Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-03-15
INCENTIVE TO EDUCATION.
An Example Taken From The Army
of Egypt

OF Egypt.
For many years the State OF North
Carolina has labored under the charge
cf having a greater percentage of illi,-
crate whites within her borders thaa
any either State. This rep-oach has
besn fastened on our people. and every
one oi1 wish it removed,
c1 4n1r .he done to reetlfy
n "a: = = : ! : !; sg,'s s
established. which every white child
might attend and gain tae rudiments
cf an education. And since the war
every legislature has been moved by
the purpose of stamping ont illitera-
cy, TO favor public schools and make
constantly lncrea:.ng appropriations
tor t1em. Year after year he number
Of schools have been increased and the
scaool fund has been augmented ~
greater taxes. That the cause OF cdu-
cation has advanced admits OF ro u'les-
ton; but still younG men ald Young
Women fail in many nc.@lb0riIsod1 10
attend the schools and remaia in ustcr
ignorance.
BU- new measure is proposed hat
if carried out VIII put education in
North Carolina on a different footing
FIRST, it will supply al incentive that
will bring every white boy 10 Ihc
schools and stir them up u be AIT pu-
pills. Some Of them have no. cared 10
learn II the past: Eu, IN tle future
they VIII all wish to- emerge from the
ill.terate class. They viii have a sim
illus never before felt; motive for at
tending the school. and a stimulus 10
learn and make the most OF their
school facilities For unless they can
read and write boys becoming of ase
after December. ICES, VIII not b. able
to vote
We speak Of the general scope OF tuc
constitutional amendment for il does
not go into operation in this respect
for some years yec. But the effects
will be at once felt upon its adoption,
and the importance Of educating the
children viii be immediateiy brnlg;lt
home to parents as never before
And SO it is plain that the number
Of pupils in the schools Will begin at
more schools and longer terms. The
cause Of education will take on new
interest and it will develop rapidly
The State having prescribed this edn-
catic:1al qualification for the voters
viii be more in duty bound tlan ever
to provide schools and school teachers
for the pupils. There is no other pub
lie expenditure that yields such re-
It is expended at home It IS evenly
scattered throughout the state. and
every neighbOrh0Od has is share ana
has its benefits. 1t educatcs the Young
and lifts them up to the level OF non
st citizenship After the amendment
passes all viii agree that every dollar
possible shall be spent III providing ed
ucati0l and in making the public
schools more beneficial to the children.
The Children-IIeaNen help them :
They shall have ali that We can give
them
1t is greatly - be depIored ma; any
Of them have grown lp in Ignorance
Sckcol facilities have ben furni le-s
Eot such a. will be offered hereaftor. /.
but still measur ably adequate Tie
cause OF failure has been at home. Tie
children have been unt4u9ht n par,
because Of lack 0f sufficient incen-
tive But this new measure. this con
,c!tutional amendment will supply
lie incentive.
Sometime ago We me with an irci-
dent that illustrates this. Tae army
Of Egypt was SO ignorant that the of-
ficers had - rely almost entirely on
civilian clerks II 90 ali their writing
and these clerks thus eyerted a great
influence on army m2tters. TO remedy
that the knedive ordered that no Of
ficer should he promoted unless ne
could read and write: and tina, no fur
Tough should be issued TO any one wic
could not read and write InT i.ara-
ly the army became camp 81 .1stTuc-
ton. anti in one year there Were un,t
forty-five men in the whole i.gt 9..a.
army who could not read ard wri
Such was the result Of powerful
stimulus The incentive provided Is
,he constitutional amendment will be
equally etiicaCious on the children
They will want to attend schoG anC
learn. The parents "a home vi no
be able to keep tlem at home '"on
school even if they should be 50 "
posed.
And as the State will supply bette
school facilitits and make more liberia
appropriations tsian ever. there VIII d
no lack of opportunity II then the con
stitutional amecdme-t Is adopted Cd
ucation will be advanced by il mor'
than could Be dcue b. any other mean
Il will mean much 10 The c2Isa O eau
cation in No4ih CarCl5na: and i wil
, in t;roa remove from Cur STATE the 3 ] z