Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-20

of our educational progress in the past
is due to the good work of the normal
schools and their influence should in
crease.
The state university stands at the
head of our free school system. 1t is
designed to take up the work where
it is left off by the normal and high
schools and furnish an opportunity for
our ambitious young men and women
to advance themselves in general edu-
cation, and to prepare themselves for
the professions and all sorts of use
full occupations. 1t should be heartily
and literally supported by the state.
Such buildings shouIu be added from
time to time as are necessary to ena-
BILE it to perform its great task and
such additional departments as are
requisite to fully meet the require
ments of our young people, provided
for as rapidly as possible.
The school for the deaf and blind,
the Boys Reform school and the Girls
Industrial school are all deserving of
our most careful consideration, and
no effort should be spared to make
them the best of their kind.
Private and UNCONVENTIONAL institu-
tions, providing educational facilities
without cost to the state, should be
recognized and encouraged and due
credit given for the work done there
in in so far as it conforms to recog-
nized standards.
If we expect to see the halls of our
criminal courts deserted for want of
business and the walls of our penal
institutions decay from disuse, we
must turn from the courts and the
legislature and put our trust in the
humble teacher of the school, Not
legislation, but education is the watch
word of our civilization. and we can
never attain to that high standard
of life and conduct, which should be
our aim, until we fully realize the
paramount Importance of the public
schools in attaining this end.
A Primary Law.
Political parties are essential to
| our form of government and organi-
cation is the basic principle which
goes to make up such parties. | am
in favor of primaries for the selection
of state, congressional and county
officers, and / am in favor of law
| that will throw about party primaries
| all the sanctity and protection OF
the courts. Party primaries should
be conducted by officers who are di'
rectly responsible to the courts, whose
work can be reviewed and examined
into by judicial authority, and wrong
doing in party primaries should be
punished as vigorously and effectively
as wrong doing in the elections.
industries.
1t is a lamentable fact that with all
our great natural resources we have
not more manufactures, to utilize
| our raw material and convert same
into finished products. There should
be a special campaign to induce more
factories to locate within our state
and use our raw material at home. II
our laws are faulty, they should be
so amended as to offer industries
special inducements to come within
our borders.
Labor.
II was my pleasure as president oil
the state senate, on the last night OF
the session, to take up out of its or
der the child labor law and assist
in its passage. Again, it devolyed
upon me to appoint, on the part OF
the senate, Representatives from that
body on the committee which is at
present working up an employers
liability law.
We all recognize the fact that there
is a medium which is fair to both la
Dor and capital, which the two should
be willing to meet, for they are mu
tually dependent and neither car
exist without the other. The time 10
ripe for a disposition of this matter
and am in favor of just and equit
able measure. i have every conf
dence in the present committee, and
confidently look forward to report
which will give the next legislature
good, substantial data from which te