The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-18
document which should have 81

:, document which should have jha -
rious consideration Of all good @citiz--
The chief significance OF the maeta
however. was an indication thar
reacbine profession is going 10 dr
t6utv and take the lead in the great .
for better educational facilities Tor
the neopie. on account Of the uaeu
nature OF me teachers work. demaG.
,ha, so much OF his time be spear wa
! children rather than with men ae5
men. his influence as a citizen unos .
temporary public opinion has been .
ceedinglv small. Timidity ana tse
OF skill and practice in securing
adoption Of his ideas b. his fellow e
zsns have lessened his influence upon
contemporaries, however great tina
fuence may be ia the next genera.
H. has usually waited for others to .
in the battles for the estahlishraent
support Of educational systems, fea.-
tbct his full duty was diSchar1ed wh.
he taught children end youth. II -
physician should adopt a similar p#'..
he would be a mere healer Of patio.
instead of being, as he is. in a3dtt.a
thereto, the LEADING and most nAueuH
citizen on sanitary questions. The la#
NEr similarly NUl4G htAot4tN - -t* .s"
OF cases in the courthouse, or coun~
in his ofnce instead of being, rs BIZ
in addition thereto. the suide OF his i.
low citizens in all matters relating
law ana our Civil Government. The law
yer has always been a lawyer and
citizen: the physician has been Il pnE
stefan and a citizen, bu as a rule, '#
teacher has been content TO be merely a
teacher, ana has therefore not com
manded serious consideration for his oT.D
ions upon public matters, ven OF an e-.
vocational character.
The teachers know moro about educa
ton and educational needs than any othu.
citizen of the Commonwealth, and when
they give unanimous endorsement 10 au
educational policy, the general publ
ought TO give. and Will give them a hear
ing. The profession has waited too Ions
for men in other professions and |callioee
10 fight The public's education battle.
So little has the profession asserted it,
citizenship that the teachers do not ever.
select the tools with which they arc tu
perform their professional tasks.
When the educators Of the State de-
termine that illiteracy shall be abolish
ed in North Carolina, and that there shal.
be no cessation OF the agitation until il
is doue, the final outcome Of the issa.
will no longer be in doubt. In the Old
story. we all remember, so long As Tho
farmer depended upon his kinsmen aud
~neighbors TO harvest his wheat, the
mother partridge said to her brood thar
they might remain in the field withou,
fear of being disturbed, but as soon as
she learned that the farmer had resolved
to come next day with a reaper to reaI.
his wheat himself, she said: Children
we must seek other quarters
The men who met in Raleigh We're no.
there for the purpose of discussing "a
variety OF questions on which the pro
fession is not a unit, nor were they there
to consider The details Of management OF
the public schools by county superiu-
tendents or others. Their purpose wa
to form an effective strong organization,
determined to place before the public
mind in such a way as to command at
t%ontion, the question of local taxation
for public education in every community
in North Carolina where it is needed H..
secure good schools. good houses
strong teachers. All the cities Of .rs
State and most Of the towns and lar
villages have adopted the principles 81.
local taxation as a necessity, and if it l
impossible to ecurc effective school il
the cities and towns without g local tax.
how can any one expect to secure such
schools in the country without 81 local
tax Property worth 500 in the city pays
not only the eighteen cent school tax paid
by all other communities, but in add
tion a special school tax Of about thirty
cents voted by their people.
If the teaching profession and all other
good citizens who believe in local taxa
ton fight for the adoption of that prJn-
ciple, we can have, in less than fly
years, a school system that viii be Il
credit TO the State and a source of pridp
to all its citizens. In the meantime, W,
shall have discharged. in a measure. our
duty TO the next generation.
For the next two years, at least, SOM
of the most effective public speakers j;
the State, in the teaching profession and
ont of it, viii go wherever there can D,
found d number of citizens who desire {.
have discussed before their people The
great subject of local taxation and bet
ter schools.
Very respectfully,
CHAS. d. NEWER,
Greensboro, N. G, February II.