man at work
whose salary amounted to anything
more than laborer's wages. This was
the supervising architect, Mr.. Barnes.
The other men were negroes whose
| strong arms were useful in polishing
| che scaglish, and few white youths
engaged in some minor work connect
ed with wiring the place. And could
not blame any one except ourselves.
| Artists were needed in every depart
ment and artists must be had. We
had not trained our boys along these
| lines, SO could not make complaint
| We sent abroad for artists, and lined
| their purses well, while they we're
with u.s., And all the time our own
brave boys-willing to do, and having
| the natural, but unframed, ability
! plowed and hoed and harvested their
crops" which helped to pay "the
| taxes" and thus the skilled workers
who got as much per day as our own
boys get in week. sometimes. Five
and ten dollars day looks mighty big
when seen through the distance, from
| the handles of pillow on hot sum-
mer day, to boy who, deep in his
inner consciousness, recognizes the
| power within him, but lacks knowl-
edge for it's expression.
God speed the day when these same
boys-though laborers still flor SO are
all who make aught of this life) will
be unskilled no longer-but because
of the right training, commenced in
the rural school of his childhood and
continued through college and train
ing school, he will be able to have in
his home and for his family, all COM
forts AID Injuries.
But we must go beyond this and
furnish the fine materials with which
our trained workers may achieve sue
cess at home. Returning, once more,
to the capitol. Why was it that all
of the materials used in its construc-
ton were brought over many miles of
space, when we know that our State
is rich in just such things as were
n Il 4 rNa - ~