Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-24
A PREACHERS PLEA
FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

To the Editor of The Journal:
Dear Sir: have been reading the arti-
cles in The Journal for some time con-
corning the public schools of Georgia, and
I should like space in your valuable paper
for a thought or two on that subject.
Public schools have reached the point in
their history when they are no longer on
trial. but have become permanent and
their position is impregnable. The person.
who criticises them per Sc presumes to
measure himself against the almost uni
versal opinion of scholars, statesmen and
economists the world over. In the dawn
of the twentieth century it is no longer
question as to whether we shall have pub
lie schools or not That question has been
settled long ago. So gigantic have they be-
come that to put ourselves in the way OF
their progress is to cast ourselves under
the juggernaut wheels only to be crushed.
So universally are they accepted by the
best educated nations and individuals that
to oppose them is to stultify ourselves in
the opinion of right thinking people. The
public schools are here and here to stay.
All criticisms of our Georgia system which
looks to its betterment should be encour-
aged and will prove helpful. All criticisms
which look to the overthrow or retrograd-
ing of the public schools of Georgia are
Like the chaff which the wind driveth
away" The old private schools which our
excellent they were, have passed away.
They served their day and generation
well, but they were inadequate to the de-
mands laid upon them, and passed away
in the onward march Of the present sys-
tenn. The public schools are by no means
perfect but need much wisdom exercised
in the direction of their AFFAIRS: they need
the sympathy and support Of the people,
and before they can hope to reach
high degree of efficiency they will be
compelled to have more financial support.
If a man wants a hundred acres of land
cultivated, and engages a farmer to tend
1t for him, and gives him only half
enough rations. 1t is unbecoming in him
at the end of the year to criticise the
farmer for failing. That is about the atti-
tude of the critics of our Georgia public
schools. We have employed officers, state
and county, to educate our children, and
have furnished them about half money
enough and now we are ready to show
our interest for the people and loyalty to
the state by currying the half fed horse
to fatten him. The horse may need cur
rying but he needs feed first. In the
transition period of our schools. the time
was when the patrons of the schools would
pay part of the tuition; that is, the teach
er had his rates of tuition and deducted
what the public fund paid, and the pat
rons paid the balance. But the two sys-
not exist permanently together, and the
advent of the public schools meant the
exit of the private schools as a state
system. AS the one increases the other
must decrease and the supplanting Is
about complete. Now there is but one
course left us: that Is forward march with
the public schools. The Rubicon is passed.
The bridges are burned behind us. We
can never expect anything more from
the private schools. We may cast our ling
ering gaze back upon the deserted
camps and admire their beauty as dis
lance lends enchantment to the view. but
we have gone too far to ever return. The
destruction of our public schools would
not restore the private schools to their
former place, but would leave us without
any schools at all so far as the country
schools are concerned. Away with such
wholesale criticisms of our Georgia schools
aimed at their very foundation, and let's
rally to their support and make them
what they ought to be. The school terms
should be heightened to eight or nine
months in the year, all public term. We
could then command a better grade of
teachers by furnishing them employment
sufficient to make a living without going
into other occupations instead of spending
our time finding fault with our poor old
starved out system Of schools, let's put
our influence on the side of more liberal
provisions let's feed the old horse and
then we can ride him and curry him. This
is the only course open to us. He is the
only dependence for a crop and our chill
dren are on hand to be educated, and they
have not time to wait while we parley.
We may impoverish a generation or two
of our children. while hating between
two opinions. but ii is coming, and the
sooner the better for US politically, fnan-
cially and every other way.
o. L. KELLEY.
Norwood. Ga