Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-30
PRESIDENT IN RICHMOND
Made Address Before the Virginia
Educational Conference

President Taft was an bOnnrrd |
visitor at the Virginia Educational /
Conference in Richmond last week,
and in his address before the teach
ers said in part:
am very glad in passing through |
Richmond on my way from Panama |
TO Washington to have the oppor- /
tunity of meeting this distinguish
ed company. | am always glad 10
stop in Richmond. 1t is a city that
reflects in every way the wonder
full material growth OF the South,
and at the sane time awakcns in
the mind of the visitor a. every
street corner and in every public
square an intense interest by its
historical associations. At every
turn there comes the local aesocia-
ton with Washington, Jefferson.
Patrick Henry. Marshall aud Madi-
son and other great participants in
the natal struggle OF the Republic, as
well * OF Jefferson Davis, Robert
+. Lee, Stouewall Jackson and the
other great leaders OF the Southern
lCOnfederacv.
Closely following this though,
comes the feeling Of gratitude to
God that We are now a united ma
ton with the bitter preIudices OF
the past dispelled, and able, all Of
us, to accord the proper need Of
praise to the American heroes OF
the past, y neither their deeds were
performed and their services rem
dersd iu those early days. when all
Americans we're joined in "a single
cause, or whether they doomed
large as leaders on either side in
those four years when brothers
were engaged against brothers in an
internecine strife.
Il am always glad to meet men
and women who have made their
profession that of teaching. In the
first place, the fact that they have
adopted as their life's work the
: profession OF teaching is the high
est proof of the fact that they dc
) not exalt wealth and material com
/: fort above spiritual aud men tai pro-
} gress. They must be content. and
they must have made up their minds
20 be content with life of compare
tive privation and an aosense oil
luxurious comfort. They have re-
: conciled themselves to feasts oi
reason and flow OF SOUL or thew
I would not be teachers. They mus
/ have determined to find their sole
reward in watching the minds o
the youth develop in inteligenc.
and their souls grow in mora
strength and character under tn,
influence OF their teachers.
= In the menace to the commun
ity, which many have seen in tn
accumulation of great fortunes il
the hands of few men we must b
} just and pluck from the nettle
- danger the flower of generosity an
= responsibility to the public and th
recognition of trust imposed b
u such great fortunes which the las
decade has made manifest. Tn
K millions that have been given b
private donors 10 the cause Of edl
. cation, and especially to educatio
- in the South, is full Of encourag,
ment. The donation by Mr. earn,
n gle of fund Of S12. 600 or S14
- 600, 900 with which to pension eme
- titus professors in our colleges
/ doing untold good. And I SINGER
ly hope that by the success of tn
foundation, other pension system
- either of State or private donation
y may be encouraged and carried il
~ to execution in o der to make con
,. Portable the old age of those wi
~ have given the best years of the
=" life TO teaching and find the
." powers wanting and their earnir
capacity gone with nothing 10 mai
10 tain them IN their old age"
n Studying Health Laws in RichmoI