The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-03-29
SATURDAY."...MARCH %. 1902
DOES EDUCATION PAY?


a good text, then he must have n
sympathetic audience, and last, but
not least, he must feel the importance
of the subject he is discussing.
Feeling in a sort of sermOnic
humor, The FREE LANCE desires to
preach short sermon to it's many
readers. We have a good text. You
will find it recorded in the utterances
of that illustrious patriot, Thomas
Jefferson. The text reads as follows.
Preach a Crusade Against lgnOr-
ance" We believe we have as sym
pathetic an audience as can be found
anywhere in America, for we speak
today to 10000 honorable, upright,
heightened Virginians. We certainly
feel the great Importance of our sub
iect, for as we look around us and
behold the thousands OF young peo-
pie hungering and thirsting for more
knowledge, and remember that many,
very many, OF our public schools are
run less than six months during the
year, we are compelled to feel the i'm
portance and necessity for advoca-
ting the building up in Virginia OF a
better public school system.
Lives there man in this Common
wealth whose ears are so deaf that
he cannot hear the cry for better and
greater opportunities for acquiring
knowledge and whose eyes are so
.~ blind that he cannot see the wonder
full advantages to be derived by Civ
ing to the young people OF this Com
monwealth all the education that
they desire and need? That State
which cares for it's young, that is
not afraid to educate and in every
other reasonable way help them, will
be the live and active State of future
generations but that Commonwealth
which is mean and misery towards
it's young, looking only for present
gains and satisfaction will ere long
become only an historic spot to be
pointed to by future generations as
4 the place of their birth and the place
which they were compelled to leave in
order to reach front place III the
onward march ofcivilization.
We plead with our lawmakers, we
beg of our Constitution builders, let
something be done for the young
men and young women of Virginia.
II our taxes can stand a reduction
without injury to our State, if large
appropriations can be made for
other purposes without depicting our
treasury, is it not possible to give
Tn our children 1.-THE hope OF future
virginia. better schools than we now
have and longer sessions for study
and advancement. The children OF
today will be our men and women OF
tomorrow. Their opportunity for
Gaining knowledge is fast heeting
Once ID is gone, it will be gone for
ever. They can't wait. What we do
for them must be done quickly. The
hope OF Virginia rests and must rest
mon the education ofheryoung peo-
ple. Education is the only meansloi
elevatipg and broadening the indi-
vidual Thu constant elevating OF
the individual through the process OF
education is the only means by
which we can hopeto elevate and ex-
pand the business and socialinterests
Of our State. The day has passed
when to simply know something
ahout the "three RS" will suffice
The world is movingrapidly. Times
are constantly changing and WIN
these changes come increasing ue
monds for knowledge. Neglect the
aducation of the young OF today ana
we seriously handicap them ior one
,;so ottomorrow. The FREE LANCE
mroes mon the patriotic statesmen
Of the Old Dominion the necessity lot
immediate action. Won't somebody
in legislative or conS'l'u'i ono.
autbority trouble the waters 80 tna'
Virginia may soon be the abiding ls
niece Of a goth Century Public Scnooi
system. with the best OF teachers as
;nstructors of our children ana WIN
school sessions lasting Tor at least
tom o To 10 months in every year
This is our sermon. We have tried
briefly to call attention to the great
;mnortance Of our subject. We have
.r;ad to show the necessity for educa-
t;on and the hopelessness OF lgno-
rance. We trust that our audience a
lorr thousands OF readers nas
esuobt the ideas which we have trlea
to plant in honest hearts anu s S"dI
Sssare another harvest moon Snall
S Ss,UsI the darkness Of an Autumn mi s
a a,sbt W., we shall have started in vir-
m '.'sia' as good public school system
rs may be found any w"e'' " '
; ,-,scan da---sc begin
ms snothshan thinks he
OooN -. fatber, he is
Cypress 0n to doubt the