The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-10
GATHERING OF THE
CAROLINA TEACHERS
Proceedings of the First Day
at WrightsViIIe.
LARGE NUMBERS THERE
The Feature Of The Day the Address by Prof.
]. B, CarIyI', Of Wake Forest College,
Who Speaks on the Educational
0u'lcOk.

0u'lcok
Prof. ]. 3. Carlyle, of the Wake Forest
faculty made a splendid impression in
his speech tonight on "The Educational
outlook" He is one of the most eloquent
men in the State and fully sustained his
high reputation for eloquence. He said
in part:
THE EDUCATIONAL OUTLOOK.
I shall group my remarks in three di-
visions-obstacles to be met and master
ed; agencies to be developed and realized,
and a glorious goal to be reached and
realized. The first obstacle is poverty In
! the towns and manufacturing communities
wealth is being accumulated, but in the
rural regions where eighty per cent. of our
people reside poverty, with its bhghting
curse, still abides. At the end Of the
year but little surplus remains and men
and women are forced to face another
year of dull drudgery for the common ne
cessities of life.
Another obstacle is prejudice The con-
! ficts through which we have passed; the
strife which has stirred our social and
! political life to its profoundest depths;
racial bitterness as old as the ages-these
have fostered a spirit of prejudice which
renders it difficult if not impossible for
our people to approach their educational
tasks with calmness and wisdom.
/ Another obstacle is indifference. The
masses Of the people have not been reach
/ ed. IN great educational meetings we are
\ in danger Of mistaking the glow Of enthus
i iasm on the part of the few for abiding
interest on the part of the many. The
educational leaven has not reached the
bottom of the civic mass Sometimes
Joshua, a Caleb have caught a glimpse of
the glories of the goodly Canaan land of
knowledge but too often alas! their story
! falls on ears that are deaf and on hearts
that are dull.
1 What of the agencies? First the pull
/ pit. The pulpit is still vital force and
potent factor in the life of our people.
The preacher is a man sent from God
speaking with authority. His word has
weight on all questions. Being in close
/ touch with life in all its relations, his
message is always heard and generally
needed. Hence it was no accident but
pie when the Raleigh Conference sent
forth an appeal to the preachers to plead
with the people for the education of their
children That appeal we must repeat and
emphasize until all the preachers in all
parts of the State shall proclaim it, as AM
integral part Of Jehovahs truth that the
man who neglects the education of his
child is guilty of a grievous sin in the
sight of high heaven.
Another agency is the press Next toI
the pulpit in power is the press; next toI
the Bible in influence is the country news
paper. Every part of it from the serial
story to the soap advertisement is eagerly
read and conscentiously believed. The
city dailies with large circulation are al
ready in line doing noble efficient service;
we must arouse and organize the country
newspapers so that week after week, in
sunshine and shadow they shall sow seeds
of truth to grow into a glorious fruitage
in the years to come
Another agency is the politician This
term has no terrors for me. The politi-
clan is man who molds, marshals and
manipulates the civic activities of the com
munity And into this mighty educational
movement which means more for the life
of the commonwealth, than all the poll
Itical revolutions of the past, we must
welcome, nay we must muster the pohti-I
clan for we need his influence. his leader
ship, his powers of organization. Anoth-
er agent is the business man. In its last |
analysis we are facing a huge business
proposition, and we need the dynamic !
energy of calm judgment and business sa-
gacity as well as the enthusiasm of high
purpose and holy zeal But the greatest
agency is the teacher. He is the worker 7
Others may supply the fuel and the /
flame; he must apply the match that
joins them. Others may organize the
forces; he must lead them. And there is /
a call now to the institutions of higher
learning and to the academies to fit and
send forth men and women as teachers
not hearers of lessons and keepers of school /
merely, but molders of community life
and leaders to guide the aspirations of
the people to a higher social and intel
lectual plane.
These some of the agencies, what I
of goal? Our past is rich in heroic
struggle and achievement; our present ra-
diant with the dawn of new era but
what of our future? What is our goal?
Is it the Punishment of ignorance; the
fitting of the citizen for the right of suf
fTage? Truly this were consummation
well worthy of our highest effort but our
goal while including this goes beyond it,
1t IS the development of our vast material
resources to the end that ours may become /
great and wealthy industrial common
wealth? This, too, is included. but our
goal stretches beyond this. 1t is the de-
velopment, the enlargement, the enrich
ment of the life Of all the people, physical