The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-06-26
times as much as Mississippi on her
nv III -.

~
No section Of the globe has better
blood than which courses the veins Of
our own Anglo-Saxon children. In
TACT, opr greatest resource is our fine
children and the best investment that
we can possibly make is to develop to
the utmost the possibility of every
Anglo-Saxon child in the state. We
Will then cease to be the producers of
raw materials only, and no longer be
the hewers Of wood and the drawers cf
water for the rest of the world. The
state has made most liberal appropria-
tions for the support Of the common
schools. The counties should exercise
their constitutional right and supple
ment by county taxation what the
state is now doing. Fifteen counties
are now lengthening their school terms
by local taxation. The reports show
that the attendance is much more reg
ular in those counties having full
school terms, than in those having on
IL four months. The schools are bet
ter graded and supervised in the long
term counties, and during a session
the pupils actually accomplish de-
finite amount of work, and are ad-
vanced the next session, instead Of be-
ing kept discouraged, as now, by us
ing the same books and reciting to
different teachers year after year.
In those counties where the term
has been heightened, it is almost the
unanimous opinion of the people that
the extended term does not interfere
with the working of the crops. All
the girls and the younger boys can 60
the full term, while the older boys
that have to work in the field, have,
while they can go to school, much
better school to attend.
Seventy-five practically all
the towns of the state are taxing
themselves for the purpose Of giving
their children the advantage Of schools
that continue from seven to nine
months, under the best trained teach
ers. The towns, because of the schools
they maintain, are attracting the best
citizenship of the country. People
are leaving comfortable homes and are
going to town, often without any en-
ployment, for the purpose of securing
for their children opportunities for an
education which they cannot get at
home. Mississippi is ali agricultural
state, md will be great only as its.
country population is great. Eighty
nine per cent of the children live with
out the limits of the separate school
districts, and the only education that
most of them will receive will be
what they get i'll the four months
school if the present status remains.
Are not children living in the
country entitled to as much considera-
tion as those living in the towns?
Too much praise cannot be given the
progressive citizens of our towns for
the sacrifice they often make in taxing
themselves for the purpose of educat-
ing their children. Is it not as much
q parental duty for the father of a boy
who happens to live. in the country to
make like sacrifice to give the rural
youth some chance with the boy liv-
ing in the town, in this great COM
petitive life? Let us give the child
rem who live in constant contact with
nature, and who, are uncontaminated
by the vice of city life, all opportun-
ity for that development which when
once generally accomplished, will make
our free institutions secure and our
liberties enternal.
Respectfully,
Ell. Il. WHITFIELD,
State Supt. of Education.