Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-06-22

public men and public life. l do not
mean the mere politician. Public
safety ':)es not demand that every
| college graduate shall strike trail
for the marble hall of Washington.
Nor do | mean by public life that
the graduates should take up one of
tho sccalled professions law, medi-
cine, teaching, preaching.
Many Of our comoon schools
would be better off if the tender grad
autcs, w;ao aie teaching as stepping
stone to something higher or who
arc teaching to bridge the chasm be-
tween commencement day and mat
rimony, were chloroformcd off to n
better world.
BY public men I mean men who
take a lively and intelligent interest
in matters that concern the public
good. Happy is that community
that has one wide-awake, energetic
man who is willing to take the initia-
tive in every enterprise that tends to
elevate the people and improve tho
Commonwealth.
Learning is an arsenal stocked
with dangerous weapons. The stu
dent storms that arsenal to secure a
sword of offence and an armor of
defence. If the assault is successful
What use will the student make of
the weapons?
That depends upon the spirit ami
mating his efforts. He may use that
sword to wound and externinate
error, or he may use it to stab his
own guardian angel. Educated
character, therefore, is the ultimate
object of education. The systematic
cal man carries dictionary under
one arm and Bible under the other.
He unites in himself the body of
Sampson, the brains of Socrates and
the heart of the Saviour.
Education is at fault when it edu-
Gates man beyond having a sympa-
thctic interest in the common cxpe-
rienccs of daily life.
One question of primary import
ance that will confront ua for many
years to come is the necessity for
pure food Legislation. Man is the
only animal that poisons his own
food and drink. OF the 1856 articles
of diet in daily use 255 arc adulter-
ated. The frying pan claims more
victims every year than were killed
in the battle of Gettysburg. Adult
teration, misbranding, substitution
and imitation exist to an alarming
extent to the detriment of health,
business and morals.
Suppose that the housewife could
demonstrate the falschood and deceit
represented in her pantry. She would
find wheat flour containing peas,
ground rice and soapstone. Macca-
roni is pure flour whitened with pipe
clay. Powdered sugar is glucose,
flour, clay and sand. Black pepper
may We mustard husks, sand, bran
and rcd clay. Cream of tartar is
strongly tinctured with phosphoric
acid. Maple sprup is made of brown
sugar and maple bark.
Now a man has legal right to cat
dirt and all sorts Of old trash if he
wants to, but he has an equal right
to know WHIT he is eating, and pay
for what he gets.
This wrong falls heavily upon our
poor people whose necessities compel
them to buy cheap food and who
haven't the knowledge to protect
themselves. Our export trade is
suffering FROM discredit thrown upon
American products.
w '''o p"ollS uutSIloIl SurpaSSCS
this in importance2 Why teach
chemistry in colleges if student in
practical life does not make use of
the knowledge for the benefit of his
fellow wcountryman
Education should make a man
humane, gentle. What is the mean
.ng of the term "gentleman ?" If it
means, as some have said, one who
docs not work, the difference between
Il gentleman and loafcr is so ex-
quisitely graduated that you can
scarcely tell where the ono begins
and the other ends. A gentleman in
it's dcrivative sense is ono who is
gentle. A gentleman scholar in
practical life viii exert every effort
and bend every nerve toward build
ing up sentiment that will make
the world treat animals gently.
We cannot disregard the question
of improving our roads and highways.
fo" years public attention has been
focused upon the building of rail
l L. 4