The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-18
sys,em wa lott 10 the peoro q Y thsp2}

IL 4 may say so, tiitS uti1orenGes III ftlia
rscogaition Of tho Importance OF general
education still EXISTS 10 some extent. 1t
4 ii not uncommon even now 10 hear N
1 ryllesft scntio,ien inveigll against he
jrynsioflig of private rights in taxing one
ciaes TO ptl,,cate another class, but nap
My, as think. ,lis point of view Is
lildcoining rarcr and rarer. u rs cusl olli-
airy 10 charge our backwardncss ~ th's
"a spttt to tho poverty of the South, but
4 Il 'st.or,s 10 mo much more chargeable 10
thn Indifference Of our people To tho I'M
librtance OF education.
Ep our people need educating first as go
The stiprerie importance OF education. ana
until they are aroused to this fact We
can never even start to catch N,
..I4oM docs Virginia compare Wit, Mas Mas
s .3cntIsetts Iii regard 10 illiterAcy among
Inc white population? The tables Of Tilt
rracv In Tho last census show that the II
litcrate white men of voting age, born Of
4 American parents Ia the North Atlantic
states, running from Maine down to
PENNSYLVANIA constitutes only II per
cent Of that class, while, In tho south
Atlantic division running from Dcia.
ware down to Florida, they constitute J.,
rer cent In Virginia they constitute 10
Der cent, as against .0' per cent. In Mas
#ssrfusctts, ana IS per cent. of the na1iNc.
born white childre. III that State born
= @af forciE., parents. Indeed. 1t Is curl
Gus, and startling fact that there are more
(. iiteratcs III ills country who are the
children OF the iia;iyc-born whites. tlal
there arc ili,eratcS WHO arc the children
al foreigii-born whites. This means that
tho forcgn-born population In this conli-
try recognizes the imperative Importance
OF education far more than our native
population. Ono cause, of course, is that
II considerable percentage Of the foreign
crs settle in towns where they lave the
. et,1,.N ca 81
another cause is that they settle IN tho
North, and where they have better facil-
tiles for education than In tho South.
This brings Inc TO my point that one OF
tho Important fartors in The future is
Tho building up of the South bS bringing
III first-rate class of people from out
side tho south. ( We are ever. TO lave.
!, good class Of elngrants among MS,
whether from the North or foreign coull-
4 tries, we must improve our public school
lfsysteTl. Sensible. right thinking men will
,iot in these days so with their families
where they cannot educate their chill
Alren.
Conditions in the State.
Arc you familiar with tho conditions
prevailing III Southern country distlicts?"
Mr.. Page was asked
- know the country districts ofSN-ir-
,,inia fairly WE'LL" he replied, 'and the
"
down for want OF ordinary elementary
education. + know we'll that there as no
y one great r,anacea, but the thing which
5aapproxinlates 1t most nearly Is u good,
ii practical elementary ed1Ica ton for the
whole people. i believe in the opportunity
for such an education to every soul IN
Tho country, black us well us white, and
3 J. am convinced that the futureVWill JUS
tify this judgment.
lst5t In fact IA hollCl 1t does not seem 4 to
mo at present practicable, l. believe In
8 making education compulsory, for this
section can never catch up with other
4 sections until knowledge is diffuscd and
our people are awakened TO the necessity
ii of obtaining il. If
,52t.Conlpulsory education already exists In
many OF the States, and unless am mis-.
taken. Virginia herself, as advanced as
3 she may think tho step now, Will ono day
awaken to the, fact that her vital interest
Lies in giving such an education to evcry
child within her borders. Tho details Of
this may we'll be left TO I hose who Shall
Y take tho matter up and press II forward
when that day comes.
1.-The first thing to do is TO set into
tho lnlndsGof our people what VIC are
losing BY our failure to keep UP With the
= orth in this Vital matter. Tho South is!
4 not now as poor, ut least, as she used to
II be. Ono OF the chief troubles Is that the
!. rest sof the country has been brought up
4 To the recognition of tho primo impor-.
4 tanoe OF education, and consequently the
whole OF the North is dotted oyer with
excellent schools oE one kind or another,
founded by private donors. while our pco-
! pie who have not been educated TO this
h idea rarely contributoito this important
\ purpose. t
AT a recent banquet in New York be-
4 fore a Southern association. embracing
In, l,,I 5l,N ,,In S,trf
nf saying that while We Of the South
We're proud TO sec tho success they have
achieved in commercial fields, outstrip-
ping on their own ground The thrifty
{ Northerners, We had yet to learn of their
Giving any great sums for education in
their native States; and that as we un-
derstood they now beat the Yankees in
acquiring money. VIC would at least be
pleased to sec. Them emulate the North
4 erters in giving away some of it,
/. 5l 3} The Kind Needed.
4s$.'W1lat Kind Of education do you think
the South most, pssals??" -
1t is important, OF course, that the sort
of education. (which We give should he
{ that which is best adapted TO the needs
< OF onr people, We have seen an attempt
5n&our generation 10 educate II class OF
our population. The negro, i'll a way
which was not adapted 10 their needs,
with the result thai, as soon us they got
IN little ok-iearniDg many OF them
y thought themselves too fine to do man
l51iai la trur, :ual were anxious to become
preachers or politicians.
WHAT The South needs liz a system
when embraces Industrial education. in
fact one crying need now is for tho bet
ter syssanl OF education of our teachers,
and thea a system which shall offer them
field for the proper exercise Of their
powers
1.-THE time las passed when ignorance
Is an asset IN any state States now ARE
PROSPEROUS, and powerful. almost in exact