The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-04

University of Florida, at Gainesville,
addressed fair audience in the gym
nasium of the Y. NJ. c. A. building
on North PalafoX street, last night.
Whatever the audience may nave
lacked in numbers was well made up
by the close attention and nteSert
MANIFESTED by those present IN the
speaker and his subject.
Mayor c. c. Goodman introduced Dr.
Sledd with a few appropriate re-
marks, and the speaker of the even
ing prefaced his address by saying
that he had lectured in Roberts, Fla,
at the Escam5ia County IeacnerS
| Institute on Saturday and delivered
| two sermons in Pensacola on sun
day, and that such strenuous program
would have to serve as an apology
i for any shortcomings he might Dc
guilty of in his address.
! These remarks proved unnecessary
however. DR. .Sledd is most interest,"
! ing. He speaks clearly, fOrciDly, WIFI
Dure euunciation and without any o.
the oratorical gestures that oftlme:
mar the platform speaker SELDOM
does he grow rhetorical, but rather
nins himself down to plain words
and strong diction in impressing nj!
tandience. The. speakers sub)ec
last nfeht was, Thomas Jefferson a.
an Exponent of Public Education.
The critical might we'll accuse Dr
Sledd of many disgresslons from lli
strict. topic of his address, SO peru
lnent and timely were they on euuca
ecation education in the South, ano
particularly, education IN FIollo s
that ready leniency, and indeed
!, thanks should he given to him 10
internclating such matters into III
address.
Eariy American Education.
As Introductory to his address, "
Sledd called attention TO- the Pai
that history has PLAYED IN loNwdI II
education and civilized progress II
= rointed out that hisory has been Tn
: haste foundation of progress and the
/ ave short sketch of the history
= edncaticn in America, beginning VII
I tne Plymouth colOnists and -runnlh
4 tbrouehorrt the eighteenth centur
4 and into the early nineteenth Gel
: Try during Jefferson'S life and wor
: as public figure
Always. said the speaker, the gre
D force that lay behind the forWardln
: of education has been, from the TIN
2 of the colonial government 10 u
z I5resent-.that the prosperity al
), ihappiness of people depend upon IL
L education of its young
) Discussing this phase OF educate
5. its relation 70 the social ana CIV
o hat+armeut of people or nation
q Nv SIedd reviewed the first efror
I If the colonists in establishing ed
t cational institutes, and the EFFORTS
J. the AarIy United States leg1slatur
II 70 further this necessity 10 cover
n ,,art He recalled the endeaVor
ar6hodv into the federal constitute
q law establishing educational ms
g tuticns. and of the fight made on
: SacaI-se-stresse the speaker-eo
IL cation i necessarily first and last,
tbe neonle. and should be by
means part of local governme
md under the jurisdiction OF the lo<
;. government of the states
Is He told of the desire OF GeoI
washington TO establish as era
caustone of the states scnooi 81
a national university at Washlnst
the capital Of the hauoh' anu ,
~ recent revival within the past
tnars of this movement, by the pre-
dents of various colleges ana 81
- universities of the country.
.rhroughout all the earlV history
. r,.ava depeudence that had been pId'
nnon education as a preserVatloh
- ~, elective government has been
trent Education said the SPEAK
pa = Safeguard AGAINST the enem
t. Of elective government and those E
o,iee consist IF sachistry party;
,.;gunue and profliga Y as rather
and protected by polite BODIES.
Jefferson's Work.
Taking up Jefferson,s work IN
,ss;on DIR. Sledd told OF JenerSo
3rst bill to establish school syst
is in Virginia and a'so quoted rom
ch forsor's letters and Speecnes'
1T,
re- =