Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-11
THEODORE n. VAIL
ENDORSES THE
EDUCATION BILL
Warmly Commends Former Gov.
ernOr Fletcher Who Made
the Idea Operative by
Naming Commission.

which he warmly commends the polio,
outlined in the educational bill and tn
efforts Of Governor Fletcher who create,
the commission and stood by it's finding.
speaks for itself:
Hon. Charles W. Gates,
Montpelier. Vermont,
My dear Governor
Because of my deep interest in the re
establishment of the school system o
vermont upon a sound and progressiv,
basis. I take the liberty Of addressing t,
you a few words regarding the Educa
tional Bill.
] understand that there are two prin
clpal objections to the Educational BIZ
one F1etcherism, and the other Central
~ization.
As to the first. Whoever originated thu
idea of ar Educational Commission IL
entitled to credit, but the man who mad,
1t operative deserves even more. 1t wa.
a big idea. The time was past ripe fol-
some revision of our educational methods
Everybody knows that. I am not a par.
tisan in any such matter. so that I trust
what 7 say will be regarded as wholly
In the interest Of educational advance.
ment.
Governor Fletcher in making this idea
operative went at 1t c~onscientiously and
effectively. He sought to make an edu.
cational commission of representative
men who were interested In the subject
His selection Of President Butler was al
inspiration as it put the commission into
direct and intimate touch with the most
authoritative educational forces of this
country.
Having made the commission. Governor
Fletcher left It TO its deliberations, at
tended a few of the first meetings to
keep in touch with its intentions and
processes without trying to influence thu
members. and when the commission as
a body realized that 1t wanted the best
advice to be had. and not knowing how
expensive it might be and just how any
considerable expenditure would be regard
ed. and still wanting to preserve the dig
nifty OF the state by not "dickering," ho
very promptly came to the front and
gave the board his official and unquali-
fled uppor by stating that he would
stand for and authorize any expenditure
that the board could be reasonably called
on to incur.
The final meetings. at which the report
was gradually shaped. Governor Fletcher
did not attend or else took little or no
part In. In fact, it was very much re-
GREETED by all the members that he could
not present his views more fully.
The whole action and influence Of
Governor Fletcher was as Governor of the
state of Vermont acting as representa-
tive OF all the people. making IT possible
to effect a solution OF something which
was of interest and vital Importance to
all the people, and for this he is entitled
to great credit and praise no less than
for the conservative, non-partisau way in
which he attempted to do IT.
Now as to Capitalization. The first
educational movement in the State of
Vermont evidently aimed at the central
ization Of higher education, hut left pri-
mary education to the direction of the peo-
pie in each community or group of COM
munities.
Nothing better could have been done.
vermont at that time was an agricultural
State. With the exception of n few very
old settlements It was newly settled. The
rural population was widely distributed
and prosperous farms were located where
now there is no indication of them or
where is the so-called abandoned farm.
Whatever wealth there was, was widely
and generally distributed. There were rela-
lively no very rich communities. There
was little or no urban population and
the places that We're called cities were
nothing but villages and not overgrown
ones at that.
Consequently each community or croup
of communities was able to take care
of its own. particularly as educational
requirements and conditions were COM
paratively simple.
Since then educational ideas and con-
ditions have greatly advanced. not only
In completely but In expense,
In those days a well read and generally
cultivated man could discuss Intelligent
~ almost any subject In the arts or
Now, with the great advance
In knowledge. there are very few who
have a really understandable grasp be-
yond the most general one Of many sub
Jects. In fact, If one has a thorough
knowledge and understanding of one SUD-
ject he is doing well.
In those DAYS the teachers did not have.
nor did they need. broad culture or spe-
cial training. Much ridicule has been
wynn N"p oN u
school teacher. who was generally a man,
often of middle age and seldom of finish
ed education, but in practical common
and in his efforts to make the
boys realize that life was not an empty
dream but a thing of stern realities and
that 1t was the boys and not the teach
er's work that must make the boys for
or position In the world. there We're
which it Is a pity to nave been
dropped out of the modern edu-
Education. particularly primary, was
simple and comparatively Inexpensive.
The members Of any community We're
fully Competent to direct and supervise
1t within the authorization OF the laws
Of the state. Today the matters of edu-
cation. even the primary, are complex
and involved. and while the qualifications
Of the members Of any community in the
have probably improved over those
necessary to properly deal
educational subjects as they are
to-day.
Then, again. to give the children OF the
communities all the advantages that the
children OF the centralized and Weather
communities have, 1t is essential that a
large part of the expense in some of them
be borne by the State. The State having
II incumbent upon each child to get
some years of schooling. the State ean-
not escape the normal obligation of pro-
vidins a way for him to get il, For these
two reasons, therefore, one tho infinitely
gyester knowledge of the subject neces-