The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-01-12
ARE OUR YOUNG MEN THE
HOPE OF THE COUNTRY.

AhNA "o Aoy oHouoA yoohS
men in North Carolina between the
ages Of sixteen and Ewenty-one years.
And there are p6t@ne thousand of
them in our colleges-not one in forty.
An alarming fact. We have in our
State over forty thousand white men
who cannot read the ballots they cast.
Another alarming and humiliating
truth. And we venture the assertion
that a close investigation and analysis
Of the records of our colleges will
show that for the past five years there
has been a falling off in the percentage
Of the patronage of farmers. Why ?
Simply and only for the reason that
their ability to educate their sons has
been gradually weakening.
What must be done? With real
estate diminishing in value, with the
values of the earnings Of farmers Civ
ing them little or. no profits on their
labor, and with the great financial de-
preston which hangs like a pail about
them, and our constantly increasing
population, what is to be done for the
thousands of young farmer boys and
other poor young men of the State :?
| Shall they not be educated Are
they really and truly "the hope of the
country 2" 1t behooves our educators,
statesmen, philanthropists, Christians
all to ponder we'll the situation. 1t
appeals to every consideration of
philanthropy, patriotism and religion.
We are proud to note the hopeful
effort of the Students Aid Associa-
ton of Wake Forest College, to occupy
as best it may this broad field and to
supply as best it can this great de-
mand. 1t is designed to afford an
opportunity to the poor but deserving
young men of our State to procure an
education. 1t is moving forward with
the most encouraging promise of sue
cess. But even with the full measure
of success in it's contemplated sphere,
it would necessarily not meet one
1.-THE the demand. Nevertheless it
was a grand conception, which if de.
veloped, will accomplish grand results
and prove a great blessing to our
young men and to the State for all
time to come. May the favor of God
rest upon it's prosecution ! ,:"..
But are u people, alive to the crit
cal situation Do they properly ap-
preciate the great truth that intelli
gence-cultivated brain-rules the
world? Do the farmers Of the country
realize that to maintain their true po-
sition in the great race of progress,
they must keep up with advanced
thought-advanced improvement, and
that to do this they must be educated?
We are grateful for the indications
that the more intelligent and pro-
gressive Of the farmers Of our State
are beginning to realize it. They
took a long step in that direction when
they met in this city last winter and
demanded the establishment of an
Agricultural and Mechanical College
for the training and education of the
farmer boys of the State. In our
Judgment, no Legislation for the past
half century in North Carolina is
fraught with grand and noble results
to OIL people. Let us push forward
the college to completion and make it
what it should bean institution
laden and filled with incalculable
blessings to our people. and State. Let
every farmer-every patriot in the
State, adopt the motto of. The. Pro
GREssIyE~FARMbR,s44-The industrial
and educational interests of ourpeople,
paramount to all other considerations
of State policy" jus ~" +s5'. =