The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-25

institutions, like the lightning, only
strike in spots. / believe if an active
campaign, such as we hope to conduct,
could be carried on all over the State,
II county boards of education, the bust
ness interests and the wealth and in
telllgence of the State were behind 1t,
we should have such an awakening
along educational lines in North Caro-
lima that decade from this date would
find our Commonwealth abreast of any
in the union in point of general learning.
1t the presidents and heads of
the higher institutions of learning
would spend their vacations in sucn
work l venture the prediction that every
worthy educational institution in our
State would in less than five years have
to double it's capacity to accommodate
those who would be knocking for adj
mittance at it's doors.
Cherish the public school system and
the higher institutions VIII bound for
ward. Neglect or combat the public
schools, the very spring from which
educational progress will in future de-
rive its supply and motive force, and
! the higher Institutions will anguish.
| Our Governor is doing a great work
along this line, and it is our purpose
to ask him to give us one date at least
| in Hyde county some time during the
| Fall. No matter what mistakes Gov
ernor Aycock may make politically, his
| interest in this cause will always make
| his name one to conjure with in North
Carolina. But this campaign is one III
which men of all degrees of intellect
and all shades of political opinion can
| meet and cooperate on a common
A1t
! tics, their religion or their economic
views aside from politics, could find it
common platform.
With our State Superintendent to di
rect the plan for general canvass of
this nature and with a scheme compre
hensive enough to carry the work into
every school district in the State the
| result would be beyond all possible present
con lecture.
/ North Carolina has men in great num-
bers eminently qualified to take up this
, work. 1t should not be left to the poll
| tican for the reason his motive would be
! impugned. 1t should not be left to the
| teachers or preachers alone, because
possible rivalry in the interest of the
different institutions might be engen-
dered, which might lead to a suspicion
| of interested motives. But politicians.
no matter what kind, preachers, teach
! ers and business men of every occupa-
ton, might and ought to be pressed int.
active service and the project worked
out with thoroughness that would
leave no point neglected.
| Two features of the new school law,
in a canvass of this kind, should have
| especial prominence
| First. The Rural Library idea incor-
| porated in the school law largely through
the efforts of Senator H. S. Ward.
! Second. Section Y of the present
school law providing for the formation
Eof special school tax districts. The first
OF these has had a measure of promin
ence through press notices, but it must
! be recalled that all the people do not
read the daily papers and quite num-
| Der of the country people do not know
OF this provision or knowing of it are
entirely at sea as to it's great POSSIBLE
ties for pleasure and profit to their
children, and / find numbers already re-
garding it with disfavor and suspicion
because, they say, it is taking ten dol
| lars from the district in which the Ii
| brary is established that could be more
proftably expended in extending the
school term.
| The second provision of the new law,
that holds possibilities for concentra-
ton and development of public schools
to degree which makes it the most
important feature of any school law for
years, is hardly known to exist.
Already in Hyde county measures are
under way to take advantage of this
| idea and If worked out as planned will
result in great good for the commune
ties adopting it.
trusting that these suggestions,
hastlly and crudely expressed, may help
to larger effort in this direction than
the merely local campaign we contem-
plate in Hyde county, and will answer
the inquiry as to the purpose and plan
of our work, I am,
Yours very truly,
S. S. MANN.
Swan Quarter N O.