The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-04-12

- afss'
coed confinement ferFfye years, and
living 10 tlis courts discretion to sen.
fence them to hard labor on the pub,
iitc roads, instead Of sending such per
sons TO the penitentiaFy. 81
Such d Jaw would not only enable
lus 10 bhllds improve and keep ID re.
tpatr our roads, hut would wisely give
1so the courts the discretioli to sen.
ltenoe persons convicted for the first
time OF a felony and who are not pro
fesslonal criminals, to work on the
iphblic roads f5the State, instead Of
iconfning them In the penitentiary
where they will become contaminated
| by association With criminals who are
beyond reformation.
Education
The most Important subject OF all
these to be considered By the people
OF the state is the education Of the
childrel. What West Virginia shall
be In few years from now depends
entirely upon the manner in which
! that part of our population now Of
tender years is made ready to dis
charge the duties devolving upon
,fiiem when they have arrived at ma
turity.
The advancement Of public educa-
tion In this State in the past few
years, under Republicanrule, has been
remarkable. 1t has seldom been
equalled and' never surpassed, but
much remains yet to thesdone.i wish
to lay down as fundamental PROPOSE.
tion, that money honestly and judi
ciously expended on our public free
.schools Is money well spent. Along
no other lines can stch tremendous
returns from an investment be de
rived.
The citizenship OF state is its
most precious possession, infinitely
more SO than mines Of gold or pre-
clous stones, extensive forests or
large areas Of coal, for to all these
Things there must some. time come all
end. But that State which has bull
up for itself body Of highly intelli'
gent and honorable citizens will Se
IeLle to endure with happy homes and
increasing prosperity, finding new re-
sources and new ways of caring for
them, when our present resources
have been exhausted and the indus.
tries incident there to have vanish.
ed.
Therefore, in the day of prosperity
| il is well to take thought for the
future, and the best way to do so is
to see to 1t that every child who is
growing up in West Virginia is not
only provided With the opportunity to
secure as high a degree of education
as he is capable of receiving, but also
that he takes advantage of the oppor'
tunities thus afforded and that in the
best possible way, Z .fs
To this end the element of highest
| importance is the common schools,
both in the city and country. We need
Deter school houses, more comfort.
halle furniture, more and better appa'
ratus, and more sanitary and more
pleasant surroundings. And, since the
sdh66l teacher Is the most vital ele.
ment Of a good school. we must not
Tor moment forget the necessity Of
constantly improving the character Of
our teaching force, both in general
education and professional ability
Teachers should be paid a salary com
mensurate with the importance Of
their work and the position they hold
in the community. @s
For the benefit OF all children who
have completed the course of study
prescribed for the common schools, a
sufficient number Of high schools
| should be established. In times past,
the common school has been called
1.-THE peoples college" because so few
children ever advanced beyond Il
But in this age of greater opportunl
ties and rapid development to OBJ
tain even a moderate success in life
demands more than common school
education. No parent havingHt the In
terest of his children at heart car
or will be satisfied with less than Q
-four years high school course fol
them. And there should be in WesI
Virginia sufficient number OF these
schools, and these so conveniently %
Gated as 10 enable Che tBildfen OF The
poor to have a ready access 10 them
! as the children Of the rich. The coun
s.5s :. "a EaEs2a4