The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-16
SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA

- -N-N 1890 80 I'm ~~--A N--O
greater magazines find so limited a
field in this state. In the great con-
VentiOnS in which the leaders of
thought come out, when did you be-
old a North Carolina citizen on the
! platform? In the worlds bOok-mar-
: ket, now flooded with books. when
did q serious bOok on Education,
Science or Religion by q North Caro-
lima citizen command the attention Of
the worlds thinkers? It Will not do
TO cry shame at this writer. Rather
confound him by naming the man..
In the United States Congress when
did a star of the first magnitude re-
fleet lustre upon his North Carolina
constituency? In the arena of the
worlds struggle-in or in
thOught-when did a North Carolina
citizen play Il chief part?
No wonder that the people are large
~ provincial, cut off IS they are from
travel by poverty, and from books
and the greater current literature, by
ignorance. Very likely we should de-
fine this wOrd-prOVincial. 4 pro-
vincial man is one whose outlook is
J confined TO the province or state in
which he lives. The activities beyond
do not concern him. How many of our
newspaper editors can give Il clear
statement Of the political policies in
( Great Britain? How many can discuss
Q III L al D. VI III 81 81 Il
! Problem How many can name the
governors Of the state adjoining North
! Carolina? Rather do not nine-tenths
Of our leaders prefer to indulge on
the stump aud in editorial columns in
braggart patriotism and in blatant
prOtestatiOus of Observation-Disclosures and
] uumednt. North Carolina is held up
. rs ii great state. the people are told
that they are Il great people: and all
! join in looking down upon the rest
OF the world about which they know
uothiug-little dreaming that the other
states and nations have similar claims.
P~roVincialISm is not patriotism; but
it IS often offered for il. There is an
! honest love for ones native land and
! home that lives not by Self-infliCtcd
blindness but by intelligence and that
thriVeS not upon contempt and SuS-
! piciou IF other states and lands ut
rather by good feeling for them ana
genuine appreciation of their worth.
Modesty and Patriotism are not op-
posed. nor is candOr and state-loVe.
True patriotism does not claim every
thing md ignore the claims of all
others. Instead it is modest. claim
ing only that which in a candid con-
SiderdtiOn of others claims may be
certainly laid hold of.
When the paragraph that called
forth this editorial was first printed
certain new StststtIS invited TIE writer
to leave the state. That is not the
way to answer the truth. His de-
parture viii not change the facts.
We have cited facts. Let us re
peat them. North Carolina has more
igTCrant white boys and girls than
! n other state. This is present tense.
not past. She has them today. North
Carolina has more ignorant white men
than any other state save New MeXi-
co. North Carolina people Population
1,S00. OO0) pay only 1919, So for newspa-
per subscriptions. North Carolina peo-
pie are producing none of the worlds
great literature. North Carolina peO-
pie have not one man in the worlds
first rank, whether in politics, art,
literature, science, religion or COM
merce. We have not one man whose
acts or ~utterances interest the people
OF other states, mo- one whom the
world has heard of.
In this day of material progress,
then. let us see to it that the hearts
of our people are set on nObler achieve
mentS. We hay progress to make not
only in agriculture and manufactures
and population: We should crave to
bring forth q race of men worthy of
the blood OF our athers. And while
we take a lofty pride in their brave
exploits in the wars of the past, let
us remember that the truest honor We
CtIl SlNt OIlSIIl 10 dNlltN CIllCIllS ny puA
own hands. Nothing so hOnOrs a faith
er as an illuStriOuS son. Our histor-
ians, our monuments and our proteS-
tations are vain unless we can in our
day and generation set forth before
the world men of might. To sing
North Cardinals praises OF to boast
of the deeds of the fathers and do
nothing to relieve the conditions in the
present is mOckerE Of the purest type.
The glory of the present generation
shall shine forth not from our boasts
of the past. but from our work IN
bringing our commonwealth out of the
bondage of Ignorance into that Prom
Used Land which is given to all inteli-
gent peoples. The duty of the pres
ent hour is not to blind ourselves to
unhannv facts by vain protestations
and bOasting. but to front adverse con-
ditions in the spirit Of our fathers. All
the history and herOism of the ages
could weigh successfully against the
fact that there are more iIliterate
white BOYS and girls in North Caro-
lima than in any other state m the
union.-Biblical Recorder.
CROLEY RICE FIELDS.