The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1906-11-01
Before the Faculty and Student
Body Of Salem College
At Salem.
MISSION OF OUR SCHOOLS
q Ne and EIoauently Diseussed

b. yeSt County superintend-
chi Of Free Schools
| Cyrus E. Webb. RepubIiea.
nomnee for counia superintendent
and Marcus I. RibFstt, for the Iegi:
laturc, addressed the faculty az,
student body of Salem College o
Tuesday. Mr.. Webb said in part 0,
"The Mission Of Our Publ
Schools
sBy crude system of education
during long centuries, some por
tons of the human race we're SLOW
Is rescued from the savage state
but even now left entirely to them.
selves during manvs successive gen
erations despite all The influence oi
heredity. human befngs WORLD laps
INTO siate Of barbarism if not
savagery.
TO prevent such a dire csEanity
andto still further Improve the race
the great educational systems of the
world have been evolved and estab-
lished, and probably no were have
the desired ends been SO fully realiz-
cd as in the Emitted States
-The Pilgrim Fathers realizing
tie worth Of edncation. establish
cd the first pa5Iic school in America
Natures God saw fit to cndow
Massachusetts With only two articles
of commerce granite and ice. bdt
today she ranks as one OF our rich
est states. Her fintv rocks arr
changed, BY ideas and skilled hands:
INFO things of beauty and WORTH.
She IS one Of our greatest manu-
featuring states. Some may ask
s.How can Sac be a successful manu-
featuring state. when she must
bring her raw material from else
where. then send forth the finished
product 10 ette markets Of the
world?s sna s
find tFcanswer in her public
school system Every little hamlet
wiFhflr the state has ten months Of
school She Tars compulsory school
Law, also law prohibiting child
labor. Tn either words. the people
of Massachusetts believe in cduca-
ton. and are being educated.
Skillc dworknien fiji her mills. and
as result she Is prosperous and
wealthy
sour wealth Is enormous. we can
only think of the billion Of dollars
necessary to purchase our territery
and this Is doing much in making
us what ne are today, for money Is
a great powe rand does great good
when properly used
Granting, then that free peo-
pie must be an enlightened people.
and also GRANTING that our nation
is leading the world today in every
thing that tends to. make people
great. Where are we to look for The
cause or causes Of this intelligence:
What makes our people what they
are III this respect Win we not
find the cause incur public schools 2.
II seems so self-evident that ii
needs no argument to prove it. es-
peciaIly TO those who have made the
subject a matter of study. Our
colleges are doing much but scarce
IL one in Ten who receives school
education graduate from thenl.
Nme-tenths Of our men and women
come from our public schools
sWc need our college graduates
as leaders. but let the leader be
what he may. the success of this
leadership depends greatly upon the
intelligence Of his followers. Al
wise leader knows this and the
nearer he can sssinlfiate with them
without losing his leadership. the
better it will be and The more will
be accomplished.
Then the conclusion arrived at|
r.
is. thai our public school today,
more tEan any other enc factor
reg, more than all Other factors com
bined is making orr country great.
In saving this we do not belittfc|
other agencies, far from it. rather
exalt them. for in every agency vel
can think Of We find the men and
women coming from our public
schools making them successful I'M
their different spheres
ssWe believe the mission of the|
public schools is to train and devel-I
on good citizens. Our great central|
thought must then be how to develop
and train every child 80 that be may
make Of himself the nsostit is pos
si5le for him Ii make that he may
!, - lsf@.se1 ) 4 "a q ~ is<1a MI