The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-20
THE POPULAR MIND.
Corn Cracker" Writes of the Feeling Against
the Burial School Movement

To the Editor: While I am identified
with the Democratic party / seldom
write anything of a political nature.
1 was for Justice for Governor, but we
lost nothing by electing the peerless
Aycock.
While the nomination of Judge Clark
was always practically assured, it
pleased me to see the esteem in which
M. H. Justice is held, as evinced by the
strong complimentary vote he received
But as I am more of an educator than
politician, am more than ever Impress
ed with the truth of the couplet:
Truths would you teach. to save a
sinking land:
All fear. none aid you, and few under
stand.'
We We're told in spread eagle speeches
that every child should be educated by
1908, so as to meet the requirements of
the constitutional amendment. Governor
Aycock, Prof. Joyner and Prof. McIver
are making manful efforts to redeem that
pledge. But many hear not these i'm
passioned and eloquent pleadings for the
words of life for the little child, and
they are too ignorant to read reports of
their speeches, as we'll as the editorials
that appear from time to time in our
best religious and State papers. With
out exception, the dailies of our State
sound the note of warning against the
woes of ignorance, and appeal for the
stigma of ilHteracy to be forever wiped
from our escutcheon
The lethargy has been, to some extent,
broken, but great horror pervades the
popular mind, who are "agin'' local
taxation, and "agin'' consolidation. Mer-
chants, who know everything under the
sun, 'squires who can't write a legible
hand, preachers who rant during the dog
day revivals, but whose prayer is:
''Lord, bless our church, but send all
who don't belong to it to eternal damna-
tion," candidates for county and State
offices, in large measure. pander to
the ignorance of the popular clamor.
Hence, the county superintendent and
board of education are afraid to say
their souls are their own.
I was at a school meeting yesterday.
Townships No and s, of Cleveland
county, have twelve districts each. No.
has thirty-six square miles of terri
tory. a school population of less than
1000 and twelve districts. They want
four more. Old men, and men gifted in
counsel, say they ought to have it. The
proposed site is in one and half miles of
Wright's school house, in about two
miles of McKee's, in about two miles of
New House and not a drop of water to
cross between the proposed sites in these
districts except when it rains and a
small creek well bridged to cross to Me-
KEGS.
Yet they want "deestrict,'' and it
looks like the authorities are in collision
to see that they get it. at least the one
who claims he can manage the rest.
Men rise up and swear they are from
three to four miles from any school
house. Notably, these men were "agin"
local taxation.
NOW, VIII some philosopher and states
man please tell me how we are to have
four months school? Cleveland had
to beg for about $4,000 to have a four
months school this year, and then never
got it in No g.
They had paid s27 for a globe and $40
for blackboards for eleven districts.
making $407 for swindle perpetrated
four years ago by those IN authority.
About half the county was skinned.
and not cent of the $40 spent for
blackboards got a blackboard for not
one was delivered in any district
The rate of illiteracy in Cleveland is
% per cent, Rutherford "a per cent, Gas
ton % per cent. Lincoln "a per cent. So
you see if we don't do better where are
we drifting?
These figures are from the North
Carolina Year Book and were not fur
nished or compiled by Corn Cracker.
Yet among the truly good and the
neighborhood oracles he is a pestilent
fellow and mover of sedition
CORN CRACKER.
Cherry Mountain, N. c., July 10, 1902.