The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-06-12
THE CAUSE OF EDUCATION.


in Behalf Of the Public School Sys-
tenn ofNorth Carolina, as Presented
BY Prof. McIver Before the Vance
County Teachers Institute.
The State must educate her children.
This was the burden of Prof. Chas. D.
McIver's speech before the Vance
County Teachers Institute, and the
large audience that was present at the
close of his weeks labor among US,
Friday, May Both. Our public school
sytem must be made more efficient,
because it is in the public schools Of
the State that II out of every Is of her
children must be educated-if they are
educated at all. Education is not a
panacea for the ills that human flesh is
heir to, but there is no panacea that
does not include education, said Prof.
McIver. There is no limit to the po-
sition which education can lift man.
From the lowest depths of society to
the highest stations of honor and use
fullness he may climb by the all pow
erful and uplifting forces of refined
| cultivated mind. Ignorance means
slavery; education means freedom and
lib rty.
Some people believe education is
good for their own children, but not for
the children of any one else. But if
education is a good thing for one, it is
good thing for all argued the speaker.
1t is a sad thing to contemplate
the fact that one half the voters of
North Carolina could not read the bal
lots they cast, and 200 Of them are
| white persons. This is sad admission,
but these are facts that must be dealt
with, said Prof. McIver, and in the
hope of arousing the people to a true
sense Of their duty on this important
| question, the truth should not be con-
cealed. A State is not made up Of land,
and trees, and brick, but people. The
people constitute State, and it is great
and prosperous in proportion to the in
telllgence of its citizens. Take Massa-
chusetts for example. Its illiterate is
less than l per cent. of its population !;
North Cardinals is 81 per cent. One
out of every 700 in this State is an in
ventor, one out of every 20 in Massa-
chusetts. Education is necessity to
every community; public education is
an absolute necessity.
There are 100000 white children of
school age in North Carolina, and only
10000 Of them are in private schools.
So we find that there are $40, ZOO white
children attending the public schools
or going nowhere. Who can say then
he is not a friend of the public schools !?
Think Of it: Only one in eighteen of
the white children Of the State now
being educated in the private schools !!
The hope Of the State rests in the sew
enteen and not in the one, and we can
not afford to let them grow up in igno-
rance. These seventeen boys and girls
are as richly endowed by nature, and
it is no fault Of theirs that they cannot
be sent to the private schools also. So
the State, true to herself and mindful
of her best interests, says these children
must be educated. If their parents can
afford to have them become ignorant
men and women, cannot. Or, if they
are not able to educate them, am and
must. My salvation depends on them,
and they will be here to bless or curse
me after their parents are dead and
forgotten. For "men may come and
men may go; but ! go on forever
This is the principle of public educa-
ton. 1t is not a charity. These children
will grow up in ignorance unless the
State educates them. The State says il
cannot afford that and is therefore
) obliged to levy tax for their educa ton
A man cannot argue that he has
: nothing to do with educating other peo-
ple's children-that he is not response.
BILE if they grow up in ignorance. But
he is. The future of the State depends
, upon these children-these II boys and
/ girls who are outside the private schools,
In them lie the talent and genius
J the inventive powers, the greatness and
, future welfare of the State.
Touching the public school in Hen.
derson and the want of interest mani
tested in it, Prof. McIver spoke il
terms of praise of the thrift and enter
prise of our people, and the growth an6
| prosperity of our town. He alluded
to it's railroads, electric lights, the pro
| posed water works and other enter
f prises. People can afford to be taxed
for such things as these, but when you
talk to them about taxation for thu
support of the public schools, they be
gin to kick and find fault.
| 1t is not right-it is robbery-they
, say. If it is robbery to tax one man te
E educate another mans children, it il
also robbery to tax him to work roads
for other men to ride over; to built
water works, railroads, establish cleo
trio lights, &c. But we get protection
, one man on his property, the othe
on his life.
Prof McIver spoke Of North Caro-
lina's great natural advantages of eli
mate, soil, minerals, woods, timbers
, water power, &C., of which we love t
boast, pronouncing it the grandes