The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-05-22
Alliance Department.
ALLIANCE NOTES, DISCUS
SlONS AND THE DOINGS
OF THE VARIOUS
LODGES.
The Farmers Alliance and Education,

Snpt. r. &. BranSOn, of the
Graded Schools of Atlanta, Ga,
in a letter i'm the Februal v
number OF the Georgia Teacher
Published in Atlanta made a
statement which was construed
by a correspondent of The
School Journal, of New York
tie leading educational paper
in the United States to mean
that "the county alliances in
North Carolina we've cal ling
upon one another to demand
the abolition of the public
schools of the State" aud the
School Journal, in a short edi-
turial mentioned the statement.
Feeling that the Farmers Alli-
ance Of North Carolina had
been badly misrepresented, Mr..
Edward E. Britton, the Princi-
pal Of the Mount Olive High
School, laid the matter before
Mr., J. B. Oliver, a prominent
member of the alliance in this
section. MIR. Oliver pronounced
the statement false and referred
Mr.. Britton to the President
and Secretary Of the State alli-
ance. These gentlemen we've
written to, and pending their
reply, Mr.. Britton wrote a letter
to the School Journal, which
that paper published IN an
abridged form as follows:
"Upon seeing your comment
on the letter of Mr.. E. G., Bran
son, in which it was stated that
"the county alliances of North
Carolina were calling upon one
another to demand the aboli.
tion of the public schools of the
State" | wrote Mr.. j. B. Oliver
a prominent "alliance man.
He declared that the "alliance
D,sta" were not opponents of the
public schools, and said 1t was
reported that a small sub-alli.
ance had passed a resolution
callin : attention to the short
public school term, and the
inefficiencY i'll the management
declaring that they wanted
better public schools o; none al
all. This is the action of q
small sub-alliance. The far
mers Of the 'fOld North State
must not be put On record as
opposed to public schools. They
are the staunchest supporters
Of them; in place of wantins
them abo]ishs ed, they are asking
only that they be improved"
In commenting on Mr.. Brit
toms letter the School Journa
says: "This is just the ground
Mr.. Branson takes. He quoted
TIE action Of the alliance t,
show the earnestness of tn,
feeling that the schools shouli
be improved. The short terms
the poor pay, will only invit
poor teachers; hence the poo
teaching shat is SO generall!
complained Of"
1t is a sign fi c a n
sign Of bet ter things
when able men. like Prof. Brit
ton at the head of the fin
private school at Mount Olive
take so deep an interest in tn
welfare of the struggling publ
schools of his State. The tim
is not far distant when thcs
schools will take a high rank
There seems to be littl
tendency to find fault will
Supt. Branson for speaking ou
No more earnest friend of tn
public schools of the Sout
exists; his earnest desire t
see them improved causes hir
to speak. and We commend hiI
for it. He is enc of the man
who feel deeply that the shol
terms and the poor pay onl
bring the public schools int
contempt. We have a larg
number of very earnest letter
all breathing devotion to til
cause of public schools, bu
saying also. "Behold our empt
purses, our threa dbare garment
and do something for u.s."
| Mr.. Elias Carr, the Presider
of the Farmers Alliance in
letter to Mr.. Britton says: ar
{ plying briefly to yours Of tt
18th inst, simply to deny tn
, that "the county alliances
North Carolina were calliI
; upon one another to demal
= the abolition of the publ
> schools" The education Of Il
! masses is one of the cardin
principles Of the order, s
constitution enclosed herewit
9 I do not know how such
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