The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-01
1HEcAMPAIaN OF EDUCATION

The CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION. 81
The North Carolina Teachers AS
sembly, at its recent session at More
head city, formed strong and inf u-
entail committee to organize and pro-
mote the campaign of education this
year. Hon. C. H. Mebane, State ,Su-
psrintendent of Public instruction,
was made chairman of the committee.
This means that some genuine Stir
ring up" is going to be dune all down
the line. Mr.. Mebane i. bending every
energy toward awakening a practical
and vivid interest in educ ,,ional mat
tiers and it may as we'll be ur d erstuJu,
once for all, that ne prop - to fpdi
and will find pIans and MEASURES by
whichthe sentiment Of the people of
this State on this question can be
known. He is quiet and apparently
unObtrusive in this work, but is ear n
est and determined and never, ceases
thinking of it. g, -.. ,,... ..-,,.Il &
OF course it Is pretty we'll unde
stood that the Campaign Of eduda-
ton" in this State is based upon the
law enacted by the last General. As
sembly, proposing to give from the
| general State fund as much money Ito
any township as that township will
raise for education by means Of special
tax. This practically means that any
township, by waking up and taking
advantage Of the law, can, extend its
school term from five to eight weeks
longer than the term has usually been
and since an extension Of the school
term has long been talked of and al
most demanded, it does seem this
few, if any, townships would decli ne
the opportunity offered. .',. ~
.. .r ..' .a,t+ - *,i.- /, iln. =.
An election on the question must be
held in every township. On this point
the law is mandatory. It may be, that
in some localities there will be grea,
Indifference, and it may be that a right
vote will be cast in some quarters
but the election will be in progress
and every voter in North Carolins
will have an opportunity to vote or
the most important and vital Stats
question that has been advanced in q
generation. -. .I.l -5is.s 4
r~.t. - +H* ..Ie .- -..t
We do not write on this question
with as much enthusiasm and hope q!
we would like to feel. We, know tina
some men-some good men--in vari
GUS parts of the State are not in sym
psthy with the purposes Of the town
ship feature of taxation. We sincere
ly hope they are not numerous, but +
is certain that representative mel
here and there are, up to this time, i,
opposition to the proposed plan TO
extending the public school term. w
do not question their motives now
but we will take the liberty of sayini
that it,seems incredible that any maj
who desires to see the State pull from
the slough Ofignorance and illiterac,
in which it has been for SO man,
: years, and which it is now in, cal
: stand up in opposition to the onl,
2 practicable plan that has ever beel
? suggested or. offered for remedyin,
! these conditions. Our inevitable con
9 clusion is that these men have no
taken pains to look into the matte
: thoroughly, ...i.a..... -.r.9..t'.,i
: .,.i ,sIl 40 49, = luva.s -tfy ,.,..,
We de7 not mean to intimate tina
e these men are not as capable Of >sS
t ing an Intelligent opinion <sS\S
and l., therefore mean no .ectio
ION them by respectfully u s
8 costing, % that before vi they ~ d
9 low themselves to come to . fin.
e and, irrevocable opinion on the qqei
-ftion before them, they go int CORE,
81 pondence with either 'ths Supeiir
8 tepdent Of Public Instruction, Of Wit
:, somsimenber Of the committee form
d 'ulauedsi by the Teachers ,Assembl.
rtl THe members Of That committte' art
,aI[sGr 4, Mebane, Chairman; J., q, Xfkir
son, Secretary; t.. La H0bbs. II, i
4 Smith, Josephus 4Daniels, n A! Alder
: man, q. E. Taylor, w. H. Ragsdal'
l Hugh Morson, Chas. D. McIver, j.
g Scarborough, j. W. Bailey, r. L. Flow
Iera Alexander Graham T., ID AOwal