The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1891-10-10
WISE COUNSEL.

gOmery, the famous cOl0feu OrdtO
and writer:
In relation to education, which
forms the SECOND section of oul
subject, ! have already alluded tC
various improvements in our op,
pOrtunities for obtaining higher
educate ion. But that which sh0ult
encourage our ait,n ion most par
ticularly ut the present, and is OF
the most vital concern, is the adj
ministration Of our public schoo
system.
Your first care should be in the
selection of trustees. AT least one
OF them, and more if practicabl
should have fair educational quail
tications; hut i'll of them should lC
possessed OF vigOr and determina-
tion 10 make your school II sue ess
Gieu care should be exercised in
tile selection ofteachers. They must
have not only educational quaitica.
lions bur must be of blameless life,
capable of inStructiug our children
from the bnoks OF lear ming, aud by
force of example in luctIng them
into the pa Ii of virtuous manhood
and wcmaDhoo |. A good teacher
should also be disciple of temp
erance. | am not a prohihitonst,
but do fl mly believe IN teaching
the principles of temperance Aud
desire to see every school have
its temperance society, to hold
their meetings on Friday evenings
or Saturday mornings, nave appr0-
pirate temperance readings, b we
reci ationS and distribute temper.
nee lie ture. Parents | Il sire TO
imprJss these rom rks upon you
D, ctu.e | know Of tneir value by
ex ericnce. | can't remember ever
having been told hat | would not
be allowed to partdke Of strong
drink, to SIN Ike, to indulge in the
vices of z gimhling, but an early
age | was carefully ms 1uctcd tha
these things led to dishonor and
lie tru ton
While we are ttiuking Of in
temperance allow me 10 90 a little
furth r and implrt slight idea of
the magniiu e of this great evil.
During temperance debate which
occurred in the late Constitutional
Convention in this State, | h ard
it asserted, by Judge Chlisman, |
think, and it was not disputed,
"llat The drink bill of Washing
ton county absorbed the proceeds
Of 5000 bales Of corto +, worth at
that time fully $32O,0O0- bout IS
per capitalize population of tho
county heing 80, ,7O4 black, and A.
699 whit total 40,373. If our
county, with her 80, ,0OO peopl-,
spends for liquor in like ratio, we
destroy G.0DO bales ofcolton, worth
$240,OOO.
Tue drink bill of these two
counties a one exc els the annual
expenditures upon our levee sys-
TEN throughout the valley. It will
be well Tor us and well for the
community at large to ref ct over
how much of our poverty and DIS
tress is trac able to this destruc.
tive waste. Perhaps it may lie we'll
for me to add that the eonsequen-
iial ll~s in time ami energy swells
he total sum far beyond the ac-
tual tigules that have lad down.
We now come to the cO0sdera-
tiOn of m itters pertaining to our
mat, r al impiOvrment-;he getting
of homes, improving aud making
them attract W, tile acquisition OF
lands an personal properly, and
the launching forth Into susiness
enterprises 5 hat require character,
capit | aud skill. The princip |
elements th,t contribute to sue
cess in this important branch are
industry, thrift and energy. These
aIe 50 highly important that they
not only enter largely inio all OF
our talks here tonight, but for the
purpO. es of keeping up the interest
in them aud further disseminating
their Influence upon tue general
life of our people, we propose to
establish local organizations at all
points in the ID lta where meetings
ShoOld be held at least once a
month to hear visiting lecturers
nd nave talks from home talent
upoA subj cts that have BEEN se-
lected the month p eyious. 4,
TOO, that it will be instruc i've and
serve gooi purp ,se 10 have occa-
si0nal aIRs from some Of our whilu
iellow.citlzens. We hope to SCI
these informal organ zatio s 90
well perfO'me at az ea ly ia a.
to justify tue empl yms Of 5, G.
retaTy OF superintendent to receive
corr espondebc and ATTEND to the
proper distribution of such doc L
menis and printed matter as W,
may Ne able to obtain for ths pur
pose Of stimulating the interest II
this work.
cannot close these already tx
tended remarks without earnestly
calling your attention TO t'
prodigdlity of our people ia thl
disposition OF both their tim. an,
money.
You neel not exp ct any im
,rOvement in our condition unti