The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-28

absolute condition OF promotion, and III a
little while this was followed by an or
der1making all furlOughs and Especial
privileges dependent on the same condi-
tom, As. a consequence ia a few weeks
the entire army was turned into schooly
and i'm u year from the date of this con-
versation there werenexactly 40 men in
the whole Egyptian army who could not
read and write - Here was AM incentive.
Ii answered the purpose.
Can we find asimilar incentive to oure
lliteracy in North Carolina? think we
can. ] am prompted to suggestit by the
hope that by this means we may uplift
those who are at the lowest level among
our people ;tlat we may widen their pos
sbilities In life; multiply their chances
of prosperity and increase their happi
ness How many dark homes are there
in our dear old State that need the light
of education 10 enter and illuniine the
benighted minds and cheer the hopeless
hearts OF the entire family?
Suppose there should be adopted a con-
stituti0nal amendment that no person
coming of age after January /, 1901,
shall be allowed to vote unless he can
read and write, would not that supply
t
age after that date without knowing,
how to read and write? i think not.
There would be an end of illiteracy
among the new growth; for if the boys
wentto school the girls would too.
Such. provision would deprive no
man Of his right of suffrage; for the IL
lterates Of the present day would not be
affected by it, and the boys coming of
age hereafter would qualify themselves
I'M full time: and il by chance any boy
Lad not learnt while under age, with
this stimulus to stir him, he would learn.
before election time. 'tt3t .is
There is no partisanshipi in this sugges-
ton. 1t rises high above all partisan
considerations in its promise for good TO
the abject and unlettered portion of our
population, f4 )L' Hi ri'
And the present General Assembly
is the better constituted to- act on the
subject because no partyIhas a majority,
in either branch All parties should
unite in supporting such measure, the
purpose and effect being not TO Limit or
restrict suffrage, but to ennoble suffrage,
while arousing the illiterates among our
people to the necessity of having their
children to learn how to read and write,
thus equipDing them for higher walk in
life aae. n n5
AS we are going on, there will never be
any change in this matter Of illiterady.
We may spend millions of dollars annu-i
ally. We may pour out money lavishly.
We may extend the school term to four
months-exen to six months. We may
multiply our school houses and provide
better teaehersrbut there will still be
large per cent Of the children, both white
and c0lored, who win grow up in ignor-
ance. The stain ON our State will con-
tinqe The black blot will remain on the
Educational Atlas; and the desolate
homes Of these abject people will become
more desolate, and they will fall to a
still lower level in comparison with the
people of other States. A change is
needed. And now is the time to make it.
Let us turn over a new leaf in starting
a new century, and take this step forward
that will rebound so much to the credit
Of our State and promote so surely the
happiness and prosperity Of our people.
uE .lo S. "A. ASHB.