The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-04
INCENTIVE
TO EDUCATION,
An Illustration Derived From
The Egyptian Army

| For many years the State of North
| Carolina has labored under the charge of
having a greater percentage Of illiterate
whites within her borders than any other
| State. This reproach has been fastened
on our people. and everyone should wish
| ii removed.
| Can something be done to rectify this
condition of affairs among us: 1t has
| long been a fayorite wish in North Caro-
! lima TO stamp ont illiteracy For that
| purpose. the old free schools were estab-
lished, which every white child might
| attend and gain the rudiments of an ed
| 1cation. And since the war. every Leg
islature has been moved by the purpose
| Of stamping ont illiteracy, to favor pub
| &c schools, and make constantly increaS-
| ing appropriations for them. Year after
| year the number of schools has been in
| creased and the school fund has been
| augmented by greater taxes. That the
| cause of education has been advanced
| admits Of no question: but still young
men and young women fail in many
! neighborhoods to attend the schools and
! remain III utter ignorance.
But now measure is proposed that if
carried out will put education in North
Carolina on different footing. First.
/ it will supply an incentive that will
| bring every white boy to- the schools
and stir them up TO he apt pupils. Some
| of them have not cared TO learn in the
| failure has been at home. The children
have been nntaught in part because of
! Il lack of sufficient incentive. But this
new measure this Constitutional Amend
ment will supply the NEGATIVE.
| Sometime ago we met with an incident
that illustrates this. The army of Egypt
was so ignorant that the officers had 70
| rely almost entirely on civilian clerks to
| do all their writing, and these clerks
| thus eXerted Il great influence on army
| matters. To remedy that the Khedive
| ordered that no officer should be pro-
NOTED unless lie could read and write
! and that no furlough should be given
| 10 any one who could not read and
write. Immediately the army became
camp of instruction. and in one year
there were only "A men in the whole
Egyptian army who could not read and
write
Such was the result of powerful sti-
mullS. The incentive provided by the
Constitutional Amendment will be equal
ly etfacious on the children. They will
all want to attend school and learn. The
parents Ut ltulie VIII Iol ne dDle 10 keep
them from school, even if they should be
so disposed.
And as the State will supply better
school facilities and make more liberal
appropria tons than ever. there will he
no lack Of opportunity. If then the Con
sttuuiona Amendment is adopted edu-
cation will he advanced by it moro than
could be by any other means. It will
IN 10 nf aIu t;o,
in North Carolina: and it will in time
remove from our State the stigma of
illiteracy that we all so greatly deplore |
past: but in the future they will all wish |
to emerge from the illiterate class. They |
Will have a stimulus never before felt: a
motive for attending the school. and Il !
stimulus to learn and make the most |
of their school facilities. For unless |
they can read and write boys becoming !
of age after December. 1908 will not be |
able to vote.
We speak Of the general scope Of the |
Constitutional Amendment. for il does
not 90 into operation in this respect for
some years yet. But the effects will be
at once felt upon its adoption. and the |
Importance of educating the children will !
be immediately brought home to parents
as never before
And so it is plain that the number of
pupils in the schools will begin at once
TO increase: and there will be more
schools and longer terms. The cause Of
education Will take on new interest
and it will develop rapidly. The State
having prescribed this educational quail
tication for the voters. will be more in
duty bound than ever to provide schools
and school teachers for the pupils. There
is no other public expenditure that
yields such a return to the State as the
school fund. 1t is expended at home.
1t is evenly scattered throughout the
State, and every neighborhoud has Its
share and has its benefits. 1t educateS
the young and lifts them up TO the level
OF highest citizenship. After the amend
ment passes all will agree that every
dollar possible shall be spent i'm proyid- /
ing education and in making the public
schools more beneficial to the children
The children-Heaven help them. They
shall have all that we can give them.
1t is greatly to be deplored that any
of them have grown up in Ignorance
School facilities have been furnished, not
such as will be offered hereafter; but
still measurably adequate The cause of
greater strengthening of the public credit.
D. 1t removes temptations from the lab
oring classes of the colored race. and
renders Industrious operations steady, re-
liable and serviceable, especially would
this be true of critical seasons in farming
operations.
TO- 1t brings peace to the people, espe-
cially where the exactions of petty negro]
officials have harassed and annoyed com
with White minorities; insures
for trade, decreases idleness,
intrigue, corruption and drunkenness.
and therefore dininishes crime and the
losses and evils it involves and so it adj
vances the public welfare in high de-
gree.
JOHN S. CUNNINGHAM.
Feb. 9th, 1900.