Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-10
Sporting News
CONVENTION

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Continued From Page ~
would be come the duty of all Re
publicans to support them royalty.
Mr.. Smith made a decidedly fafor-
able impression upon the delegates
present. He said:
F.. w. Smiths Address.
Gentlemen of the Conventions:
don't know what l can say to you as
+ am not a politician, further than
perhaps discussing for a few mo-
ments the position which / aim to
fill.
For a good many years 1 have
been in your state in school work;
I have been closely identified with
the work and have been studying the
conditions, and I am about to an
nounce the platform on which l be-
lieve / ought to stand for superin-
tendent of public instruction. You
are aware that about So per cent
of our children are in the rural
schools and that only about five per
cent ever go to the high schools and
that only about one per cent ever
graduate. We have large school
fund wisely provided by this govern
ment and this state for the education
of our boys and girls that they may
be good citizens; we have elected
every two years man whose bust
ness it is to see that the system
and the methods that are put in
ho1 no of ho 10 fnc n
the very best; whose business it is
to put his efforts where they will
do the greatest good for the great
est number. have felt ever since
I have been in the state that too
much time has been expended by
our state officials in the high school
work and in other state institution
al work, and if am elected to this
position I propose to devote a large
part of my time to the rural schools
of the state; believe that is where
it is needed. Every state institution
in this state has its expert men who
are higher because of their exper-
fence, because of their education,
because of sound judgment, and
don't believe that I need to spend
my time watching them further than
to see that all the departments of
our educational system correlate.
The high schools of this state are on
a good sound basis today and every
high school has at its head an ex-
pert, man higher because Of past
experience, because he knows the
business, and believe that we
should leave them largely to them
selves to work out locally a system
of education that is adjusted to local
conditions; but in the rural schools
we have SO much work that it is
impossible for the county superin-
tendent to begin to cover the work
and the rural system is greatly in
need Of the attention, in my judge
ment, of the state department
There is another class of schools,
that in my judgment needs close
attention, and that is the ungraded
or unclassified high schools. Now I
am satisfied that they have not re-
ceived the attention that they should,
and it is my aim, If eleced, to CO.
operate with the men that are at
the head of the unclassified schools,
with the county superintendnts in
their work and the directors of the
rural schools, with the end in view
that If 95 per cent of our children
are in the rural schools can afford
to give at least so per cent of my
time helping to build them up.
Now, gentlemen, I am glad n
meet you here as Republicans; I am
a good ways from home, but as I
have heard men say sometimes that
when they went into secret society
n 81
feel at home. I was raised in a
doubtful state, Vermont, and there
fore you might not believe that I
was Republican, but it was bred
in my bones, and as I grew older
and studied the principles of the
various parties, l believe that my
judgment has justified the instruc-
tons I got at my fathers knee and
am satisfied that the Republican
party is right and I want to see
Republican principles win, and I
want, when the oath of June is past,
to get together and say we will
stand by the Republican party and
the voice of the people.
Now l am very glad to have met
you, and agree with the chairman
in all he has said as to your looks.
nave had the pleasure of attending
several conventions in this state,
and certainly think that you look
as well as they would anywhere else.
But, I have learned this, that looks
don't count; it is what is on the in
side, and you look to me as If you
had it in your hearts to be true blue,
and that is the thing that counts in
politics and the thing that counts in
life.
The following committees were
named by the Chairman:
On credentials Feltheim, S.
Trip1ett, H. C. Rhud, L. D. Bailey,
John Hazelgrove, C. G. Cleveland, D.
q. Keller, John P. Tandberg, J. H.
Allensworth.
On permanent organization: j hn
3. Ecklund, M. Pillen, J. e. Ander-
son, H. A. Thomas, James Campion,
George Ward.
On resolutions-R. N. Stevens,
Chas. Wachter, j. G. Holley, C. w.
LaMoure, Henry Anderson, J. w.
Foley, John Holman.
A recess was taken while the COM
mittee prepared their report.
The committee on credentials re-
ported favoring the adoption OF the