The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-08-26

III u hoOA AOoO04 HOs 4OOSs
WHO SHALL BE EDUCATED,
AND Howl
The public school question recently
agitated to some extent in North Caro-
lima, has caused good deal of thought
along educational lines. It has done
that much good, and we believe no
other; and we greatly fear that even
that good is not sufficient to meet the
enormous expense the election was to
the State. As to the Constitutional
four months school that has been so
much discussed, The COMMONWEALTH
believes that there is money enough
paid in taxes tor public schools in North
Carolina to have it now. The bother is,
the free school interest is greatly
abused and kicked around by incompe-
tents and those who care nothing for it
until the money is wasted, in large
measure, and the children get very lit
tie good from it.
We believe that the most careful and
intelligent men in every district ought
to be the school committeeman. re-
gardless of politics. This done and the
free school accounts properly kept and
the money judiciously and conscien-
tiously expended, and We believe we
could now have the four months
schools about which so much has been
said. We further believe that, with
the possible four months school for
which we are provided by our present
school system, and the opportunities
thus offered the children of the State
being utilized to the fullest extent, our
entire population might soon become
educated.
The truth is, many man who is
ready to cry out against the State be-
cause his children are not educated,
1ooa MT eo,,<3 4ho,,, half Tho +iv,oo n 4hn
free schools within mile of his door
steps. And, then another hindrance
to the better education OF the children
and youth of the land, Is hard-down
carelessness, and in many cases down
right laziness. There's many boy al
lowed to fish, hunt, scamper about,
hang around crossroads or street cor
ners listening to smutty jokes and iced
ing ON the scum of neighborhood scan
dial who ought to be at home studying
a book.
In many cases these shortcomings of
the children and youth lie at the door
of the parents. This indifference and
carelessness on their part as to where
the boy is or what he is doing, saying
or hearing, begets the same spirit of
Indifference in the boy and he drifts
on this tide until he soon gets SO far
down the stream that he cannot get
back-or at least does not care to come
back.
For years we.have preached the Cos
pei OF great possibilities for any boy or
girl in this country who really desires
to make the best OF life possible. Civ
en- strong right arm, common sense
and determined will, and any boy or
girl in North Carolina may become at
least intelligent, no matter what the in
vlronments are.
There may be some exceptions, but
only enough to prove the rule.
The truth about our educational
interests, as we'll as about many other
of our interests is, we need shaking up
to a sense of individual responsibility
and individual capacity. Laziness has
such hold upon some, extravaganza
and love of show on others, that the
real possibilities of life are shut out a
sickly feeling of dependence takes the
place which invincible determination
ought to occupy; and the whole land
goes moaning and groaning because
North Carolina is not teThe Happy
Valley"
We are not guessing at these things.
We speak what we know and what we
have seen. The lew examples we have
of careful parents and determined chill
dren are scattering, we know but there