The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-07
THE SCHOOL POLICY
"Corn Cracker" Out Against
Too Many Districts.
avn Should Be Enforced. Nnt>!enths Of The
Wealth Produced From The Soil the
Result Of Educated Brair,

To the Editor AS this is a period OF
educational revival, shall call attention
70 the teachers institute, which began
! at shelby last Monday and continued five
DAYS The attendance was good, about
140 teachers being enrolled, Of which
about 60 attended continuously as the
law directs.
| But as the ones who don't attend ut
all assume superior wisdom, get the best
grades, and are marked favorites; little
thing of violating school laws and the
oath of office does not matter.
In fact. Prof C. T. Coon, one of the in
structors assured us that the school law
| is the only enactment on the statute book
that a man can take an oath to execute.
persistentIy violate, and still be a deacon
in the church.
| But we had a good session. The in
structors. DR.. Chas. D. McIver, Prof. G.
r. Coon and Prof Gilbert Pearson are
too we'll known for me to enter into any
| tributes or details.
Dr. McIver lectured on better houses,
larger districts. local taxation all of
which mean better teachers, longer
terms, and more general education.
Without these and all of these. popular
education will continue to langdish.
The worst enemy with which we have
to contend in Cleveland county is too
many districts.
We have $40 square miles, and SO white
and % colored districts. Last year. at
this time, we had 81 white and % colored.
So it can be seen the work of consolida-
| ton booms serenely on. OF course the
board of education and county superin-
tendent are largely to blame / have no
right to charge them with sinister mo-
tives, but they are too yielding. Teach
ers and friends of education are unheed-
ed but a bankrupt merchant who fought
| the local tax and is still fighting, can
always get hearing. In township No.
s. where l live, we have sc square miles
! and IL districts. One of these was made
last year at the irstigation of people who
| fought the tax, who avow their opaOst
ton to free schools, and who don't send
half the time to what little school we
have.
God speed the day, when an un@crupu-
lous demagogue or a cruel-bound sec
tartan shall not claim the earth. ard
dictate the whole school policy.
Dr. McIyer said three times in address,
ing the institute, that we need but 50
schools, and the same sentiment was
emphasized by Prof. Coon at least a half
dozen times. and DR.. Mebane OH Friday.
Right here allow me to say that l am
not a ''furriner" who came here to ridi-
Guile the customs of North Carolina, and
dictate her policy. My views are in &C
cord with those of Governor Aycock, DR..
McIver, Prof. Coon, DR.. Mebane. ETC.
Moreover the law is on my side, and
should be enforced or forever swept from
| the statute book. In section 20, we find
! that no new school house can be legally
built less than three miles from one al
ready established, except for geographical
| reasons Because a merchant who is in
one and one-half miles of established
school house wants a new "deestrict, 3"
is hardly a geographical reason in con-
temptation of the law
certainly desire the interest of this
State. l realize that we have, here, a
sturdy Anglo-Saxon population, who have
shown spirit of heroism on every field
fought for the cause of liberty from
Alabama to Appomattox. l further
realize that we have a salubrious eli
mate, propitious seasons, a variety of
mineral, fish and forest wealth. I also
realize that by reason of our illiteracy,
both poverty and ignorance. With from
but three to four months school term,
in squalid howell, and about half the
children never in school. these condi-
tions will never improve. Nine tenths
of the wealth produced from the soil is
the result Of educated brain. An educated
man invented the turning pillow, teacher
invented the cotton gin-as the result of
10 aryITY C gv11 hax "a
heard of no man inventing harvester,
a steam thresher or other farm nipple
ments who ridiculed education or clamor-
ed for more 'deestricts" Truth is, with
all our fine oak, ash. and hickory timber,
we buy our wagons, buggies and all farm
implements of best make somewhere else.
In Vermont one man out of $50 gets a
patent on something, and in North Caro-
lima one out of every 2S,0 00 DR.. Calling
invented the gun bearing his name and
has also invented a pillow. Doctor means
| learned man, and had he been illiterate,
neither Calling nor his gun would ever
have been heard Of At present North
Carolina is a good place to be from. Tom
and Clarence Dixon left here to be de-
veloped, and DR.. e. A. Alderman was
howled at till he went where he is APP
|
For Gods sake. If we forever observed
the forgotten man" let us give the
bread of life to his offspring. We can be
great if we will improve the minds of
our children and develop our resources.
Those who pretend to teach. don't be
ashamed of your business. Remember
the immortal Robert E. Lee was a
teacher, as was Stonewall Jackson.
know certain classes regard the ''free
school" teacher as a harmless, cowardly,
incompetent freak, but he is coming like
an army, with banners to redeem North
Carolina. To the time-serving apologist
who waits for the mandate of Church
or party" l say:
HE that daIlies is a bastard .
He that doubts is damned
CORN CRACKER.
| Cherry Mountain NJ G. Sent 6 1902