The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-09-20
FROM
Mr.. TERRELL
Still Enthusiastic Champion Of The
Public School System.
HE TENDERS THANKS TO FRIENDS
To The Free Lance.

To The Free Lance.
Pardon me for again appearing hciorr
YOU. but since | have permitted my
friend To put in the coveted last word,
| suppose our correspondence through
these columns is at last concluded, there
fore now write 10 thank this paperand
it's readers for the very patient manner
in which they have borne with this dis
cus-ion. and To cNpress 10 the many WhO
have seen tit To cnticise my articles Ia
vorably my appreciation OF their COM
plim,ntary rrmarks and congratula-
tions. Right here pause 10 say that ]
have received NO congratulations, either
verbal or written. which esteem more
highly than those so graclOu>ly accorded
me bv "a number of Hing George ladies
lust after the appearance of my first
article. Had the articl, elected LO other
favorable comment, tins alone would
have been sufficient. iOr could wish no
higher recOmpense than the hearty ap-
proyal ol the fair daughters OF tins his
toric old county. Friends. ] DO appre-
ciate and prize most highly all Oi your
kind expressions of endOrsatiOn-nOt be-
cause YOU have cOmplimcnted me per
sonaly. nor yet that You have praised
INV unworthy Efforts 10 do my subject
ustire. but because ! acknowledge your
commendati0n rs AN int nded compli-
ment. yea. ~ well deserved tribute To
that momentous and glorious institu-
ton. our public school system, which II
has been my honor 20 try to defend
.r.4rH H.aff fI.fa
eminence. il is natural that We \lr-
ginians should be- inclined to rev,l III the
past. but with "a present so assuring and
a future so promising We should he, ana
are. more united today IN behalf oi pub
lir education than ever before. Victor
Hugo has aptly said. We can resist an
INVASION of arms. but an invasion OF
ideas il irresistible The truth oi this
is verified in our present ed
ucational progress. Time and clrcum-
stances have dccncd an awakening, aud
this mandate is indeed irresistible our
is making more strenu-
ous efforts in this direction than ever IN
her history. and in requital we see
through the press almost daily Oi the
erection OF some creditabls structure
dedicated To the noble cause.
As j. the case in many sections. the
teachers in my vicinity are being offered
decidedly better salaries than heretofore,
and while this may necessltate an in
crease oi school tax. this issue is being
bravelv met. In a number OF our cOun-
ties citizens in mass-meeting assembled
have adopted resolutions requesting an
increase OF school tax saying. Taxation
il never unwelcOme if the curse Of ignOr-
ance il to Ice erased thereby The cul-
tured educator, and the most ignorant
patrons are working side by side and
shoulder TO shoulder for "a common end.
I'm unison there arises from all parts OF
the State an unwayering cry Tor better
schools. From the shores OF the Atlantic
this appeal ascends, sweeps the state from
border To border, and the mountain tops
of the remote southwest reyerberate the
unmistakahle echo. That enthusiastic
spirit which inspired such an outery
originated in the cities but now 1t has
So efiectually peryaded even the rural
districts that we can but feel assured
that il will never die until our cherished
homes reach fruition. We have now be-
gun TO realize our deficiency, whicn
knowledge in the prime requisite 70
progress. We SEE that some Oi our sis
ter States rank ahead Oi proud old Viz
ginia educatiOnally. We feel more keen
ly than ever before our deficiency III
school buildings, teachers and equip
ment. And now. but not until now,
have we manifested genuine interest in
education. and attached to il that sig
ni6cance in material things which It
merits, for surely we can but agree with
Bacon. who says in his immortal essay
on the subject. "No pleasure Is compare
ble to the standing upon the vantage
ground OF truth
Then with pride in the past, confidence
in the present and buOyant hope Tor the
future let us press steadily forward with
renewed Efforts and uncOnquerable deter
mination While there may be many
hindrances and stumbling-blocks in our
pathway and Ofttimes we are confronted
with those sOcalled impOssibllities, which
arise in every great undertaking, Ike
Bruce's spider, let us never deslst until
success crowns our labOrs. And specially
let us teachers remember how sacred a
trust is left to our keeping and may we.
with scrupulOus care, direct the culture oil
that faculty which elevates man above
all other created things-that faculty by
which Greece captured led captive her
captor." Edgar NJ Terrell,
Ullainee. Essex Co., Va.
Sept. II, 1906.