The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-12-04
Governor Dawson Makes A Strong Address
Before The Kanawha County School
Officers Association
HE SHOWS THE RELATION OF THE
SCHOOLS TO THE STATES WELFARE

! ulb llG hulldWhG NSNhhNS NShNNA
cors Association here on Saturday
Governor Dawson spoke as follows:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle.
men;
My subject Involves the relation q
the State to the public schools
schools supported by public taxation,
III is sometimes said that the State
upports the schools from no motive
other than seltprotection, or from
mere monetary consideration; SELF.
defence, because in democracy based
on universal suffrage. education IS
vital to the life Of the government and
the protection Of society; from q mere
monetary consideration, or from q
consideration materiallstic, utilltaFlan.
because 1t Is cheaper to prevent erir
than to punish 1t; in short, that
State is In tho business Of educ
not for sentimental reasons, but
matter Of business cannot agfe5
with this view. The State, consider
ed as a governing force, as tae punl
Isher OF crime, the builder Of high.
Ways. the supporter OF libraries, hatha
and the like, and as the carrier o. Iste
tcrs and other postal matter, beina
male up Of thinking. moral persons
cannot be conceived Of as d mel
moving force without sentiment 81
moral impulse The State elucat
because 1t ought and because Il pays
that every child may have Oh edue
ton bota for the benefit or ths ehil
Rpd the benefit of spciely
To the men who establiahgd
lree-school system we owe mlel
They did 1t amidst the distractions
a great war, AMI made II permanent
BY placing It in the written constite
tlon Of the State leaving It not at the
mercy Of either the caprice d legis
latures or the mutations Of party pol
tics.
II we date its beginning IL 1866
the freeschool system Of West VII
ginia is but forty years old, But
1865 is too early to date its esiablisn
ment Then and for some time there
after the State government was nn
fully established in several cohntie
and generally there was a somewhat
unsettled state Of AFFAIRS Besid
the system met with considerable ob
position, and its progress Of establish
ment for many years was not rapid
Now, happily, and for Eeyeral years
past. we hear Of no opposition. ana
the free-school system is firmly egtab
lIshed and perhaps our most chsFisa-
ed institution
In the years since 1866 much has
been done; much remains to be done.
We can be satisfied with the achieve
ments of the past only because they
are passed and cannot be mended
But we can draw wisdom from them
to assist us in the future. OF the
much to be done 1 can refer in gem
eral terms only, and to part only at
all,
The school law Of the State needs
thorough revision. II our jealous ana
efficient State Superintendent and
those connected with him in school
work, do not present such revised
laws TO the next Legislature itis be
lleyed that that body would Do wen
to provide a commission to do thi8
important and needed work.
We need revival Of interest h
common schools. In some places
perhaps in many, that interestis lei
than 1t was twenty or twentgsiXa
years ago, and the schools have retro
graded. This need has been recognized
by our State Superintendent, H19s
with prominent school men cf ouF
own and other States. has held many
educational meetings during this y
which have resulted in much goo
But with the school teachers mnst
rest very largely this work Of revival
Of interest and improvement
schools.
This decadence have spoken g
Tor at least this failure to pfcgrs
| Is due to several causes We have
been very busy developing the
sources Of the State and rpalsin
money. These have absorbed rs
consequently interest II the
lhas waned, and t1is has lea. iH
IA two serious evils, mons,
oa the schools by the chilaSen
Regularity "a
IConSi6le o