INSTITUTIONS FOR THE BLIND 95 



exalt our homos, and ho an honor to our country in praco and 

 in war. The true warrant for a free education is good citizen- 

 ship. To this end the government through its officers may 

 ostabhsh schools, appoint teachers, build school houses, furnish 

 them, select text books, make them free to those unable to buy 

 them, compel attendance, and tax the people for their support. 

 All these things we are doing for our schools for the seeing; and 

 more, we are giving in our state universities the opportunity 

 for a college education, and for special, technical training, in 

 great part free; and all this that our young men and young 

 women may be fitted for a more advanced and useful citizen- 

 ship in the application of science to the useful arts. These 

 students thus trained are to be our teachers in the specialties 

 to which they have devoted themselves, whether it be domestic 

 science, agriculture, engineering, mining, or manufacturing. 

 They are to be leaders to train others for useful citizenship. 

 The equipment of our common and high schools, of our state 

 universities, the large number of students attending them, and 

 the lavishing of money for their support, all witness to the fact 

 that we do not consider this expenditure a charity, but a 

 necessity for the highest development of our citizenship. 



But there are a part of our youth who are handicapped 

 by the loss of hearing or of sight. What shall we do for them? 

 Even in a horse race, allowance is made for a handicap, not for 

 charity's sake, but to give an equal chance in the race. And 

 may we not in the education of the blind do somewhat more in 

 the way of help to an education than we do for our more for- 

 tunate seeing children, and still not call it charity? Has not a 

 blind man a right to be a good citizen? Is he not under the 

 same obligation to be such, as the seeing man? Shall we not 

 give him a fair chance to enjoy that right, and to meet that 

 responsibility? Are not these added facilities necessary to the 

 best, universal development of our citizenship? Are not we 

 who are more fortunate exalting our own citizenship in helping 

 our weaker brother to be, with us, a good, responsible citizen 

 of the best country that God has given to man? 



But how shall we help our handicapped brother and sister? 

 By supplying as well as we can the means by which his dep- 

 rivation may be covered and counteracted. By putting into 



