The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-05-29
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Under the caption of Burning Our
Purse Strings at Both Ends," the North
Mississippi Herald contains the follow
ing editorial, which furnishes food for
legislative intellect:
"The little town OF Pawtucket, in
Rhode Island has one hundred and
thirty-one inventors hundred and
thirty-one men>and boys who have pat
ened that number of useful articles and
appliances.
ssRhode Island has a compulsory
school law. A man is compelled by
that law to educate his children.
sIn raw material and natural resources
Rhode Island is poor beyond compare
with Mississippi. Yet with her manner
of education Der people have turned to
manufacture and invention, and that
section is now the richest spot on the
continent. Mississippi spends quite as
much of her comparative wealth on
education as Rhode Island. yet | doubt
whether there are one hundred and
thirty-onc inventors in the whole state.
Every town and city in the state,
however, mas an oversupDly of brainy
young fellows, who have been crowded
into the profeesions-law, dentistry, the
ministry, etc. Only very small per-
centage Of these have their heads above
the level Many of them will live and
Gle failures. 1t is not their fault. They
have the brains, the energy, the muscle
and the determination to do, but there
is little left when his brother lawyers or
doctors get their share. So in the end
he becomes listless and contented with
bare livehood-a victim of misarplied
education.
"Our lawmakers are largely to blame
for this state OF affairs. They refused to
see and are still blind to future posi-
bilities. And parents are to blame, too.
for not taking up arms against the sys-
tenn when each year has but added to
their further discomfort. The same train
that carried their boy to New York or
Chicago for the completion of his edu.
cation as professional man carried also
an order for wagon from Ohio, a buggy
from Indiana, dress from New York
or a watch from Connecticut, thus light
ing both ends Of the purse string at the
same time.
sWhy not teach boy to make the
things that we buy elsewhere? In rely
to the argument that we have an agri-
cultural and mechanical college, it may
be stated as q certainty that not ] per
cent. OF the school children of Missis-
sippi can attend that college.
$50 why not every school have de.
nartment Of mechanical ecience7
1.-THE whole secret Of human life lies
in the matter OF education. Asa twig is
bent, so will it grow. A boy educated to
dc the things that come too nnnaturally
at maturity will in nine cases out OF ten
feeult in failure. He can never attain
that success that would have been his in
another avocation.
ssOnly a limited amount of work is II
/ he found III the professions In manu-
facture and invention there il absolutel y
no limit. One invention will lead to an
other claes ora better grade.
sIf ill the south's raw material was
manufactu into the finished product
IL would make this the richest country
ever known ia history. We sell cotton
&c 8 oS)its \ pound and bny it back from
the New England mills at from 40 cents
g 81 .e0 y pound We sell pig iron a
6lper Ton. The steel plants Ia Ohio
ans Pennsylvania eet from 500 to 8, 000
lpr 50 IS II III me my through tlle