The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-01-18
OUR FULL DUTY.
ARE WE DOING 1T AS WE
SHOULD?
AS to Education in North Caro-
lina---Lack Of Efficiency and
Thoroughness Of the Public
School System.


goodly heritage-this "strip of land
between two States," as our brethren
of other parts of the Union, who
would make merry at our expense, have
been pleased to term the " Tar Heel's'
native heath. But what wealth of
resources has this strip of land'
developed, what beauty in its valleys
and plains, what majesty in the sweeps
of its rivers, what grandeur sits
enthroned on its mountains and ever
lasting hills!
Nor have there been wanting men
worthy of the land of their fathers
From its council chambers of its college
halls 1t has sent forth, to guide the
emigrant's muscle and Drawn, and
direct the pioneers axe the scholar
and the statesman, who have moulded
the fair commonwealths of the Missouri
valley and the Pacific slope, and have
impressed their genius upon the
civilization of the West But not
alone has the good old State its legis-
lators and factors Of progress for the
"piping times of peace" but its
heroes for the dark days of war and
in 1861 it sent across its borders its
valor and its chivalry to the rescue of
its imperilled sisters-the flower of its
youth and manhood for the beleaguered
forts of South Carolina and Vlrginia's
invaded soil. Thick and fast as the
panoplied warriors from the dragons
teeth of old sprang up these defenders
of freedom, until North Carolina had,
marching under the starry cross of the
Confederacy, more soldiers for the
field than she had voters for the ballot
box.
And, inscribing to-day the first fair
page of the Democrat for the year
1894, shall we not behold this /" Rip
Van Winkle," awakened, standing
poised in lusty vigor on the threshold
of bright future-not as one rising
heavily from a long and dreamless
stupor, with slow moving limbs, the
tear of weakness in the eye, the rime
of age on beard and brow, but as
young god, wooed into refreshing
slumber, blest with happy visions,
starting up with the light of Heaven
in his eye and on his upturned front
eager for the great arena before
him2
At the opening Of the new year it is
meet that we take counsel together,
and ask ourselves if we are broadening
the shoulders of our youth for the
mantles of their fathers, if we are
training their minds for the great
achievements of an historic past, if we
are strengthening their arms for the
work which is to be left for their
performance. OF the white children
of proper age in our State, there is
only about I6 per cent. enrolled in
the schools. This means that only
about one out Of fifteen children-boys
and girls-throughout North Carolina
is receiving the benefit OF even a
common school education; it means
that more than ,nine-tenths of the
poor youth of this powerful common
wealth are now growing up in idleness
) and ignorance, almost neglected and
apparently uncared for, and are
fastening to that period when they
y are to grapple with the trials of lite,
all unprepared for the stern duty.
t But we are confronted with a more
!; serious evil than the paucity OF
/ attendance in the public schools, in
e the lack of efficiency and thorough
t ness of the public school system. The
f session of the common school does
not average, throughout the State,
four months in the whole year. North
Carolina may be poor, but she need
: not be nlggardly, and the provision
4 for the education of the male and
female youth whose poverty compels
them to look solely to their native
State as their alma mater is wofully
y inadequate.
This is very serious matter, and it
becomes our people to give it the
grave consideration which it demands.
Thousands of young men all over the
Southern country are out of employ
ment, and can find nothing to do
, with every desire to be Independent,
and self-supporting. This is measur-
ably due to the stringency of the times
but it is largely due to the educational
system in which they have been
6 reared. They have not the wares
' which the world wants with youthful
energies and active brains, they have
not been trained to utilize their grea,
natural gifts.