East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-10-25

This afternoon the teachers insti-
tute is being brought to a close and
the evening trains today will be
largely filled with home coming
teachers In every way the gather
ing now ending has been a success
full one and apparently it has been
enjoyed by all who have participant
ed.
The program for today has been
one of the strongest of the institute,
largely through the presence OF
State Superintendent Ackerman, who
is a vigorous speaker and always in
teresting. Two addresses were de-
livered today by the state superin-
tendent, one in the forenoon and one
this afternoon, the latter being the
closing number on the program.
Upon reconvening after the noon
recess today Prof. Welles named a
committee on resolutions composed
of Prof. Young of Freewater, E. E
Larsen of Pilot Rock and Miss Maud
Davis of the Pendleton high school
State Superintendent Speaks.
State superintendent ]. H. Acker-
man was present at the institute this
morning and was heartily welcomed
by the teachers and their friends. He
lspoke briefly upon the benefits OF
institutes and teachers associations.
and advised all who possibly could
| to attend the session of the Eastern
oregon division of the Teachers as
sociation to be held in La Grande in
November.
He complimented the teachers of
Umatilla county highly, saying he al
ways thought them a hard working,
enthusiastic and more than that, a
good looking lot of young ladies and
gentlemen.
Superintendent Ackerman declared
the last legislature did more for edu-
cation and the schools than any
other legislature had done since
1890. This was not because the in
tervening sessions of the legislature
were unfriendly to educational in
terests, but simply because the teach
ers had not asked for very much.
They were patiently waiting until
they could educate public opinion
before they made any further re-
quests; for without public opinion to
sustain them, the very best laws
which can be put on the statute
books are of little practical value.
The compulsory education law, for
Instance, could not be enforced with
out the aid of public opinion. A
compulsory education law that would
not be enforced by public opinion
would be worse than no law, because
every law that is not enforced leads
to the disregard of all laws.
Since the child is the basis of the
state, the state has a right to say
This child must go to school and be
for the duties of citizen
hip" The parent cannot claim the
irst and paramount interest in the
hild, or set up a claim to his time
md earnings. The state has right
o take him from his home and see
hat he is kept in school for the good
# the state, In this respect the COM
'ulsory education lay is a sort OF
pecies Of socialism. If necessary,
he state will feed and clothe the
hild and even support the needy
aren't; but to school the child must
20 between the ages of and IA.
The trainers Of our law on this
ubject have had the advantage of the
Experience of many other states, and
he Oregon law is pronounced to be
he best one ever drawn so far Par
nts or guardians are allowed to
each their children themselves at
ONE, or to provide tutors for them;
ut under those circumstances the
board are permitted at
ny time to look into the course of
.udy and if it does not come up I,
he standard required by law, the
hild may be declared a truant and
lust be placed in a regular school.
he only excuse which the teacher