The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-03
FULL TEXT OF CHIEF JUSTICE
BROWNIES DEDICATION ADDRESS

Some years ago in Macon I was
walking home from church with a
most charming elderly maiden lady of
the old south, and she pointed out to
me a few homes of some of the well
known families of Macon. We
passed quite a number of very hand
some houses. To my inquiries as to
who lived in them she replied: 81
don't know them" or We've never
met them, and tEesz she made this
remark: "Mr. Browne, before the civil
war our people were superior to their
surroundings, in this day the sur
Iroundings are superior to the people,
Cicero in "De Offfciis" expresses tha
same thought in these words: ''The
house ought to be ennobled by the
master, and not the master by the
house" The force of this observation
can readily be appreciated by one who
observes the population in any of our
cities. We see beautiful residences,
and we expect to find the inmates peo-
pie of culture, education and refine
ment, but in most instances we find
them crude, inhoSpitable and lacking
the social virtues and Charms that dis
tinguish the old south.
AS one Of Dickens characters says:
"The bearin' o. this observation lies
in the application ont" It may sound
a bit ungracious at this time and in
this presence, to apply this observation
to present school conditions, but 1 feel
that the welfare of our people and our
government is so dependent upon
higher education, that we should lose
no opportunity to direct public thought
to it's Importance.
When I see the magnificent public
school buildings that are being erected
all over this state, and look for the fin
ished product that these factories
should turn out, wonder if we may
not paraphrase my friends remark,
and say that "up to a quarter of a CEN
tury ago the students were superior
to the schools. but today the school
houses are superior to their product.
Are we devoting more though and
energy to the factory than to it's out
put?
This is a magnificent building It
reflects great credit upon the commu-
nifty that was willing to be taxed for
it's erection and upon those who gave
their time, ability and energies to it's
construction. And I know that the
splendid spirit that imbued you when
you undertook this great enterprise
will not rest content with its dedica-
ton on this day, but inspired by a high
desire for the mental and moral i'm
provement for the present and future
generations, the energies that you de-
voted to the erection of this building
will now be devoted to the production
of a finished product worthy of it.
The ordinary citizen finds great sat
isfaction in exhibiting the fine school
buildings in his county, but greater
glory would come to every community
from highly educated and cultured
men and women these institutions
should produce.
This idea, Ian Maclaren in Beside
the Bonnie Brier Bush" presents in
the home1y words of one of the parish
oners telling of the joys OF a worthy
school teacher: "One 'wud be the hon
est gratitude O. a laddie whose desire
for knowIe 1ge We he'd sateesffed, and
he second wed be tn th-s-anlther schoI-
s~ in c-a Id md Am thinking with
...l E .Ho that liza scholar is
ST.. ETH Z addoi to the iehes Of the
commonwealth. And another parish
oner describing the school teacher:
"a body kent he was a terrible sco1ar
and a credit tae the parish. Drum
tocfty was a name in thae days WI
the lads he sent tae college" The
little school house of Drumtochty was
as humble as some Of our country
school houses. but It made Drdmtochty