The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-12-16

WITH THE EDUCATORS IN NORFOLK.
That was n splendid meeting Of Viz
ginia educators which was recently
held in Norfolk.
DIR. Alderman, president Of the Uni
versity, made the leading address of
the occasion, and among the many
striking things said by him we have
only space for paragraph;
Popular education he declared,
''means the education Of all the people
by all the people, high and low, rich
and poor, white and black" Train
ing, he said, "is the law OF life. We
must have training In producing any
thing from q cabbage to genius. The
yard stick by which we measure the
height Of any civilization is the atten-
| ton il pays to childhood. This idea
came from Christ, the first true demo-
crat that ever lived; the first true gen.
item n, and the Christian philosO-
pher."
There is something strangely strik-
ing about expressions like this and
none but courageous and cultured
speaker would make them.
Supt. West, OF Louisa, flung this
bouquet to the ladies Of his county;
"My experience in Louisa county has
been, said Mr.. West, "that you cannot
expect any too much help from the
men, for nearly everything We have
achieved recently down our way has
come from the earnest joint efforts OF
the women and the children"
Mr.. Nswter, who has made such a
splendid success Of the Miller Manual
School said in part:
"Manual training has been iearfully
misunderstood. Ii is not teaching
trade. Ii is not necessarily mode Of
teaching our boys and girls to become
mechanics, artisans cooks or dress
makers. 1t is not meant to supplant
school work in the old curriculum, for
IL needs what the old course taught.
"The term manual training as used
for our schools means an intelligent
training by educated teachers Of all our
physical powers in the art OF doing. We
apply the term manual to this kind
Of training Of our physical powers be-
cause with the hands we do nearly all
our work. Though il is constantly ex-
tending its limits, and is even now
taking in far more than the intelligent
and skillful uses Of our hands"
The meeting was a memorable one
which left Norfolk in a blaze Of en-
thusiasm and our hope is that it will
spread from city to city and county to
county until the entire state finds the
uplift of "a new impulse on the general
subject of education.
Mr.. Copeland, of the Times Dispatch
discussed the relation Of the Press to
the Schools, and among other things
said:
"On the other hand the advertising
feature Of the paper is a power for |
good. 1t brings heroes and heriOnes |
into prominence; it keeps before people /
the institutions which are working for |
the good of humanity and it is lust
here that the press is doing most for
the cause Of popular education. 1t is
continually advertising the fact that
in government like ours, where there
is universal suffrage, there must be
universal education. 1t is advertising
the fact that mans capacity for pro-
ducing is enormously enhanced by
education and that the community
which would keep in pace in progress
with other communities must educate
its workmen. 1t is advertising the fact
that investments in school buildings,
even in material way, pay msgnific-
ent returns and is endeayoring to con-
vince the people that if they would
prosper they must tax themselves TO
their schools.