The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-07-11
THE EDs CATION Al OF ELOOk

Education in the south is advancing.
North Carolina is at the foot of the
class, but it will soon begin to pull up
we hope. Before five years pass We
must believe that it will' have got
away from z in the alphabet, and will
be w or Y at least. Judge Clark in his
address at Greensboro quotes from Pro-
,fessor Raper as saying, THAT there are
more illiterate whites in North Caro-
lima than in the rest of the original
thirteen states combined" 1t is proba-
bly, a true bill and a serious reflection
upon this state. Our people have been
penny wise and found foolish in the
matter of education, and there are men
in North Carolina now who are busy
With tongue and pen in trying to de-
stroy much of the best of the education
the state now has, and if successful,
1900, 900 people would have but a few
schools-a dozen or twenty it MAJ be
in all North Carolina for the education
of the 400, 900 children and youth of
school age.
But there is progress in the south
we rejoice to know, if lit is small in
North Carolina, as is the contention.
We are hopeful of better conditions in
our state, and within the next two
years. The best educators and the
wiseSt laymen in the state must take
a deeper interest in education for n
youth Of both sexes in North Carolina.
lne dppIOpIHdLlOu ny CA6 last leg Sld-
ture of $100, 900 for school purposes
above the tax levied for education if
judiciously, properly expended, must do
much good. The Messenger is opposed
to all general and particular waste of
the peoples money and of all unneces-
sary burdens. It stands, however, as
the advocate of liberal appropriations
for school purposes. Two years 6 it
insisted tina 81, 200, 900 should be expend-
ed annually on the public schools. Vir-
ginia opportunities more than 81, 500, 600.
North Carolina has as great popula-
tion probably as Virginia has now.
Rev. DR.. j. l.. NJ. Curry, an ex-
ceptionally able a and at the head
of the Peabody Fund.-" used so for
tunately in the south, recently deliver
ed an address at Capon Springs, Va.
We have not the address at hand, but
take some figures from DR.. Curry we
find in The Atlanta Constitution. He
set forth the fact that the present con-
dition of educational affairs dates back
to the end of the civil war. In 1860, the
northern states had a population OF
10, 600, 900, with 205 colleges and univer-
stiles, 1,401 professors and 29,044 stud
entS. In the same year the southern
states had a population of 5000 600, 262
colleges and universities, LASS profess
sors and 27,O55 Students. ME- northern
states were spending pearly Sl.5l4.6SS
for their universities and colleges, and
$463, 749 for their academies, While the
southern states were spending yearly
81, 662,4 19 for heir colleges and unlver-
sites and 81, 1926, 127 for their academies.
This showing, as the correspondent Of
The Boston Transcript declares, is ire
mendously in favor Of the southern
states.
But the conditions now r greatly
changed, reversed. The south Lays, and
the masses are not yet alive to the
I great Importance of mental training, OF
educating the youth to fit them for use
fulness and distinction in after life.
The Constitution says pertinently:
"A change is necessary, but that
change will eve be made until the
public mind becomes SO far illuminat-
! ed as to perceive that a good educa-
ton is the result of a free expenditure
of money. When that time comes the
! will not begrudge a largely
increased school But when will
that time come? Perhaps it will come
) when the people feel themselves better
able to contribute to the adequate ed
! ucation of their children. 1t seems that
! the war brought with it a certain numb
ness of mind with respect to the i'm
p~ortance OF education. If so. let Us hope
that time win cure the Naraaysts."