The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-02-12
Jurisprudence.
QUE PUBLIC

Emclent Committeeman.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
80 much is being said and written
on the above subject that I fear
some radical laws relating thereto
will be enacted during the present
session of the General Assembly of
North Carolina.
The educational condition of her
citizens is bad, l know, but how to
better it is the problem to be solved.
L would hail with delight any effort
upon the part of the State that would
better this condition without seri-
OuSly burdening her people.
But would compulsory laws re-
move the evils or tend to better the
present condition of the children?
Certainly they would require more
money, which means higher taxes,
heavier burdens to the poor. l say
poor, because taxes are not burden
some to the rich, neither do they
have much concern about the com
mon schools of this country. Can
the people carry a heavier load than
they now have? Lots of them are
and have been selling the little hog
and hOminy hat their children
should have to eat to lift the burden
now imposed by the present rate of
taxation. Can people in this condi-
ton possibly more than half feed
and clothe their children as they
should be fed and clad?
Does not the Stinting and dwarfing
of the body proportionately dwarf
the mind? Then the heavier the
parents burdens the meaner neces-
surily Will be the child's support
and the weaker will be his mental
condition.
1t Is repulsive, it is inhuman, to
think of Il parent with natural atfec-
ton for his child, being forced to
and forcing his child out in the cold
bleak winter winds and SHOWS, fed
and clad as best many of them can
be. l would go to prison first.
Parent, how would you feel forcing,
as it were, your little slx-yeur Old
girl, it may be all alone, off two or
three miles to one of these common
schools?
Would not a change of the present
common school system avail more
than the whip? Raise the standard
of teachers. Qualify the commit
teemen or let the teachers he elected
by the patrons of the teachers. Re
Quire the schools to be taught with
out intermiSSiOn and at IL time IF the
year when the extreme poor can at
tend. Summer clothing is much
cheaper than winter clothing, and
shoes are not necessary, and then
the big and the little, the rich and
the poor, can all be kept comfortable
alike in the school room.
We need more efficient committees,
committees composed of men sen
STOLE enough to feel the importance
of the great responsibility resting
upon them men who have the best
interest of the whole community at
heart, their neigbOrs and their chill
dren, as we'll as their own and their
Children'S. We need men as such
whose aspirations are IA little higher
than to do the bidding of some cheap
county official or to get to board the
teacher.
We need teachers-men and wO-
men thoroughly prepared for the
great and responsible work not only
of c~uItivating the mind and morals
but polishing the manners, teachers
Of high characters, noble aspird-
ti0nS. and whose hearts are in the
work. Such can be had, but not at
"A price Of fifteen dollars, or ever
twenty dollars, and their board pei
month.
We need teachers whose aspira.
tiOns are much higher than Il second
grade, or even d first grade certifi,
cate. and to get to teach an old field
school, put in time, and draw the
children's money. We need teachers
older than sixteen years of age, OF
even t,venty-old enough to have
some proper conception of the pa
rental a T Of children. Think of 4
seventeen year old boy presumptuouS
enough to ask Il sensible committee
to give him the school of their dis
trict. the care and training of the