San Diego State University - Del Sudoeste Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

Page 19 text:

18 WHITE AND GOLD Rather haltingly he began to spell, HGl-o-s-o-f-it's too much for me, he broke off, Hltain,t fair, neither, I give up. It was the first time in three years he had gone down, and as he scrambled for a seat he muttered again, tl 'Tain't fair. Sarah remembered where she had heard the word so many times and besides, she could see it boldly penciled in blue across a page in her zoology note-book. Closing her eyes she spelled slowly, UG-l-o-s-s-o-p-h-a-r-y-n- g-e-a-1-glossopharyngea1. Billyls side had won, though the Doctor was the only one in the room Who knew whether the word had been spelled correctly. FROM THE OUTSIDE. CONGRESSMAN SMITH. On Friday, September the twenty-first, the school had the pleasure of meeting the Honorable Mr. Smith, of the House of Representatives, and of being addressed by him. Mr. Marston introduced Mr. Smith, referring to his honorable position, the deep interest he had for things educational in our country and state, and the great pleasure he gave us in coming to us as soon as he arm'ved in the city. Mr. Smith spoke as fol- lows; I can assure you that Whatever pleasure you may have is more than equalled by my own pleasure in being able to address you. I spent several years as a school-teacher and I have always considered them to be the most profitable years of my life. One realizes, as one goes on through life, the great responsibility resting on the teachers of the coun- try. The political position I hold enables me to have a nearer view of the national life, and I can see better the effect of good citizenship and of the attitude of the common people on the institutions of the country. I hear, too, much of mischief. Some schools think that all political men are rogues, and politics is an evil road to success. This idea is shocking. I oEer the opinion that this phase of life is much exaggerated. In one of our magazines there has been published lately a series of articles called The Treason of the Senate. the writers of Which call themselves muck- rakers. Literature of this sort is due, I am convinced, to the whim of the day. If I believed that the things these articles say are true, I know that during my own life I should see the end of the Republic No such rogues as are depicted there could rule my country. I am not here, however, to offer a certificate to our ohicial life. But I do know this; I am odnvinced that this official Life fairly well reflects the intellect and

Page 18 text:

WHITE AND GOLD 17 But Billy had one faint hothhe new teache:. i i Sarah McGregor, ' ' he roared. Amid the shouts of the crowd these two took their respective places. Sarah walked timidly to the front; but Moses, with a scornful glance in her direction, strode with a confident air past the ranks of lesser mortals, for did he not know that old State Series spelling-book by heart? Be- sides, what could that slip of a girl do in a spelling match? The next best spellers were rapidly chosen until those who reached their limit in words of one syllable were taken. The spelling at last began. Jacob pronounced each word with an awful deliberation, striking terror to the core of those whose vocabularies were limited. Over half went down the first time around. With wildly beating hearts and wavering knees Sandy and Billy held their own. But the extraordinary success was not to endure so very long. Billy spelled spectator s-p-e-c-t-a-t-e-r, and fell. Sandy, with an exultant glance at his crestfallen rival, slowly spelled the word s-p-e-c-t-a-t-o-r-e. A subdued titter ran around the lines as Sandy, with a hang-dog expression on his averted face, shuiiied to a seat in the corner. - Half an hour passed and all were down but two-Moses and his new- found competitor, the little school-mistress. Jacob pronounced words now as if he were throwing snow-balls at the heads of the spellers. Sarah spelled timidly, but with painful precision; Moses spelled his words in a careless offhand manner. He had not learned that speller by heart for nothing. The very hardest words in the back of the book were reached, but to no purpose, for Greek had met Greek. The book was finished and still these two stood face to face undaunted. Poor Jacob scratched his bald head in bewildeiment; then turning to the audience, he said, HIf Doctor VanMeter be present, will he kindly suggest some word from his learned stock fer em to try.PH The old country doctor stood up. Anxiously rubbing his chubby hands together, the good man remained in deep thought for a few min- utes. Moses lost his self-composure, and began to hitch up his trousers and pull at his coat-tails. But the the plucky litttle school-teacher be- trayed no signs of agitation. The rest felt the crisis was drawing near and waited with bated breath for the outcome. The doctor took a step nearer, but still was silent. The suspense was becoming intolerable. Then slowly he gave the word: iiglossopharyngeal. It was Moses' turn to spell. He grew more nervous than before; he wriggled and twist- ed, he hitched at his trousers and rubbed his shiny face. Then he opened his mouth, but no sound came; be cleared his thrdat and tried once more,

Page 20 text:

WHITEAND GOLD 19 and morals of the common people; they are no higher or grander, but they are not below them. ttSo it lies with your school teachers to develop and form the char- acter 0f the future American people, and through them of the officials. Sad to say, the burden of education is nowadays being shifted from the parents to the teacher. And thus your connection with the affairs of every-day life is incresing: you cannot overestimate your responsibility when you take up the pathway in life which you have chosen. For your individual character is stamped on the life of every boy and girl under your jurisdiction. If you are honest and upright, so they Will be: and that is one thing that will save the Republic: it is the thing that your moth- ers and fathers held above all else; common Honesty-common, every- day, home-made Honesty. Without that the Republic Will not stand: With it , it Will be as enduring as the ages. HI hope to live to see the day when you young women will all be voters: no citizen will have more responsibility on election-day than you Will have: and the accumuation of your civil votes will determine the vice or virtue of the men you put in office. I feel more than a passing interest in this school, for I cast my vote for the first appropriation for it. Nor did my efforts cease there: I have continued to give to give it my support since. Another schoolialong with yours, for which I have great sympathy and interest, is the Poly- technic School at San Luis Obispo, which was created by my bill. This school is doing an important work, along with yours. Its purpose is the education of youths for the unprofessional walks of life, to take up the home-life of the state: or, as we often say, to ttgo back home. Those boys and girls that are being educated and sent out to work in the home- side of life, and you who work here, will constitute the best life of Cali- fornia. You, having taken the youth of the state from the hands of their fathers and mothers, will give them such training and character- building as Will induce faith in their fellow-men and insure the perpetuity of the feeling of responsibility in a self-governing people. We ought not to misunderstand the idea of true duty to our government. It lies in the feeling, in each one of us, that we have the responsibility on our shoulders, that we must go to the frontf as the saying is, and help bear the burden of the day. For it is doing these things that makes us strong.