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

such lasting results as to build school
houses. as they are already beginning to
do. The history of philanthropy shows
that no public benefaction brings the
same sure and permanent results as pro-
vision for the free education Of the
masses.
The battle is practically won when the
whole State stands secure on this plat
form: That public school system gen.
erously supported by public sentiment
and generously maintained by both State
and local taxation is the only effective
means to develop the forgotten man. ana
even more surely the only means to devel-
op the forgotten woman. Even ten years
ago. many men in North Carolina did not
stand on this platform. Now l hear few
oppose such a programme, and those rev
YOU will soon educate, for sheer pity.
Standing in this institution today. 1t
seems incredible that | myself can recall
the opposition both OF political Leaders
and the church papers to free puonc
schools. Nothing else ever made me so
nearly hopeless. Thank heaven, that OPP
position is passed. Or if it be not wholly
passed and if any dupe Of an old polltl-
cal fallacy say that we are too poor to IN
crease our taxes for education, remember
that the average amount paid now by ev-
cry taxpayer is only 1913. the average
amount paid by each taxpayer in the poor
State of Maine is 1923, in Virginia SAT-.
in Florida 1898: in Iowa it IS $40, and
in Massachusetts $14.5O.
Too moor to maintain schools? The man
who SAYS it is the perpetuator Of poverty.
1t is the doctrine that has kept us poor.
1t smells Of the alms-house and the no.
vel. 1t has driven more men and more
wealth from the State and kept more
away than any other political doctrine
eyer cost us-more even than the doctrine
of secession Such a man is the victim OF
an ancient and harmful falsehood.
If any beggar for church school op-
nose n local tax for schools or higher
school tax. take him to the huts of the
forgotten women and children, and III
their hopeless presence remind him that
the church system of education has not
touched ters of thousands OF lives.
and ask him there whether he
thinks it wrong that the common
wealth should educate them. Ii he
think it wrong ask him and ask the peo-
ple plainly whether he be worthy
prea cher of the gospel that declares one
man equal to another in the sight OF
God? Is not one man equal to another
also in the sight of the commonwealth
In all reasonableness. it is impossible to
understand how any man can regard 1t as
a Christian act to stand in the way OF
| the States elevating the neglected mass
es. Can any church afford to put itself
| in such position? or if it do, has it
any right to complain if good men declare
| it an unchristian attitude.
Then if you could respect the religion
| Of the man who objects to its elevation.
| it is hard to respect his common sense;
| for does his church not profit by the
| greater enlightenment and prosperity
| that every educated community enjoys.
| The truth is he does not see a condition,
| but he is a victim of a theory-a theory
as inhuman as the theory that maintain
| ed the inquisition His doctrine too smells
| Of poverty-poverty in living, poverty in
| thinking, poverty in spiritual life.
| The most sacred thing in the common
| wealth and TO the commonwealth is
| child, whether it !be your child or my
| child or the child of the dull-faced mother
| Of the howell. The child of the dull7faced
| mother may, for all you know. be the
| most capable child in the State, at its
| worst. i; is capable Of good citizenship
and useful life, if its intelligence be
| quickened and trained Several OF the
| strongest personalities that were ever
born in North Carolina are men whose
/ very fathers were unknown. We have
i all known two such, who held high places
| in church and state. / heard President
| Eliot say a little while ago that the ablest
man that he ever had known in his forty
| years connection with the Harvard Uni
versity was the son of a brick mason. The
/ child, whether it have poor parents OF
| rich parents, is the most valuable unde-
veloped resource of the State.
But the day is past when WORKOUT the.
| cries hold us in captivity, and we owe
its passing chiefly to the idea that this
institution stands for. The State will
be delivered from the bondage Of igno.
rance by forgotten women. The deliv-
erance reminds me of the story told in
one OF Montaigne's ESSAYS Of the saving
Of captured city:
The Emperor, Conradus, third Of that
name, having besieged Guelphe, Duke of
Bavaria, what vile or base satisfaction
soeyer was offered him, would yield
| to no other milder conditions, but only
| to suffer such gentle women as were with
| the Duke in the city their honours safe)
to issue out the town afoote, with such
things as they could carry about them.
| They with unrelenting courage advised
and resolved themselves (neglecting all
their riches or jewels) to carry their hus-
| bands, their children and the Duke him
selfe, on their backs: The Emperor per-
| ceiving the quaintnesse Of their device,
tooke so great pleasure in it, that he wept
for joy, and forthwith converted that the
| former memorable rage, and MORTAL ha-
| tired he bare the Duke, in so milde a
| relenting and gentle kindnesse, that
| thence he entreated both him and his,
| with all favor and courtesy"
| May / go forward a step further in
| the development of public education that
must in due time follow this delivery
from the bondage Of the old systems
| The extension of free preparatory schools
in every part of the State is leading to
| the establishment Of free high schools,
such as already exist in nearly all Of the
larger towns Of the State. These will
1t Ill =