El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-18

I the earth and held it in its grasp FOR
/ centuries. During this period the edu-
[ cation of the world lay imprisoned
within the walls OF the mOnasterles
and abbeys OF the monks.
At last came the awakening the Re-
naissance. when culture sprang once
more into vigOr, and il was under this
same impulse that all the vast educa-
tional systems of the present day were
born. Thus we find that at every
period Of the worlds history the cul-
tural movements OF the people are ac-
cOmpanied by corresponding educational
movements.
Some Statistics.
Let us now consider some statistics
and see how our own government and
people regard education II they favor
It at all. il must certainly be from a
cultural standpoint, for the people OF g
nation as q whole have a broader view
than that Of looking on education as
financial matter alone. In 1900 there
were some $1,000. 600 children between
the ages of and Is in the United
States OF these, over l5.5OUsOOU were
enrolled in the public schools These
S577 600 600 annually, or about S2l.l4
per capita. In 1910, however, IN spite
Of this enormous expense, the number
of students enrolled had risen to over
100000. Surely TINS increasing num-
Der of pupils and this immense invest
ment of money shows the American
people to be in favor Of education.
Chaos in Beginning.
Again we viii seek history and find
out what the greatest men the world
has ever produced have to say about
education Aristotle said that in the
beginning there was chaos, then intel
Igence. Alexander, who could recite
the uiad by memory, encouraged edu-
cation during his rule because OF its
cultural value. Julius and Augustus
Caesar both fOstered education and
aided in the establishment of schools
throughout the Roman empire Jesus
himself was a teacher rather than a
ster Cicero said, What better
render the republic than TO instruct
and train the yOung"' Charlemagne
founded schools throughout his domain
Shakspere lauded education. Spencer
said Most faculties admit Of increase
by education" Dickens declared that
There is no work so absolutely sure
to remunerate the wOrkingman as th,.
work laid out in the Improvement OF
the mind" Napoleon BOnaparte one
of the greatest and cleyerest men In
all history, founded the imperial uni
versity. thus showing his BELIEF in pOp-
ular instruction as a source Of national
strength. So we see that the greatest
men OF history stand arrayed in favor
OF education. Certainly they are good
and able allies for any cause.
Education and Culture Hand in Hand.
To sum up our Investigations. we lind
that education and culture have gone
hand in hand through all the stages OF
the development Of man, and we also
find that the worlds greatest men De
lfeved education TO be a great cultural
force Besides this, we have seen some
of the ways in which education in its
religious, artistic, scientific and lin
guistic phases, is an aid to the mental
and moral discipline OF the man. There
fore II Is well for US 20 remember that
as Emerson says. life lies behind US "a
the quarry from whence we get the tiles
and cOpestones for the masonry OF our
lives" and accordingly choose an edu-
cation for our cultural quarry