The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03
Public Higher Education.

Editor of Tho Dispatch:
s!r,-It is not my intention to criticise
tho action Of the Legislature nor to
make any attack on our higher inst1tll-
lions OF learning; yet l do th1Ek 1t high
time to stop and consider whether or not
we are laying too much stress and APP
propriatlng too much money for higher
education to the great neglect or the
very basis On which higher education
must misunderstanding education of
the masses.
While l do not undertake to say thaI
the appropriation OF $4,000 to the Viz
ginia Polytechnic Institute was eXtrav;l-
CANT, or that 1t should not have been
made. yet do say that something should
be done to bring up our country free
schools to a higher standard of pro-
| ficlency.
Let us take, for example, the average
| country public school. with an enrolment
OF anywhere from Twenty-Five to fifty
pupils; the session of five months, and,
| in many instances, a teacher wholly In
competent to teach school; can 1t not
be readily seen that tho country boy and
girl, except in the few instances that
| tho parents Of such children have large
means, is almost entirely lacking IT. any
educational facilities?
Not SO with the moro fortunate city
child. He. on account of the centfall-
| cation of wealth, higher school levy
/, a session OF nine months. and tho best
| Instructors that money can procure, car
| enjoy the advantage Of an education, free
! or cost, thus enabling him to 80 out IN
| the world with knowledge adequate 10
| fiji positions OF honor and emolument;
| while tho country boy must be conteEl
| to continue to follow life Of toll ana OBJ
scurty. When we know that the cities
|
their wealth. and the products OF the
toIlIng country farmer always go to con-
tribute to tho wealth Of tho cities Qor
1t is tho city manufacturer and trades
man that reaps the lions share OF farm
products), 1t does not seen equitable or
Just that nothing Is done towards giving
these people the advantages OF edlca-
tonal facilities nearer the standard OF
city schools.
The State cannot afford to have ar ig-
norant popuace, for all evil follows IN
the wake of ignorance, Once give the
masses OF country people n good clemens
tary education, and higher education
will take caro- of itself. and with better
education will come improved and up-to-
! date methods Of agriculture and the state
will orjoy an era of prosperity hereto
fore unparalleled in tho annals OF lis
history.
The erect or Ignorance ls clsaIlS ue''-
onstrated In Europe. where the farmers
are reduced to a state Of serfdom.
and. to all intcnts and purposes, slavery,
simply because they arc grossly ignorant
| and have not the meEtal capacity To pro-
tect their OWN interests,
House bill No. 174, which was intro
duced In the Legislature Just adjourned
by Hon. Eugene Ould, In my humble
Judgment would have gone far to cor
rect this crying evil.
Under the provisions OF this bin when
| ever n school district appropriated the
sum or 500 10 establish q high school IN
the district, The State would dorate a
similar sum.
The average country pupil will finish
the course now taught at the age of four
teen or fifteen years. Even il the scholar
had ample means to enter the higher
Institutions Of learning he would not be
prepared. and would have first to so for
several sessions To some preparatory
school, The city pupil. however, is fnlly
prepared to enter any college IL the
land when through the city public school
Had this bill become q Law Is would