Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-06
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL THURSDAY. MARCH 6. 1913

time | can agree with the gentleman
from China that the question that we
have before us for conside,atior is -,
important one. He says that ;t~is a,
inipoItailt one because it deals with
the te9ehers OF our district schoo,s
of our rural schools-and 7 va,,t
tell you, gentlemen, that il sea,,s -
me that 1t is an important ono 49,, :"
1t treats or deals with the bo,,s $50
girls OF those rural schools ~. '''
has told us, or has pictured "a 80 -, 4'e
Gut from tiloSe district schools have
SUI men WHO nave shone in the firma-
,iieut u progress IN other states. hut
ne uoes not tell us that back in rho
lish"aNs ana byways there are tbo,,-
saiius ana thousands of men and p.o
men Whe nave not been able ia chino
III e'ie armament of progress of Other
states because their educationaI 81
Nahtases have not been who, e..
should have been. Now. eentIa,,,o,,
stand before you, this mornine las
lN'hg example of one of these ,,o,,. r
hHo" what 1t is to be born hack baro
III one of these country towns. r ,sno,,,
Ni"tl 1t is 10 grow up to the age offs
vi ~ years and have nothing but what
i'ttie education. could pick IN from,
glrl perhaps year above MO
year Older at least: Just these same
KID OF teachers that the confidence,
from China is picturing to us This
morning. He talks about taking the
power from the superintendents of orr
schools L have in mind now one s,Inerz
lheeHuehl OF schools that lives next 10
me. l 90 not want to get too near
nome; 1t IS Quite 4 ways from me: but
am gong to tell YOU, gentlemen. ha
cannot reckon the simple interest on a
pfomlssory note, and yet he Is defin-
ms the qualifications of teachers that
VIII teach his boys. and my bows. and
the other fellows boys. These things
ought not so to be Gentlemen. Wa
must let this question rest upon its
merits. 1t is no argument to say that
the city is getting more advantages
IMAM the country, or anything of that
KIND. We, gentlemen, are all citizens Of
the old State of Maine, and / trust We
are all Interested in this great cause
Of education; and | trust we will do
our duty in relation to the education
al system of our State and Will hold
up the States hands as best we can in
educational matters. Now. this bill
that has been before our educational
committee simply provides, as has beea
been said, and the gentleman from
China has read the bill, that there be-
some standard of certificatien in our
schools; and what better hands can
we place it i'll to determine that stand
,,,sl -
Where shall we place it Shall We
place it in the hands of 80 superin-
tendents scattered over the State; in
men who have obtained their office
largely through politics? You gentle
men whc come from the country know
something about the qualifications of
these people / have referred to. Now,
where shall we place it, if we have the
interests of the boys and girls of Maine
at neart9 If we do believe in the fu-
ture, in the growth and progress Of
our State, and if we do want
to see our boys and girls edu
Gated and stand shoulder to Shout
der with tine boys and girls of other
states2 What shall we do, gentlemen?
We shall give them a better grade
the present time; and it is for this
purpose only that we ask you to sup
port this bin All the PURPOSES of this
bill is for that end. Now. as | said
before. this has been before our edu-
cational committee; we have consider
ed ii honestly, earnestly and carefully,
and we have reported upon il unani-
mousIy Stop and think for one mo-
ment that the State of Name is spend
ing, today, $3.000.000 for education: and
want to remind YOU that this $4,000 zoe
comes from direct taxation; | want to
remind YOU that there is not another
State in this Union in which there is
such direct tax for education: and
this must be said in credit of the State
of Maine. j want To say in connection
with this, there are but three other
States in this Union in (which there is
not an educational standard defined by
the educational departments of these
states. In other words, there is sys-
tenn of State eertification in every other
state in this Union but four. And shall
this State appropriating, as it does,
So. 000, 900 by direct taxation, have moth
ing to say concerning the qualifications
of the teachers that shall have charge
of our schools? Is this right, gentle
men? We are Boosting of our prog
ress. We are looking to progress along
the lines of medicine, science and agri-
culture, orcharding,. and all Sorts of
things. We are not crying those things
down. We have State boards of exam
iners. Doctors cannot practice without.
an examination; the dentists cannot;
lawyers cannot, etc, and so on But
how about the teachers. in whose hands
you and | have committed all that the
world holds dear to us. These teach
ers are moulding and shaping the des-
tiny of your boys and mine. Have we
any doubt in this matter? Should we
not consider this; and is it asking too
much to say that our educational de-
partment, in whoom we put all conf
dence-because / am not going to have
anybody stand up here and cry down
the head of our educational department.
You and l, gentlemen. pride ourselves
in this fact,-that the man who stands
at the head of our educational depart
ment in this State stands without a
peer in the educational circles of this
county. (Applause) And, gentlemen,