The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-27
Compulsory Education.

noticed an able article from E ID Miller,
of Holly Springs. on the education Of .
of Mississippi. His idea Of @ (
summer term, on the Normal plan, being +
instituted for their benefit, IS a splendid 4
one. New life would indeed be infused I
into public education, which i just now
sadly needed. | hope his admirable !
suggestions" viii be considered and
adopted The subject Of education Is
one which Is very much neg. ected. The
great necessity. next 70 educated
teachers, earnest, devoted teachers, Is an
awakening IN the minds of parents OF
the vital Importance of having their
children educated This is a feeling
which lies dormant with many, especial
IL with people in the country, those
who live removed from manifestations
of intelligence and who never feel IN
cited 70 an requirement of IT, The
state of universal Ignorance prevalent,
is appalling. Not long since, n teacher
from this State, while in New Orleans
heard Northern lady speak OF this
fact, rem3rkIng that she had not heard
one grammatical sentence uttered since
she had passed Mason's and DiXo,t's
line. This Is an expression of the
thoughts of numbers of Northern Peo-
pie. They look upon Us as decidedly
their interiors ID both intellectual and
physical activity. They boast of their
great accomplishments, mentally, espe-
ciallv. Their extreme culture Is quite
a hobby. We shall certainly be necessi-
tated, though humiiating TO acknowl-
edge the truth of their claims. Why
should this State of affairs exist? Though
vanquished in arms, why should we be
| in a more exalted contest?
As to culture" their superior wealth,
| gained since the war, has given them
! the advantage in acquiring n high finish
which could never be attained otherwise,
but why should their poorer classes be so
much better educated than those in the
South? Their public school system Is
on the same order as ours, their teachers
salaries regulated in the same manner.
| Then why this great disparity in in
telligence? Why Is it, that the sons and
daughters of poor farmers, mechanics
and laborers of every description have
As good an education, almost, as our
high school graduates? Does the differ
ence lie in natural mental capacity
MOI it Is simply this: the subject of
, education Is one of secondary consider
alton to the generality of the people Of
the South. The mind is starved and
enslaved for the pampering OF the body.
: Bread and meat before brains. is their
maxim. In fact, it is the animal that
: declares itself monthly and yearly and
} to which the higher man is put in sub
: lection. As soon as the poor, little
% humans, their children, become strong
5 enough the hold a hoe or guide a pillow
| fLaxr II L ii
? room, where they have hardly been long
: enough to become inflated, to the field
; where they remain until death release.
t them. Men and women who have beer
] we'll raised and educated, and have hat
I the refining influences of wealth, arr
g often the persons who follow this bar
g barous custom. The consequence o.
| this Is, the number of scholars is 81
/ limited in the schools as not TO Justify
, a thorough teacher in accepting the
1 work. Ignorant persons are engaged
/ in the highest and greatest of all occu
patiOns-training immortal minds TIVE
7 months are taught in the beginning o
I the year. Planting a crop necessitate
: the suspension Of operations until fall
e when three more months are eked out
/ Note s the disheartenmg attendance
. Possibly, twenty-five are begun with
q the next day sixteen are on hand
= the day after, twenty; the third da,
e shows an assemblage of twelve, Tn,
numbers huctuate with caprice SIS
have to stay at home two weeks TO hell
Ma nurse or cook; four to help Pa hoe
or pillow, or gin; seven stay away severa
days because the skies are cloudy an,
they would not like to get wet in tn
event of rain. Some are taken from
school because the teacher is too strict
+ Others because he is not strict enough
The month closes with an average O
e fifteen. Board and washing has TO b
paid. What is left for clothing?
This Is the report Of nine-tenths of tn
| country public schools of Mississippi
! 4 reform should be instituted. If tn
! people are not sufficiently impresse,
with the Importance of education, tn
= law should impress it upon them b
:. forcing them to send their children t
! school. They are too poor to spare thei
. work. How do the poor parents O
! other countries manage to spare thei
= children? Prussia for instance? Thi
is a free country OF course it is, an,
> necessarily, the children of this country
who are to become its supporters, shout
- be free to enjoy its best privilege
! enlightened mind.
= Next to enforced attendance, the law
= should provide more literally for tn
maintenance of teachers. In the even
20 OF a full attendance, as is sometimes tn
: case, the teachers are not paid one cen
: more for teaching forty pupils than fo
= twenty-five. Forty-fve dollars is tn
:, highest salary that can be gained from
: the treasury. A mere pittance for th
;. life of drudgery, of wear and tear o
Z these public benefactors. While thous
o | ands OF dollars are appropriated to tn
p higher institutions, where, though tut
ton IS free, only the fewest number o
boys and girls are enabled to 60. tn
public schools, where the majority of tn
citizens are educated, are shamefullr
, | neglected; kept up, 1t Is true, they are
= but on pitiably marrow platform
dwarfed and starved. Kept up. O
d" course, but only for decency's sake. Thu
age cries for light! Does the common
wealth get it. Do our legislator
conceive for one moment the yastness O
the question? The masses must b,
educated. 1t has been shown that tbi
cannot be accomplished in the colleges
20 therefore, the demand is for bette
public schools Give US a system on
3 wider, broader plan. Let money be appro
priated for "a ten months session in
stead Of five. Give US consecrated
educated teachers, and we will see les
of poverty and misery, and hear less o.
crimes and penalties. To parents.
make no appeal. If they are so selfish
and so utterly blind as not to appreciate
their children's welfare, the law, as
said before, shoud.compel them to do so
a disregard for it being punishable BY
fine and imprisonment. X
E Big Day at Buena Vista.
OKoLoNA, May 24.-An event in the
! history of Chickasaw county occurred
at Buena Vista, twelve miles from Oko-
L. :......... L..-... !. ne NV