The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-23

| must glow and burn over the whole
State. We need the sweep of a million
and half aroused to action. In bu
eight wanton years, the North Carolina
boy who then becomes Of age and who
cannot read and write, be he white OF
| be he black, becomes a laggard an6
drops out of the race of life. He may
no longer be a free man, nor the con.
sort of kings. The jewel in a ten time;
barred up chest may be, is broken anG
gone. That invisible something-that
mighty force-whch aforetime has
made his father and his fathers father
stand square and 1at-footed and look
into the future with fearless heart
which protected him from the insolence
of the undeserving rich may be taken
from him. He may be a Cleopatra
without her beauty, Sampson without
his locks, Jubiter without his power
TO thunder! Shall it be? Shall it be?
Any man who sees and appreciates
these dangers and who opens not his
, mouth to avert them is no man. 1t is
none too soon to sound the alarm
Create this spirit, arouse the people as
they We're aroused in 1898 and again in
1900, and they will in their social meet
, ings, at their churches, in their homes
and in their conventions see to it that
the next Legislature passes an act in
, harmony with the organic law, yet
which will provide four months school
term for the public schools of the State.
BARKSDALE VS.. THE COMMITS
MISSIONERS NOT THE LAW.
In the light of our Constitutional
Amendment Barksdale against the
Commissioners of Sampson county is
not the law, and if not the law it must
be overturned and wiped from the
books. 1t was gravely doubted when
announced; it had the sanction of a di-
vided court, and its fallacy was fully
pointed out by Merrmon, to whom
from 1872 to the time of his death we
all looked for guidance and looked not
in vain.
The act CT 1885 was thus declared not
to be in harmony with the Constitution
was passed by Legislature of which
was a component part, and while youth
and ineXperience would then have ex-
cused me from such pride of opinion,
it way not be invidious to say that,
measured by the highest ideals, that
Legislature has not been excelled by
any Such an act now passed. separate
and apart from any general school law
for the special purpose of preparing the
youth of the State for the duties of cit
izenship, and permitting them to con-
tinue to exercise the elective franchise,
would meet all the requirements of the
Constitution. 1t would be for special
purpose and with the special approval
OF the Legislature. 1t is conceded that
under certain conditions, to-wit: "Sus-
tanning the honor and credit of the
State, providing for the exigences of
government, and advancing the best in
terest of the people, the Legislature
may exceed the constitutional limita-
ton OF taxation What more can adj
vance of such interest and sustain such
honor than to fit the youth of our land
for the duties, after the sine quanon of
good citizenship, indeed, for citizenship
at all. Who can doubt that if those
good and great Judges, Smith and Ashe.
in the fight of our Constitutional
Amendment had again to construe the
Act of 1885, they would stand with their
more constructive Brother, A. s. Merri-
mon?
School men and school teachers and
philosophers generally are a helpless
kind Of folk. Sire" general under
Napoleon, is reported to have asked of
that great captain, Sire what DISPOSE
tion must be made of the wise men in
the approaching battle Let the asses
and the Swans be corralled in the CEN
tre,' was the laconic reply. Frederick
the Great said that if he wished to pun
ish province he would allow the phi
losophers to govern it; and Mr.. Presi-
dent Roosevelt, in his American
ideals" which l commend to the con-
sideration of sane and hearty men
everywhere, has been even more severe
upon the doctrinaire than even Napol-
cen or Frederick.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEED A STEADY
FIGHTER.
The public schools of North Carolina
stand much in need of a steady COM
non sense fighter, man with no axe to
grind, and no purpose to serve but to
arouse the people. To stir them and
move them and show them that the
public schools are not getting what they
ought to nave, and are not what they
were in 1860 when North Carolina had
four months of public schools and the
best school system in the southern
States, and to get upon the housetop
and proclaim that the liberties of the
illiterate white children after 1908 may
be in danger unless more schools are
built, more teachers engaged, and a
longer school term provided. Who will
be the man? If the State will WELD b,,t
three" we may have a new Thermopa-
loe. This matter rests with the courts
OF final resort. There is fearful wis
dom in the declaration of an English
lawyer that he could drive a coach and
SIX through any act of Parliament. Have
the public schools of North Carolina
peen always fortunate in the coach
fan? One campaign for popular edu-