The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-11-29
PROF. POTEAT's LECTURE.
The School a. q Manufacfoyy
Of Power.

| College as most potent factor in the
education Of the young men in North
Carolina. He also paid Prof. Poteat a
high compliment, saying that be is
polished, cultured and scholarly gentle
man and has had much TO do in making
Wake Forest what it is
Those who know Prof Poteat we're
prepared for the beautiful and instruc-
tive lecture which followed He gave
as his subject. The School as a Manu-
factory of Power" Although Prof.
Poteat has been member of the Facul-
ty at Wake Forest for more than fifteen
years he looks before an audience not
more than thirty, but speaks with that
distinctness and precision that mark
man of forty. He spoke without man
uscript and in that free and easy man.
ner that showed perfect familiarity with
his subject.
CHILDREN's RIGHTS.
The first part of the lecture was de-
voted to the rights of children. Their
rights, he said, are threefold l. Right
to protection. 2. Right to leisure
3. Right to education The first of
these rights Is admitted by all. The
second ls not so readily admitted.
Many persons never can see why chill
dren need leisure. But they do need 1t
in order that they may grow and devel-
op This right of the child not always
being admitted, Is not always accorded
The third right, that of education, is
more generally admitted than accorded.
Many persons admit the right but plead
inability to grant the opportunity.
Illustrations, apt and forcible, we're
given to impress the truth that the
education of children is frequently
neglected for other things that do not
haye claims that equal those of the
child's development.
COMPREHENSIVE.
The education of children may be
considered as partnership in which
three are interested-the child, the
| teacher and the patron.
The teacher needs special qualifica-
tons, among the most important of
which, is to properly understand the
responsibility of his position.
Not teacher merely for dollars and
cents, but partly for the nobility of the
work.
The parent, or patron, is very I'M
portant member in the co-partnership.
It too often is true that the children
are hurried off to school to get them
out of the way ana all their training is
left to the teacher The patron, as
dutiful member of the co-partne-ship,
needs to keep q close watch over the
boys training He needs to see to it
that the teacher, in the first place, I'M
derstands his business, and then prop
| erly attends 10 it, This kind office on
the part of the patron IS not to be per-
formed in the spirit of querulousness.
but as faithful member of the co-part-
nership and in view of the importance
OF giving the mind of boy or girl
proper food.
Prof. Poteat told the boys that they
do not go to school to learn something
simply, but to grow. In their mental
development they do learn many good
and useful things, to be sure, but this
is only incidental. The prime object
in going to school is to develop.
The speaker closed with an eloquent
appeal to the young to occupy their
minds in proper study so that they may
be we'll developed and ready to rush
upon any difficulty that may oppose
them in their upward march to high
and noble lives.
The lecture was highly instructive
and was we'll received by the entire
audience, which listened attentively for
an hour and twenty minutes. At
times the speaker rose to heights of
real eloquence, and one of the listeners
remarked that his sentences were poetic.
At the close of the lecture, Mr..
Prince, one of the principals Of the
school, thanked the audience for their
attendance, and hearty thanks were ex-
pressed to the speaker In the beautiful
flowers which covered the desk, tender
ed by the Alomedan and Colomathean
literary societies and the female acad-
envy The large and handsome bouquet
from the female school was bound with
beautiful ribbon, bearing In golden
embroidery. From Vine Hill Female
Academy, Nov. %, 1894"
Mess. Prince and Wilson, principals
OF the school, have placed the commu-
nifty under obligation to them for in
augurating system Of free lectures.
They made happy selection in their
first speaker, whose lecture fully sus-
tanned his reputation as one Of the first
| thinkers in the State and lecturer of
graceful and easy delivery.
S. F. DUNN.