Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-12
Notable Address at Educational
Conference by Superintendent Des Marids

cone of the ablest addresses deliN
cred at the recent educational confer
ence at Las Vegas was that of super
intcndent NJ r DesMarias of San Mi
| guel county who presented I'm new
ana forceful way the need Of securing
! better educated school teachers and
better schools. superintendent Des-
( Marias' address followsD
! welcome you TO the imperial eoun-
/ " Of san Miguel not merely MS citi-
zens hut as the most important Off
GERS Of q great state. We have met to
counsel and lay supreme emphasis
/ upon the development and upbuild-
! ing Of human character. We have
gathered here from all parts of the
state. ana the national capital. in a
meeting that the future viii mark as
epochal. "A day that viii be reckoned
as the beginning of real uplift to q
broader practical education; more
oventful than the day in which was
drawn and introduced the bill proVid
ing that from then on. any person
aspiring to teach in the public schools
of the territory Of New Mexico. must
know how to read and write.
We have made progress from that
day to this; not as great as it could
and should have been. had the condi-
tons that have hampered us been re-
moved years ago
/ fully realize the problems to be
solved are peculiarly our own and we
cannot be guided to any great extent
by what has been done and accom-
y shed in other states--except in SO
far az their conditions might resem-
BILE our own. We have two predumi-
nant races of American citizens In the
state, with differeinE conditions obs
tanning and It is In particular of the
native element that ] speak. We have
been travelling in q circle for the past
quarter century, and ending nowhere.
Law after law has been repealed; law
after law has been passed law after
law has been added to- but neither
the repeating, adding or passing of
now laws has even slightly touched
the real source Of our troubles.
Rear In mind, the average native
child has only four to five years of
schooling before he has to go out into /
the world to earn his living. Re- !
member that the terms are only seven I
and that only within the past |
year: and also remember that the aV- /
erage attendance is less than 60 per 7
cent of the enrolment. That In itself |
must show us there Is something |
wrong; that something vital has been /
that matters are not what
they should he. and that something /
must he done to keep pace with adj
vancing civilization.
10 quote the state superintendent
This matter of providing funds for
school purposes is a business affair,
and there should be fairness and a
square deal to all coneerned-th chill
dren, the teacher, the district and the
people who pay the taxes" In which
| fully concur. II is Il business affair
Of the greatest moment to the present
ana future citizenship of the state
and nation. for are not the children
Of today the citizens of tomorrow, and
The state and nation cannot be greater
than its citizenship,
We have done justice neither to the
'hild, teacher, district, taxpayer, ma
ton or state. We have rather, by the
policy we have pursued, done an in
Justice to all. particularly so to the
children. II has seemed to me that
he educational forces of the state
have not grasped the situation, and
what really is at fault. | have my own
jicws and opinions. not dogmatic or
arbitrary. but based on study obser
'ation and experience in intimate con-
act with educational affairs as di-
'ector law maker and superintendent
or the past twenty-five years, par
icularly as relates To the spanish
american. The remedy would apply
S fundamental one and a simple
me: hut II win take the united sup I
tort OF all the educators, and Of every ,
Intelligent citizen Of the state. that !
'alues education. and the welfare of !
ne rising generations above favor
tism, Chicanery or partisanship. [
What follows is not said in a spirit I
( malice or Nindictiveness, but !
by an earnest love for fair !
tlav. 70 give equal opportunities to |
he masses Of the rural population,
hat need our sincerest help and earn {
81 effort TO better their condition. |
ct as make united effort to have
he same standard for teachers for the
ural schools that We have for the
tiles and towns Is there valid rea- '
on for such discrimination Is II right c
o employ in the districts teachers q
hat are haired from the city and \
own schools? Is that justice2 Is !
hat fair play? Let us be honest TO /
he children and TO ourselves The {
Verage native child has not in the I
asst. nor is he in the present, being 4
iVen the opportunity that rightfully s
elongs to him as citizen of this |
reat republic. If the best that the d
tate can do for his Is 10 send him 10 c