The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-30
7teresf Ia VIRGINIA i the Cause Of Popular Education

and academies, prepared Ia cater college.
an average Of eleven new students year
for cucli college In tile stnte seeking sucl,
graduates have found and supplied
some omissions In tho Burenu's list but
after making tho largest allowances for
schools not reporting to tho Bureau and
for others not reporting OIL this item l
cannot make out more than oig htcen ind
d half prepared students e. picco for en-
trance each year In Virginia colleges
coming forth from ali sollr secondary
schoos-publlc and private. Reckohing
on an average attendanceiof three yenrs,
thcse would keep the college roll UP to
flfty-fivc or Six. Eyes, but they have over
that True, because some, pcrforcn take
,inprepared students and some draw stu
dents largely from elsewhere. Just look
over the last list Of II. a. graduates of
tho University of Virginia and see for
whose education we are spending the
States money there we are willing and
glad, OF course. to have others come TO
Our schools, but unless they educate our
own sons we are not getting the bcnct,s
for which they werc established, and for
which they are maintained. No student at
our State institutions pays as much as
1t costs the State ia educate him. Our
educational bcnefactions intended pri-
neglect going largely TO others.
The almost incredible facts as TO tigh
schools reported by the Bureau Of Edit
cation find confirmed. so far as I have
had opportunity to ascertain by personal
observation Tho most excellent high
school Of. Lynchburg, for example. nd
1nirably organized, fully equipped and
conducted with great zcal--a school which
has no competitor In the city OF $4,000
people In the work OF preparing students
for college graduated Just three boys
ono year and two the next Is It sur
5prlsing that the City Council should
raise the question whether the expense
OF sustaining It's advanced classes was
Justified? And thus 1t IS all over our
State.
PEOPLE MUST BE AROUSED.
This situation Is vital to all our col.
leges. Our people do not generally be-
lleye In higher education. They must be
brought to believe In both high school
and college edlication. or even the richest
and best of our colleges will Iangulsh.
Endowments cannot take the place Of
students; free scholarships cannot pre-
pare boys for college.
we must BRING home to parents the
fact--for IL Is n proyablc fact--that he
who can give his boy high schoo, and
ColleEe cQuCatlOH and does not DO so, is
robbing him Of his right. He is not
giving his child fair chance in the bat
tie Of life
In support OF this statement refer
the statistics furnished by the Bureau Of
Education, published In another column,
under tho heading, .'Educaton OF 10000
Successful Men; Of 10000 Successful Men
Their Education. 100 Were
College Trained"
The commerclnlisf OF the age that
would direct all effort In pursuit OF the
dollar and the narrowness OF vision,
which sets that chase after the immediate
dollar. have turned many away from
school, and college. to mill and counting
house to the dwarfing of their owl, pos
and with sad loss to the State.
This tide Virginia must stem. II We
would continue to be leading pecp!c. !
Virginia should point the
way to her Southern sisters. The way
of highest renown is through highest
manhood We have furnished the type
to tho world. Let us perpetuate 1t.
Let the needed leader step forth and
proclaim that the mother of States and
statesmen sets education on tho banner,
which once 10 nobly bore the ST. An
drew's cross--that Virginia still follows
the flag Of Iee
On Chesapeake and Ohio tratr, en- route
to st. Louis.