The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-20

generations of illiteracy had long been
the general condition. The forgotten man
was content to be forgotten. lie became
not only dead weight, but definite OPP
ponent of social progress. lie falthIuly
heard the politicians on the stump praise
him for virtues that he did not always
have. The politician told him that ne
lived in the best State in the Union,
told him that the other politician nau
more hare-brained plans to lnciease
his taxes, told him as consolatioh ioi
his ignorance how many of ms kinsinen
had been killed in the war, told hlm 10
distrust anybody who wished TO cnanse
ANYTHING. What was good enough ior
his fathers was good enough for MIN, SO
that the forgotten man became dupe,
bacome thankful for being neglected. ana
Tho nreacher told him the ills and mlsfor-
+rnas of this life were blessings in dis
anise tbat God meant his poverty as
,no,ns of grace. and that if he accepted
the: right creed all would be well with
him.
These influences encouraged iner-
tia There could not have
been a better means to prevent social
growth.
I have thus spoken only of the forgot
fen man. / have done so to show the So
cial and educational structure in proper
perspective But what l have come to
speak about is the forgotten woman.
Both the aristocratic and ecclesiastical
system made provision for the women OF
special classes-the fortunately born and
the religious well-to-dO. But all the other
women were forgotten. Let any man
whose soul is not hardened by some worn
out theory of politics or of eccleslasuclsil
go to the country in almost any part q
the State away from the towns ana MAKE
a study of life there-especially the ne
of the women. He will see thln women
and wrinllled in youth from Ill prepared
food. clad without warmth or grace, Nv
ing in untidy houses, working from uas
light till bed time at the dull rouhu vi
weary duties the slaves OF men Oh equai
sloyenliness. the mothers OF Joyless chill
dren-al uneducated If not iliiterate.
Yet even their condition were endurapie
if there were any hope. but TINS type or
woman is encruSted III shell OF uuii
content with her lot; she knows no pet
ter and can never learn better-neVer
point her children to a higher FIFE Ii she
be intensely religious her religion is only
an additional misfortune. for it teaches
with her lot and all its burdens. for they
only prepare her for the life TO come
Some men who are born under these con-
.ditions escape from them; man ma! so
AWAY. go where life offers opportunities,
hut the women are forever helpless.
And this sight every one of you have
seen not in the countries whittier we send
missionaries. but in the borders of the
CSar m
grace. Nor is it an infreauent sight
There are thousands and thousands OF
such women in our population.
Now one of two things is true-either
these forgotten men and women are inca
pable of development. belong to lower
order Of intelligence than any other peo-
Die of the Anglo-Saxon stock; or our civil
Iization. so far as they are concerned,
has been lamentable failure. OF course
even those people are capable of develop
ment. capable of unlimited growth and ell
ovation But if they be capable OF devel-
Opment-then both the aristocratic and
ecclesiastical systems of society are to
blame.
Since both the politician and preacher
have failed to lift up this life after cen
fury of unobstructed opportunities. it is
time for wiser craftsmanship and a
more certain means of grace. And surely
of all people the preacher and politician
Ought. in common modesty, to be the last
to oppose a new system of education fol
the development of the .undeyel0ped
masses. But now the story arightens.
These old educational systems having
failed here, as they have failed in other
States, the public-spirited, far-sighted
and energetic young men, chief among
them being your own President and the
President of the University, who came
into activity ten years or more ago, be-
gan seriously to develop public school
system-6rst of course in the towns
They followed the work that had been
done by men like Major Finger. One
town followed another, levying local tax
to supplement the State tax. l doubt II
such an educational revival was ever
known in the any State-certainly moth
ing like it was ever known before in
North Carolia. doubt il you who have
lived here continuously for the last ten
years know how great the quickening OF
civilization has been. The level of life
has moved forward further in these ten
years than 1T moved in any preceding
twenty years. / never come here but /
The civilization that you have today is
more different than the civilization Of my
own boyhood, than that civilization was
different from the civilization of a fifty
years before.
In ploughing up the old fields of life,
you have, it is true, turned up much ma
laria. But-well. never mind.
In my judgment there has been no
other event in North Carolina since the
formation of the American Union, that
is comparable in Importance to this
progress. The movement now has such
momentum, that nothing can hinder the
complete development of the system till
every child is reached. When every in
habited township votes local tax to
supplement the State tax, the taxes you
now levy will seem small and will be in
creased. According to the last reports Of
the Commissioner Of Education, the total
uprNtsS IN In mn y