The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-31
FREE TRADE IN BRAINS.


Under the laconic heading, Right" the Am
herst NeW Era thus refers to the decision of the
attorney general that the law of this State for
bids the employment OF division superintendents
of education from outside the district in which
he is to serve:
Attorney-Genera Williams is right. we have
opposed always importing or bringing new men
from other sections to fill office of school super
intendent. Every county in Virginia has some
one who is capable of filling that office-if not
give them the best man they have. Right you
are. Acknowledgement Williams, this will and
should make you many votes. Keep up the
principle and stick to it..
Nothing Is more surprising than the opinions
held and expressed by many who say and be-
lieve they are Democrats and oppose the funda-
mental theories and most valuable purposes of
Democracy. Farmers and labor men who have
been p~roclaiming all these years equal rights
for all, special privileges for none' and "the
equality of all men before the law" and mo class
legislation" are demanding that their classes be
exempted especially from the operation of the
Sherman antitrust law. Our friend of the Neao
Era has discoursed to its constituency eloquently,
ably and oft of the beauties of free trade. 1t has
been almost ferocious In Its laundering denun-
CldAois VI u " aiu uioAopoiicS ahu &c NC
mands for free trade. Now 1t contends that
Virginia shall exclude from her public educa-
tional system all outside or foreign brains. We
should have. according to the Neao Era, not a
protective, or even a prohibitive, tariff against
ability even from our adjoining States OF Mary
land and North Carolina, but direct enactment
by the general assembly that no educator from
outside this State shall be employed here as
superintendent OF schools.
This is application directly Of the very worst
spirit OF the Republican principle Of protec-
ton. Public school education In Virginia surely
may be classed as an infant industry. 1t is to be
protected against the competition of the pauper
education labor OF Massachusetts,. the District of
Columbia and Illinois. We might establish Gus
tom houses at the States lines where railroads
cross them and at all the ports with expert IN
spectors to search all incoming passengers to
see II they have concealed about them any brains
or educational training they are trying to SNUG
gle In wickedly to be put in competition with
our home products. This would be logical. So
would be extension of the principle to forbid
school districts from taking superintendents from
outside their own boundaries. In fact, this has
been proposed and seriously advocated and may
become law. We mAght so on and forbid coun-
ties and townships from seeking or employing
teachers from beyond their own limits.
Along the same generous lines we might pro-
hibit every railroad, bank, mine or factory from
importing superintendents from other States, ex-
clude all outside preachers from our pulpits and
forbid our higher educational institutions from
professors or executive officers not
citizens of Virginia, Some OF our cities actually
so employ this principle in municipal manage
ment and forbid the employment for work re-
curing special or expert knowledge Of persons
not their own citizens.
All this is logically and exactly In accord with
the Republican principle Of protection to home
and products II may be popular. 1t
is not democratic, 1t Is not sensible and it is
not virginian. The spirit Of Virginia always
has been broad and catholic. manly and hos
pitable. 1t has been ~ seeab-Helcome and use
the best wherever II might be found; not to