The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-08-28


Saturday doubtless deferred man,
from attending, there was large anC
enthusiastic crowd at the publ,
school rally held at the Athenaeun
today. The main auditorium of the
building was comfortably filed anC
the crowd was a very representative
one, coming from all parts of the coun
ty and including members of the
County Board of Education, district
supervisors and members of the
County Court. Addresses were made
by the leading educators of the State
and strong and eloquent were the ap.
peals made for an Improvement of the
public school system. 1t is unfortu-
nate that every tax payer and every
citizen concerned as to the future of
his State could not have been present
and heard the able efforts in behalf
of the cause. If any had gone with a
lingering doubt as to the value of good
public schools he would have left CON
vinced. The applause that punctuated
the remarks of the speakers was proof
conclusive that they uttered the senti-
ments of the audience.
The exercises were opened at 1890
o'clock with music, after which Miss
Deane gave a recitation that was lib
orally applauded. County SUI
perintendent Graham in a few brief
remarks concerning the purposes Of
the rally, called the meeting to order
and introduced Prof. p. p. Claxton, of
the University of Tennessee. For
nearly an hour Prof Claxton enter
tanned, instructed and pleased the au-
dience. He is a strong and instruc-
tive speaker, thoroughly in love with
his subject, every phrase of which he
knows intimately and it is doubtful
If any audience in the State ever
listened to a more eloquent or more
convincing appeal for public schools
than he made.
In beginning his remarks Prof. |
Claxton spoke of the campaign of edu-
cation for education that had been in |
progress in this and other States for
several years and described the re-
suits that had been achieved. He de-
clared that it was high treason against
The State and crime against human
ty to bring children into the world
without the parents being willing to
assume the responsibility for their
sducation and mental and moral de-
yelopment.
Prof. Claxton declared that there
vas more money invested in the cause
II education than for any other pub
ic purpose and 1t was of prime impor-
ance that this money should be prop
'rly expended and that the best re-
ults possible should be obtained from
is use Tennessee, said the speaker,
las made great progress during the :
ast six years, but it is just begin. 7
ing. In 1902 there was expended {
Or public education in this state only {
l 100000, while this year there will 9
e expended for this purpose total $
I 100000. In six years the State h
as done more for education as the Q
esult of school rallies and an aroused a
ublic sentiment, than it had done in \
Il the first century of its history. /,
arge as this sum appears, however, n
will not compare with the amounts :.
hich sother States are spending for .,
lie education of their children. !,
Minnesota" said Prof. Claxton,
With $4,000 less children than we
i've is spending three times as much 7
oney and Massachusetts, with 200,-
70 fewer children than this State
Is is spending $16,O00000 or four
mes as much for public education. !.
our million dollars is a miserable
tiful sum for state with more than
$1,000 children to be spending for
cir mental and moral development
d education This State is spend
3 for public education only about
e-third of the amount spent by the
erage State with the same scholas- ~
population. y
'rhe schools are the primary In -
est Of a free people; the money that ~
invested in them constitutes the
st investment that can be made. = :,
TALL as our fund is much Of It has ~
IN and is being wasted. Not one Ia .
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