The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-02-20
EDUCATIONAL BUREAU
Under Direction of KATE MARKHAM POWER.

Since my last letter was written the
records of the State have been in
creased and enriched by the biennial
report of Professor Whitfield to the
legislature, for the years 1902-1903.
This report is now in the hands OF
the lawmakers and it is easy to see
that it has made an excellent i'm
preston. The volume Is large one,
but 1t is difficult to see how it could
be reduced without great loss to the
State and needless sacrifice of edu-
cational interests. Every one of the
two hundred and fifty pages contain
facts and figures, practically present
ed, which must rejoice all loyal Mis-
sissippians and which ought to en-
courage us to redouble our efforts to-
ward perfection of the public school
system, which is above all other in
situations, the hope and the depend
ence of our State.
Prof Whitfield does not waste time
on. or give space to, extraneous mat
tiers, nor does he weigh down his
valuable pages with lot of useless
figures which no man takes time to
read. He tells clearly and colcisely
what he thinks it his duty to tell about
the progress of education in the State,
and he speaks freely concerning all
matters which retard or advance the
work. A perusal of the report is alb
sorbingly interesting to any one who
has the future of Mississippi's chill
dren at heart, and it more than re-
pays the time given to its study.
Within the many pages are many
well worth quoting; and one OF these,
to my mind, was so full OF interest
the plain statement of so deplorable
a condition of affairs among our peo-
ple-that l would like to reproduce
it, word for word This, space for
bids, but will give the gist of it.
Professor Whitfield contends, and
he is right, that there can be no real
property in a State unless the peo-
pie of the State are able to perform
the higher, as well as the lower, grades
of labor required in the working up
of our raw materials. In speaking
of our inability tos do this he says
1--WE have just completed a maSnifi-
cent capitol-one thai will be pride
to every loyal Mississippian for years
to come What did Mississippi con-
tribute to its construction, and what
did her people realize from it," He
recites the fact that there was no re-
Spouse from Mississippi when archl-
tects were invited to submit plans.
From almost every other section or
this great land plans came and, even
tually, to st. Louis went the dis
tinguished honor and the princely fee.
When the contract was let Mississip-
nj furnished no bidder a1d to Chicago
the profits were given. When skilled
workmen were needed they had to be
imported. Prof. Whitfield concludes
his lament-for such it is-with this
statement of the truth: mississippi
carried the brick and mortar, and, in
the main, received day-laborer
wages. If she had been compelled to
construct the building with her own
skill, the beautiful capitol would not
have been built
All of this-and more-is true.
From the high-priced architect who
blocked out the figures of the tympa-
num-back of that, even-to the ar
fist who designed it at his table in
some distant city-clear on through to
the men who poised the eagle on her
stately pinnacle, the workmen came
from beyond our boundaries, and it
begins to look now as if we would
have to send afar to seek a la1scape
gardner, if the spacious grounds are
ever to develop from a muddy patch
of oats into anything worth seeing.
And this in Mississippi, where the
love and knowledge of horticulture
should be inherent!
The argument of the superintend-
ent of education is. of course, that
we will never be able to compete with
the best in the land until we give to
our children the very best possible
educational advantages. Had we-say
twenty-five years ago-put the nipple
ments in the children's hands, they
could today begin to hold their own
in the work 70 carving out or building
up their future. AS it is, we are just
beginning to do the work properly.
To return to the work on the capt.