The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-22
COMMUNICATED.

the exsrtions Of the people, the in
terest manifested in our legislature
and By the Congress Of the nation
are surely enough to I'll the hearts
Of all observing philanthropist
with gladness and with bright pros
poets for the country's future.
These are indises, which show TO
those Of common intelligence, the
grand efforts, which are now being
made to educate the rising genera
ton of both races. In the South
the desire to educate and TO be ed
ucated, to prepare and to be pre-
pared for usefulness, and to qualify
and 10 be qualified to hll the va.
rious positions and useful stations
Of life, have seized hold upon the
minds and hearts Of all classes.
Upon the young and upon the
aged. There are now being made
greater efforts and greater saerif-
ces to educate the youth Of our
country now, than there ever has
been within the memory of the old
est inhabitants ofthe South. There
has been a great change in the
minds of the thinking ones of our
land and country. When was the
time when so many young ladies
and young men could be seen in at
tendance in our high schools and
colleges, studiously and indus
triously striving to acquire an edu-
eationg When was such an inter-
est being taken in schools as at the
present timer When could be
seen so many vacant chairs around
the family fresides? When did
the citizens manifest so great
willingness to invest their spare,
hard earnings in erecting school
houses and college buildings New
er were greater sacrifices made to
educate the youth, than those now
being made. / refer alone to the
people of the South. IT'S not the
young alone, who are enthused,
but the same enthusiasm has seized
hold upon the classes. Whenever
was there tin when so many
children from l. y15ysars of age
were sent far away from their
homes to high schools and colleges
there to be entrusted to the train
ing and teaching of the teachers?
This wish and desire upon the part
of parents and guardians to have
their children educated are COM
mendable, and cannot fail to COM
mand the respect and admiration of
all intelligent observers. While
I'VE should be pleased with the
"boOm" of to-day, yet, we should
not allow ourselves to become so
infatuated as to make us forgetful
ofthe dangers that might beset and
waylay those who are "bone of our
bone, and blood of our blood" and /
are as dear to us, as life itself. Is
it not a truth undeniable that tares
will grow upon the same ground /
with the wheaiy Is it rot of
truth, that the tares may render
the wheat worthless Does not |
the condition Of affairs at present |
behoove parents and guardians to
be on the alert and upon their
guard? Was there ever a time in
the history of our sunny South,
when SO many young, and inexpe-
rienced teachers were placed IN
the teachers chairY
Was there ever a time when so
many teachers from across the
borders" were scattered all over
the South? Can any one object to
these things aloneY Certainly not,
but does not it show how mpor-
tantit is that parents and guardians
should not only know the charac-
ter of the teacher, but also the NOR
al status of the school or collegel
Is it not important they should
know what kind of discipline, if
any, and what kind of restraint, if
any, we're thrown around these lit
tie girls and boysy Do not the
parents and guardians, when they {
send hesepupils otto school, think I
that these teachers will watch over
and oora for ithaca nunile7 Il II !