The progressive farmer., 1902-06-24
Cor. Of The Progressive Farmer.


Cor. Of The Progressive Farmer.
As the Teachers Assembly is in ses-
sion as this is written, it seems from
reports appearing IN Raleigh and
Charlotte dailies, that something is
being done for education.
/ have been IN this State for some
thing over twenty years, and see much
in present outlook to cause all friends
of public schools. to thank God and
take courage. DR.. Winston in his ad-
dress on twenty-five Years of Educa-
tional Progress" said much that was
timely and inspiring. We all remem-
ber when State Superintendent de-
voted his hour to talking "tariff," "
%sound-money," or "tree silver" and
would have been considered a first
rate crank had he urged the impera-
tive needs of universal education. Sc
cretly, the heads of higher institutions
looked with contempt on the strug-
Cling, cringing, poorly-paid, and, gen
orally incompetent free school peda-
gogue. As DR.. Winston says, the main
qualification to hold down a job in the
rural schools, was to be incompetent
to live at anything else. Five years
ago any man In this region who taught
school and claimed that teacher had
any rights that a partisan politician,
q sectarian preacher, or a local editor
was bound to respect, was regarded as
a pestilent fellow and mover of sedi-
tion.
I happen to be informed along this
line, and remember a man who tried
it. / further remember that he found
Jordan hard road to travel, and that
he still bears, In his weather-beaten
4eountenance, the scars of conflict. But
he tells me that when he hears the
raIlying call of Aycoek-ringing like
the war cry of JehoVah's cohorts go
ing to battle against the forces of
Apolyon in the great Armageddon-
he feels that the fields are whitening
to the harvest. When he hears the
preacher enunciating an appeal for
popular education along with good
tidings of great JOY, he feels that one
who goeth abroad, weeping, bearing
precious seed, shall return with JOY
bearing his sheaves with him
He remembers thas five years ago,
n minister at PoIkville proclaimed
with a flourish of trumpets that.
These free schools were a nuisance,
and taught by people Of no character.
What we need is Christian schools
64ethodist) with eonsecrated (Heth-
Odist) men and women In charge"
Your correspondents In a Methodist,
but not quite so narrow. The teachers
ct Cleveland County, white and col
cred, number about from one hundred
and twenty-five to one hundred and
fifty. Of these al least ninety per
cent are members of the Methodist
and Baptist churches. If they are un-
worthy, the fault lies with their pas
tors and the County superintendent.
he is church member and active in
church and Sunday-sshool work.
But many guns have been Silenced,
and now the politicians who let DR..
u. A. Alderman, Prof. @. II. Mebane,
DR.. j. W. Bailey, and others, fight the
battle, while they winked and smirked
n derision, have now captured the
band-wagon, and swear they have been
there all the time
Governor Aycoek. Prof. J. Y. Joy
Rer, are loyal and, perhaps, a corpo-
raPs guard of Others may be exempt,
but at present their names are not on
ny old list.
But the main trouble is, the people
really in need of the instruction at
4Orehead, win not be there, and can
not be. A man gets $25 to $50 from
three to four months in the year, and
pays eight dollars a month for board.
and eats and sleeps with the hired
man. A lady gets the same price, pays
the same board rates, and helps to
cook, builds her own fire, and washes
the dishes. When the school closes the
male teacher eultivates his mind by
ehopping cord-wood and pIowing,
while the girl who has been "doing
nothing all winter but teaching
school," draws inspiration from the
muses. by chOpping cotton. They no
more dream of going to Morehead
than of standing in the shadow of the
Pyramids where the silent Sphinx
Stnnds On o4a---1 IL