THE CHAIRMAN’S OPENING ADDRESS. 249 
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of this period upon all future activities. The tinkling of a bell in the 
Alpine fastnesses may set in motion the avalanche ; and yet no figure of 
speech can set forth the sensitiveness of these years, or the tenacity of 
impressions, and consequently their far-reaching influence. Do men seek 
to perpetuate their memory in brass and stone ? When all these memori- 
als shall have perished, some words, some truth impressed on youthful 
minds, shall live immortal. In view of these responsibilities it is not 
surprising that great reforms in education have been concentrated upon 
elementary instruction, or that legislation and taxation expend their 
efforts upon it, or that educational literature and organization are occupied 
with it. 
Teachers’ institutes and normal schools are provided for the prepara- 
tion of elementary teachers. Nor ig it surprising that a revival of education 
in the past should have marked its supremacy by selecting its best teachers 
tor elementary grades. But to gain a deep sense of the import of the 
work we represent, we need make no comparison with other phases of 
aducation. 
According to the computations of Dr. Klemm of the United States 
Bureau of Education, directed by Commissioner Harris, where we all go 
for statistics of instruction, there are in the educational world to-day one 
hundred millions receiving the rudiments of knowledge. This responsi- 
bility, unmeasured in its vastness and accountability, is represented by this 
sccasion. 
But, great as are these numbers, adopting as our standard the element- 
ary school attendance in Germany, or eighteen per cent. of the popula- 
tion, the present attendance should be more than doubled ; it should be 
advanced from 100,000.000 up to 267,170,000. or by the addition of 167,- 
170,000. 
When there is lack of this instruction, there is the absence of what is 
adequate in all that is special or higher. So benighted is our race, so 
great is the work before us to be accomplished ! Fortunately for us, our 
era awakens those interests that previously have been indifferent. 
The rudest labor finds greater profit in the skill imparted by intelligence. 
Irade, commerce, manufacture, and agriculture join themselves to science, 
and count their increase of profits by the light of learning. All the 
considerations of religion add their admonitions. Bearing our respective 
parts in this work, elsewhere and previously we may have had our local or 
national conferences. We may have marshalled all the history on our 
different lines. 'Wé may have sought by travel or by literature to reach 
over and gather the ripe fruit of experience from other races or nationali- 
ides. But now, these diverse spheresof experience, these varied conditions 
of current elementary education, bearing their best products from the ages 
that have past, are here present, by their competent representatives, to speak 
to us their wisdom from living lips. They will instruct us in what has