The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-31
AHEAD OF HORACE MANN.

Much more depends upon eEEiron-
ment than is generally believed. If
Archibald d. Murphey had lived in
Massachusetts, he would be every
where hailed as the father of the
common school system of America.
Twenty-Five years before Horace
Mann, this great North Carolinian
formulated wise and practical
scheme of public education that in
all essentials has been adopted in
all progressive States. 1t was not
adopted in North Carolina then
chiefly because the population of the
State was too widely scattered to Sc
cure community action. 1t was a
day when almost every North Caro-
linian's ideal of the best existence was
to have no neighbor near enough to
see the smoke coming out of his
chimney. With a sparse and widely
scattered population, with no great
centres, little wealth, and not gen.
eral diffusion of education, the sys-
tenn of Judge Murphey was placed in
the archives of the State, read and
approved by the few, and unheard of
by the many for whom he thought
and planned. He died conscious that
he had outlined a system that would
make his people prosperous and edu-
Gated, but disappointed that its prac-
teal operation was postponed to the
future. Indeed it is only in the past
twenty years that the people gener-
ally have been wise enough to reach
the points attained by Murphey gener-
ations ago.
In Massachusetts, after Murphey
had laid down public cares, Horace
Mann presented wise and practical
scheme of public education which has
given him lasting fame. He did not
borrow from Murphey. His plan was
evolved from his experience and his
faith in public education. If he had
lived IN a sparsely settled State like
North Carolina, his plan would have
been preserved i'm the annals of the
Legislature, would have stimulated
the few to educational zeal, but moth
ing more during his life time. He
CHANGED, however, to live in a State
where there was a city of large pro-
portions and where theS population
was not widely scattered. Moreover
he lived where the printing press was
actively employed and where men met
often to exchange views and where
concerted action was easy. The re-
suit was that Horace Mann actually
hi In,
what Archibald Murphey sought to
do in his life time in North Carolina.
Too little is known of Murphey in
North Carolina. The Raleigh Pub
lie School Committee honored the cap
ital city some years ago by naming
it's second public school "The Muir
phey School," and the educators of
the State have given him the place in
North Carolina educational history
that Massachusetts has given to
Horace Mann. We are learning more
and more of this North Carolina
statesman and prophet. and the more
that is known of him the larger he
looms up as the great educational
leader of America of his time.
Last year Judge Archibald Murphey
Aiken, of Danville, a descendant of
Judge Murphey, in order to stimulate
interest in the study of North Caro-
lima history, offered gold medal to
the member of the graduating class
of the A. and Nj. College
who would write the best historical
paper 1t is called the "Murphey
Historical Medal" and on the medal
won by Mr. Eugene c.. Bagwell, of
Raleigh is inscribed:
..MURPHEY MEDAL,
proSonted by