The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-16

!. . : y III y T. & s
of indivldualism spread It's destructive
overgrowth. there was no place for public
education. In democratic society,
where the advancement Of thesswhole is
directly dependent upon the progress OF
its individual units, there can be no
healthful existence without an. aincrens-
ingly efficient system Of public education.
In any democratic community, social
progress is directly commensurate with
the advancement Of public intelligence.
1t seems to me that in thus barking
back to the social, political and economic
conditions Of yesterday, we can best
comprehend the educational needs Of to-
day. Under the old order of things, the
economy OF the slave lay in the perpett--
4uation Of an agricultural community
He could have found no adjustment to a
more complicated industrial organiza-
Z ton. With his emancipation came also
the economic emancipation of the
white people or the South from
agricultural bondage. The result has
been an Industrial revolution carrying
with it untold complexities. Bat social
and Industrial revolutions are mott the
work of a day. We are still in a trans
itonial stage. The old aristocratic order
is still behind us, a new order of things
Is before US but. the new dcmocracy Is
not yet realized and will not be fully
realized until books and newspapers and
the chance to acquire ahandlcraft are
made possible through schools for every
child in the State, whether he be rich or
poor, white or black. d i55
That the problem of education in Viz
ginla presents enormous difficulties is
true enough. 1t is true OF the. problem
throughout the South. The presence Of
the negro gives rise to the necessity for a
double system Of schools and, in consc-i
tduence to double fiscal burdens, More
over. our population, In spite Of our muni-
cpal growth, is still largely rural. Ac-i
cording to the latest United States CEN
sus reports, less than one fourth&of the
population OF Virginia live In incorpo-
rated towns. OF which there arc 15G In.
the State, and slxty-elght of these 1 In
the class containing loss than 500 inhab-
ltants. 3 Our problem. therefore. Is large
~ the problem Of the rural school, the
school of the people. Residents Of cities
are too often prone to look upon them
selves as the people. and III graphing
with the stout problems Of municipal ex-S
istence, to forget that there are those
beyond who do not share the educational
advantages they enjoy. 8o
II our problems arc formidable, our
courage and our enthusiasm are undaunt-
ed, IT, through the shortsighted policy
OF our forefathers. who grated the me-
BRO upon our soil, we are to-day ,saddled
with the tensest problem in the life OF
the nation. We may take heart of hope
In the thought that our greatness has
ever lain In the equanmity, the courage,
the heroism, with which the consequences
of our peoples bundhrs have been met
and overcome. The condemnation of any
people lies not so much In Its first false
step. taken In blindness, and often. as
In our case, In unwillingness, but In the
failure to apply to the solution Of result
Ing problems the practical genius OF q
more enlightened generation. ifa
Surely no more significant movement
has ever commanded the attention of the
people of Virginia than that which has
been inaugurated, With the promise OF
such great SUCCESS, by the Cooperative
Education Commission Of Virginia, with
Its general aim, the betterment of the
country common schools. It's inspiring
programme of purposes tells at once the
whole story OF our educational needs. as
well as the wisdom and practical insight
OF those noble spirits who arc directing
the nascent energies Of the commission.
y nine months school for every child
high school within reasonable distance
OF every CHILD, the Introduction Of agri-
cultural and Industrial training In the
schools, the promotion Of libraries. the
ofsanization OF n citizens education as
ISOLATION IN every county and city-lo