Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-12-04

/ No'O LIZ uSoblOudl conference
held in Richmond last week was
largely attended and was noted for
the strong and helpful addresses
delivered by noted educators of the
country. Below will be found ex-
corps from several of these:
DR.. HENRY f. COPE
Conversion OF the public mind to
the knowledge that the test OF all
education is social efficiency was de
clared to be the need OF the day by
DIR. Henry f. Cope, general secre-
tary Of the Religious Education As
ISOLATION otAmerica, in his address
before the Virginia Educational Con-
terence, a general meeting held un-
der the auspices of the State Teach
ers' Association.
The real difficulty in modern ed
ucation, "lsaid DR.. Cope. lis not that
it does not teach enough subjects,
but that it fails to make competent
persons. The machinery of educa.
cation fails to give back to the pub
lie citizens who know the right and
are trained to do it. We do not care
so much whether our children shine
in mathematics. We do care wheth.
err they glory in manhood, whether
they reverence truth and hate a lie.
whether they love their fellow man
and delight to do justice. We ask
not for ignorance, but that charac.
ter shall not be lost under the de-
tails of superficial intellectual cul.
ture. We can afford to drop our
pride in alleged culture if we can
grow lives"
Hon. H. ST. GEORGE TUCKER
Hon. Harry St. Tucker laid down
these postulates: Society is the
trustee for government, government
is the trustee for man, man is the
trustee for the talents God has
given him."
Proceeding Mr.. Tucker said that
Governors and congressman and
legislators, as we'll as school officials,
are trustees for the people. The
school trustees, he said, are as i'm
portant as the Governor, though
their salary is not quite so large.
Teachers, he said. should be better
paid. And he went further and ad-
vOcated the largest salary to those
who teach the youngest children.
HIS reason for this is that the wo-
man who has charge of the child in
its earliest years leaves her lasting
impress, and it matters little who
has control the rest of his life.
Therefore the best teachers should
be those in the kindergarten and
primary grades, and they should be
paid enough to get the best.
Il tell you, if this great school
system Of Virginia ever perishes
from off the face of the earth it will
be because OF politics in the schools.
l believe in politics; you know it.
1t is an exalted and useful vocation.
But adjure you, as you believe n
and hope for the glory and future USE
fulness Of this Commonwealth. keep
politics out of our public schools.
STATE SUPERINTENDENT EGGLEsToN
L here pledge my honor, in the
fear OF God aud in the presence of
man, that my votei in the State Board
of Education next May on the cleo.
tlon OF division school superintend.
ents, will be cast with but one end
in view the good of the schools.
getting the best man for the money
and for the good of the community.
No sort OF personal or political pres.
sure shall weigh with me, so help
me God. ="
This pledge was made by Super
intendent j. d. Eggleston of the De.
partment of Public Instruction be.
fore the meeting of the School Trus.
tees Association in the Mechanics
Institute.
we can all ho tbocN.f.1 r. -