The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-10-29
ALADY WRITES FUsR
The Protests Against the Introduction
of Military Tactics Into the Public
Chool


Schools
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
W ENTWURTH N @
Truth is indeed stranger than fiction
In the full blaze of a nineteenth
century CIVILIZATION, with the lives ex
perience, precep5 and ex ample of
Christian heroes for eighteen hundred
years that FURNISHED pathway, that
kings-highway of hOllness5, DER which
no ravenous or unClean beast shall
pass; but up which the ransomed shall
come with songs and everlasting Joy,
sorrow and sighInk fleeing away-that
pathway marked QUO by the feet of
the meek and lOwly Jesus, the inCar
nate Son OF God; with the dazzling OK
ample OF that spoGless llfe-In script
ure, In sermon and in song, held up
before them Toe great word of so
called Christians, protesting TO hold
the Bible, the sacred word of the Most
High, a lamp to their feet, claiming
the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that
divine quite co all light and truth; yet
maintaining by precept and example,
by manner and by me ms, that an
cient, cruel, blood curdlIng, soul har
rowing custom of wholesale slaughter,
called war.
Sages, philanthopists, moralists. pro
Tossing Christians, ministers of the
gospel, those pastors of the flock asum
ing TO walk in the foot steps of the
Good Shepherd, Watchman on lions
Walls, countenancing, aiding, aoetEing
this ghosrly relict of barOarlsm; by
silent consent or by out spoken argu
ment.
Their voices, the special gift of Gods
divine favor, instead of being attuned
TO the harmony of a Heavenly Fathers
redeeming love for his erring children,
and with tones of love and pity win
ming them back again to the paths of
plasantness and peace, IT raised
high in enthusiastic applause of
patriotic deeds of chivalry; painting
in glowing colOrs, ho~ritying scenes of
carnage and death on the battle fed
Firing with unholv ire those passions
born of lust, and thus goAdiDg on their
weaker brethren to violence aud blood
Stewards, to their great Had, the
gentle, loving Savior, the Psince of
peace. with one hand waving the olive
branch over home, church, orphan
asylum or heroic field. with the other
pointing to the cleaning sword held
in the grasp of government; and in
or GRAFTON, talking of duty to
country, to fellowman, to creator
What a spectacle! Blind guides in
deed leaders of the blind.
Aud not satisfied with all this clash
arms, this marshalling OF manhood
and youth, many would go SO far as to
introduce military tactics into the
schools. teaching the boys
our little children of whom Christ
spake: Suffer them to come INTO me
for of such Is the Kingdom" yes, hav
ing even them to buckle on miniature
equipment, brandish miniature sword
and marching forth to military music
fight Missouri battles.
Thus implanting in their young
hearts the seeds of dissention, malice
envy ard strife, causing them to cher
ish wrong motives. ArousIng in their
tender natures the baser pas
sions and leading them on to crime
and bloodshed.
Is it not enough to license and pro-
tect, by law, the manufacture and sale
of liquid fire in the form of whiskey,
brandy ETC., to say nothing of wine
and the lighter drinks, and send it to
Africa, to the isles Of the @ and other
dark places of the earth. Thus drag
ing down the nations and sleeping
them in a degradation worse if possible
than they before have known9 Or
must we go further and make our
a reproach. A very shame to
savage people, by reducing cru
city to a science and teaching it to our
children9 Truly great and moment
Gus is the question we now hear fire.
quently asked. Whittier are we drift
lng9
Some will ask if we do not present a
military display in keeping with our
rank among the great nations of the
earth, how are we TO maintain that
position of rank we would ask9 Are
we indeed blind, or do we read our