The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-16
ARE PARENTS
INDIFFERENT.
About the Education Of Their
Children a?
IF 50, WHY IS IT a?
is IT NOT BECAUSE THEY FEEL
THAT IT is OUT OF THEIR
GRASP?
NEW LIFE IN LOUlsBURG FEMALE COLLEGE
Louisburg Shows More Substantial Growth
than Any Town Of its Population
in the State. Conference
Adiourns.

Louisburg, n. c., July 15.-(Editorial
Correspondence,-'iM of our people
an my circuit are Indifferent to the edu-
cation of their children
These are substantially the Worus
nsea by preacher in reading ms re-
mort to the conference yesterday morn
ING. 1t made a deep impression ON me-
and | hoped that one OF the older preach-
ers would challenge the conclusion. bu.
after he had read that remarkable state
mant no sat down and it elected no COM
ment at that time. | began TO Ieaf
that it would pass without dlscussion
or explanation, for / felt certain that
the good man who made the report diu
NOT realize the extent of the grave IN
dictment he was making against ms
congregations. -
When people become indifferent to the
education of their children they have
reached q point where, in this hour OF
the worlds progress, they may be SAID
To be unnatural parents. Holding this
oninion, the statement of the preacher
arrested my attention. If they are
Indifferent. why are they Indifferent!
was the inquiry that l asked myself. anu
if it had been in, order | would have
suggested a general discussion OF the
proposition. l do not believe there IS a
parent in the State who is truly 'lndlf-
ferent'' about the education of his child,
even though he may be drunkard or
a bad man. fully agree with an opln-
ion recently expressed by Hon. Charles
b. Aycock. Writing of the impetus
the Constitutional Amendment Will pc
to the cause of education, Mr.. Aycock
used these words:
II have known few men. whether
they could read and write or not, who
were willing for their children 20
grow up in ignorance. have never
known one mother who did not earn
estly desire for her offspring some
thing better than she had.
The remark of the preacher did not
PASS llnnoticed, however. When MI.
Matthew s. Davis, president Of LOUIS
burg Female College, came to address
the conference he used the words many
Of our people on my circuit are ndiiier-
emit to the education of their children +
as a text for an admirable ADDRESS.
He did not combat the idea or deny what
the preacher said. He began by admit
ting that rs he had travelled through the
country he had found what seemed to De
a spirit of Indifference upon the part
If some parents about sending their
children to college, but that when ne
had nrobed deeper he found that it was
. feeling Of hopelessness rather than in
difference. Most Of the people thought to
no indifferent had found that after the
wears expenses were paid, they had very
Ia "a fl(
usnal expenses. and they felt that col
lnua education was so far beyond theil
ability that they were forced to abandon
the idea of sending their children. When
they were persuaded that this was SO
and saw no chance. they put college
education out of all their calculations fo'
their children. 1t was an indifference. u
Indifference at all, based on feeling 81
observation-disclosures. DIR. Davis then Went
on to say that the problem presented was
how to bring the college education II
the reach of these people, and encourage
them to make sacrifice to educate Their
children. He told how it had been thu
aim and ambition of Louisburg Female
College. in the sphere of its influence t
remove the seeming Indifference 10y max
ing the expenses so low that 1t would ~
brought within the reach of many par
ents whose hopelessness heretofore has
made them seem Indifferent. lie salo
that Mr.. Washington Duke, who owned
the college building. gave the rent fret
so as to enable the management to re
duce the expenses to the minimum. lit
stated that the entire expenses fol
board, tuition and everything for the en-
tire session of nine months at Louisbnf;
Female College, was only $122.25, a price
that yields only enough to pay the act
nal cost. 1t is not cheap" however i
any other sense. The faculty is com
posed of scholarly and capable ladies, tn
lady principal, Miss Mary NJ. Davis
having no superior in North Carolina
Mr.. Davis is himself graduate Of tn
University, a gentleman OF scholarship
and abundant common sense Thy the wa
the uncommonest thing in the world.
and under his care and direction thi
famous old college-the home of cultur
for more than an hundred years-ha
come again to be the fayorite seat o
learning for the young women III LII
fertile Tar River section Of Mort
Carolina.
For some years the college lost II
hold, it was burdened with debt, and tn
future seemed gloomy. The propert
was sold at auctions ana was purchase
for school purposes by Mr., Washlngto
Duke BY the terms Of the charter
is forever dedicated to education. NJ
Duke has generously placed the prope
ty in the hands Of Mr.. Davis and n
daughters without charge for rent, faxs
or insurance so that it may bring III
advantage of education in the reach {
many young women. BY way OF parel
thesis. let me say right here that 4
man in North Carolina rejoices mol
than do in Mr. Dukes princely liberia
ity to the cause of education. Denie
good advantages in his youth. he is d
termined to use his great wealth to gi'
better advantages to the youth OF Il
State Of both sexes. In this day when Il
average millionaire spends his money