The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1909-06-29
Z. G. WALTON

SOME misguided writer has fired
blank in the last issue Of the Kentucky
Advocate. He has made an attack
against something about which he
knows, ostensibly. very little. He says
the new movement for educational pro-
gress is to loot the. treasury and to ben
eft favored few. In the first place,
not one cent of the States coin is ia
ken for the purpose Of paying the ex-
penses Of the speakers. The thrust
made impugns the motives Of hundreds
of the leading educators, among whom
is Danville's own DR.. Hinitt, who most
sssuredly can have no motive other
than altruistic. In the same issue Of
the Advocate will be found notice Of
the increase of per capita, despite the
fact that there are over 4. 735 more pu-
pill children in our borders. The pur
pose of this campaign is to stir up
general uplift, to create healthy SEN
timent for better schools, better school
houses and better surroundings, and to
win strong support for the foundation
principles of school law which has for
its spirit progress in education. An
aroused public sentiment along educa-
tional lines means an improvement Of
our citizenship, and who can conscien-
tiously oppose any movement which
will vastly improve citizenship. our
good States most valuable asset? We
would respectfully suggest to our de-
luded friend that he depart from the
fears that Kentucky's bone and sinew
of legislators and educators are all cor
rupt and are oligarchical. Such fears
are bats and owls hooting at the dawn,
and the hopes of many of our favored
sons in the pedagogical world are larks,
singing the new day of better enlight-
ened citizenship.
The thrust at Normal Schools can not
be verified by the argument deduced in
the article which says they are for a
favored few. Nine tenths of the stu
dents in these Normal Schools are ru-
raj school teachers, or they expect soon
to make teachers in the rural schools.
Teachers from all sections are in at
tendance. Ask any of these if they are
benefited by said training and they uni
versally answer, yes. Then we can
easily assert that the illiterate Sec
tons are the benefciaries, for as is the
teacher, so is the school. These more
than 1000 teachers so trained since the
establishment of these schools, will &c
to as many schools better prepared tC
Instruct and develop those who attend
their schools.
We hope that the intellect of the
man who knocks on the attempt al
higher education and improved condi
tons will be cleared of its maze anC
that his heart may be led along the up
ward path; ''for the heart even in it
dreams hears the sound of invisible mu
Sic" May the young goddess, the
daughter of Light and Beauty. lead al
such benighted friends from the boys
the thorns and the night, and lead them
as did Homer. to the all but heavenly
heights of purer light educationally
1t is the ardent wish of this writer thai
some great light may shine arounC
about all such persons who see only
in every advance movement, as tina,
which shone around that young patri
clan, Saul, as he journeyed toward Da'
mascus and give new impulses to Their
hearts and make their days to be full OF
activity for progress in education in
stead of exercising themselves against
it.