The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-05-12

We clip the following brief, but
levelheaded editorial from the Mon
roe Enquirer:
"Let our coming Legislature re-
arrange u public school curricu-
lum, with a view to meeting the
practical wants of the rising men and
women of thA State, by putting in
books on practical agriculture and
domestic economy We have in II
public shoots geography grammar
and SO on ad nauseQW and almost
nothing concerning Ne life-work OF
seven-tenths of h1bAys and girls
who are to hold/the helm of the
ship of State I future years. If
the State is going to spend it's money
in the matterfof public education in
this way, there is no sound argument
it can use to Justify itself in main
tanning a system of public schools
by popular taxation at all. 1t is
sheer demagogical vote-catchlng as
sertions to say we must educate the
masses, therefore the State must be
taxed to build up and sustain such a
system, with such a course Of in
struction as we have, when the trend
of it's system is absolutely suicidal,
both morally and materially, to the
best interests of the commonwealth.
We have said this repeatedly, and
insist upon the force Of it with all
the ardor of our deep convictions"
The tendency of our schools these
days is to educate young men and
young women to avoid manual labor
and endeavOr to earn their living in
some more presumably genteet way.
Our young men and young women
90 to the colleges and seminaries,
are put through the routine of the
books usually taught; if they apply
themselves faithfully learn what is
in them, but imbibe at the same time
a good deal of tomfoolery which
is not in them. They graduate, i'm
agine they have learned it all and
return home, with very little dispo-
sition to engage in the active duties
oflife where manual laboris required.
They have, so to speak, been educated
above that, to look to something
higher. The consequence is that ma
jority ofour so-called educated young
men seek the professions, which +
already o~vercrowded, or go behind
counters to earn a living at a salary
that barely makes both ends meet at
the end of the year. If these young
y, n =, x-n.> ca f,npl md 90 to,,.hf -,
school as to regard labor as emo
bling instead of degrading, they
would show less aversion to the farm
or the shop, would manfully take
their places on the broad acres,
and among the humming industries
where they could turn their acquired
knowledge to good account, and be-
come in time independent men.
There are none of us who love labor
for labor's sake, but there are none
of us who can succeed without labor.
The lawyer or doctor who succeeds
must work, and work hard. 1t takes
years, and long years, Of mental toll,
with more than average ability, to
reach eminence in the respective
professions, and success does not re-
ally come until eminence has been
reached. How few of the large num-
Der who annually enter these pro-
LESSONS reach the goal of success.
The majority plod along, struggle
on, scramble for support, while the
few, and the very few, attain honors
and win the rewards. And yet there
are hundreds of young men who
turn aside from callings that offer
them independence to enter these
professions and take their chances
when failure is almost certain. It
is not SO much their fault as the
fault of the times, and the mistaken
system of education, so-called, which
they pursue, and which, while it
Grams them with routine book
knowledge units them for the stern,
sober realities of life.