The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-23

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 reter to the American Commonwealth
 Mir. Bryce not having as yet arrived
 I may with propriety quote a remark | concerning him maoe Co me a short time since by a very distinguished bus-
 mess man and author, MT. Bryce
 knows more than any other living man. .s
 Tt is expected that these addresses ana discussions will develop a large
 dynamic force that will radiate to all the States and communities represent ed here. Interchange of experience is needd. The organiz ion and. more especially the sucesses%of each State should be known and appreciated by every other state. How does It coms about that Tennessee has so greatly increased taxation and appropriation By what means has Virginia made her local organization so strong as to crs- ate so great number of new high schools within so short period? North Carolina's steady progress in the cam- pafgn for local taxation and So on down through the list Of all the States. Every point gained and secured in any State is a point for every other State In fact, this is an educational clearing house for all the States here represent. ed. We are not here for social reasons, valuable and enjoyable as the hospit- s5,ty sars Sf 9nr ,,sf hosts may be, and there firm hold of everything to be had and carry 1t away for the uplift of friends al. home. and for the assistance of the next forward movement in the educa- tional work.
 Full school Year.
 '.The Conference devotes itself more to spirit than form, that thus may be created the public opinion that will become mandatory upon the body poli- tic for school improvement. By this we mean school terms everywhere pro. longed to the proper full school year, the introduction Of al approved school me ff1A ns,A va eef.R resulting progressive plans. But we look beyond these conditions to the creation or public opinion So inter- ested and so alert as to form an intel liSent educational public conscience, as will see to 1t that the schools every where are maintained upon a contin- ualiy rising and ever forward movs- ment.
 If 1t be true that the child Is the ward of the nation, if 1t be true that the right to t good English education is the national right of every Ameri- van-oorn child, then 1t may be that congress to supplement the support of the States to their several school sys tems Equality of opportunity Is the Fundamental law of our institutions. accident Of birth be deprived Of proper educational advantagesf leave the question without reply. It is just now purely suggestive. But the inequality or the opportunity as between .0lnorent States constantly forces the question upon our consideration.
 Under all the forms of organization, that command this Conference are two vital. inspiring forces; one of them humane. me other political-in the nest sense. The humane force Is the American child.
 We, you and I. are now at the front. We are carrying the cares and respon- sibHities Of life. earning our living caring for our dependents. Beyond, this we are carrying the burdens of society as represented by churches. corpora tions, clubs, associations, that are or- ganized for religious. economic, social and benevolent purposes; and beyond this again the burden of care for the States and for the Nation are upon us. Many vicissitudes have come and gone within the experiences of our various lives. How few mature people may re- view with any complete sense of sat- isfaction the story of their own lives!
 Those of us whose hair-if we have any-is white and whose steps are slow. ask with wondering pain why 1t was that no mind great enough to commandthe forces of contention did not appear fifty. years ago and with the striving sections of this country to be calm while he found the way out of all the trouble that finally cost miis lions of lives and billions of money. But none appeared snd the fraticidaI fight was fought to a finish. Other questions may come and when they do, God grant that the master mind may ap-
 Tt is quite common to hear re- mark of self eif-congratulation upon the greatness of life as we have seen It. To live in our age. to see what we have seen. to know what we know Of human progress. Yes. that is so. But as time proceeds all life becomes more complex.
 Child Will Answer.
 Science. money, literature. the me arts, the mechanic arts, the growth Of with all the possibilities Of thought and of action that they. ere ate; with their effects upon mental; spiritual and material things; will evolve questions, numerous and start ling, that will confront hurnanity TOT solution Heaven and hell will lie within them and the answer will de- eide which shall be revealed. And who must give that answer? The child of today must answer the questions or
 'The days that are coming will sure lv fill the world with experiences that Will make our present lives appear simple and easy much as the lives of our grandparents appear now to us.
 ''T0 meet these conditions. more thor oughly educate and better trained minds, controlled by hearts that neat in unison with the noblest ideals of hu. manitv will be required If 1t be true that great characters of any period are fhe hest product of the best thinking of the period in which they live how vastlc important 1t is to so raise the level of intelligence that the human stuff may be produced with which 10