Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-02-06

surrounded by at least two acres of
ground. In the rural sections where
land is cheap he sees no necessity of
erecting more than one-story build
ings. The grounds should be enclosed
with substantial fence. The school
ground should abound in trees: there
should be an attractive lawn aud
school garden, where the soil may b.
studied and know edge of plant life
may be obtained. There should be
ample play grounds, undisfigured by
the unsightly ash piles that are too
often in evidence at the very door Of
school houses.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, DR..
I. G. Barber, of Danville; vice presi-
dents. John Coleman, of Liberty town.
ship and Allen Watson, of Anthony
township; secretary, W. H. Orth, of
Dauville treasurer, Jacob Schultz. of
Cooper township
The following we're elected as dele
gates to the Directors State conven.
tion: J. W. Swarts, Harry Redding,
of Danville; Michael Breckbill, OF
Mahoning township; John Coleman,
of Liberty township, and Levi Fortner
of Anthony townhsip,
THE CLOSING ADDRESS.
Superintendent W. W. Evans closed
with a most excellent address on " The
Country Schools of the Future" He
deplored the lack of pIacticability in
the country school, which he claimed
originally was only a town school
transplanted in the country. The
special needs of the country boys aud
girls seem to have been ingored alto.
gether in shaping the course of study
in the rural schools.
He went over the ground very fully,
taking up the various innovations af.
fecting the conduct of schools, show.
ing which are practicable aud which
are otherwise, meanwhile keeping the
ideal country school in sight, whicl
in all probability will be attained tc
in time. superintendent Evans spoke
for nearly au hour. holding the clost
attention of the directors.
Presidential Uncertainty,
4 Out of Washington comes the pre-
diction that the next President will bt
one of three men-Theodore Roose
welt, Joseph G. Cannon or Philandel
G. Knox. This prophecy eliminates
entirely Secretary of War Taft, who i!
now regarded as the champion of the
Roosevelt policies against the field
Bat it is trifle too early to begin tn,
I process OF elimination, and Taft il
entirely too big a man to bs set aside
without a battle that would leavl
m1ch Of polit.csj wicctaae.
There is disposition in cerJai
quarters 20 interpret the last vigor1u
message of the President ms an iudicf
ton of his probable acceptance OF
nomination in the event of Taft's fail
ing to break the opposition, hut th'
renunciation of the President cal
hardly be looked upon except as othel
than a distinct and final statement o
his intentions. But just the same anC
notwithstanding the belief of man,
people that President Roosevelt will
yet be the nominee will not down
aud only the action of the Chicago
convention will satisfy the boomers o
the President that he really mean
what he said.
The suggestion, however, that Presi
dent Roosevelt intended his recen
special message to Congress as a boost
er for himself as a candidate for an
other term is all together out of keep
ing with the character of the man auC
the nature Of the conditions as the,
exist today. If Theodore Roosevelt
wanted another term he wouldn
have TO turn hand to "boost" hi
candidacy. The slightest intimatiol
of willingness to accept denomination
at the hands of the Republican party
would suffice. The difficult thing fo
him appears to be to keep the people
from forcing another term on him, de
spite his purposes to the contrary.
The folly OF the enemies of til,
President was never more strikingl,
illustrated than in the effort to maxi
the people believe that his vigorou
message of last week was a covert biz
for something which everybody know
he could instantly be assured Of fo
the mere asking.