The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-07-03
THOUGHTS on TnE FOURTH.

THOUGHTS on THE FOURTH.
lNcmoJ
The ink ON the Declaration Of In
dependence is now so faded that, To
preserve it at all, this great document
has to be kept in darkness. The
thought ever % keep in our minds both
ON the fourth Of July and every other
day i'm the year, is that though the let.
ter may fade the spirit that impelled
the signing hands shall remain alive.
There is no magic quality about the
Declaration Of Independence unless It
represents thoughts and ideals main
tanned by deeds, ami there is no power
in that one declaration 10 hold a nation
together unless the spirit Of that decla-
ration goes onward aud through each
succeeding generation so that by the
voice Of every new burden-bearer in
our national life the voice of the great
men dead yet can speak.
In fact, if we believe in eyolutionand
progress in the worlds affairs, the
high stand which the fathers took
should prompt the sons to see if it does
not yet remain for them to utter a
broader, fuller, completer declaration
than was possible at the end Of the
eighteenth century.
The old Declaration was political; the
new Declaration must be social. We
are not now called upon TO denounce
foreign tyranny in its oppression of
ourselves. The old Declaration and
the men who backed it up with deeds
brought that TO an end, and we only
waste our time thrashing over the old
question. when there Is no cause left to
fight The new Declaration, grated
upon the old, and getting its strength
from the old, says this: EVERY child
born into the world is 10y right entitled
to the highest education and prepare
ton for the life of which that child's
being is capable This right is one
whose claim is upon all the people,
since the child is part of the nation
and if not properly enlightened is a
hindrance upon the progress Of the
nation, therefore, eternal vigilance is re-
CURED To see that neither by neglect Of
those who would shirk their response
bilities nor by design Of those who
would divert some Of the educational
machinery in the direction Of personal
or theological ACKNOWLEDGMENT, shall
the education Of children pass out Of
the hands Of all the people. And
whereas all children Of all c0l0rs and Of
all races making their homes beneath
the sheltering palms Of Liberty are
part Of the social organization, called
the American Nation, they have equal
and indvisible rights, which the nation
a. whole is bound 10 project This
heritage Of right is paid 10y wisdom' for
neglected and overlooked, these child
rem make their demand upon the na-
ton and are heard, when by reason Of
neglect or lack Of proper direction they
ioin the wild, uncouth uureasoning
hordes with criminal tendencies. And
even though the expenditures for edu-
cation rise into the hundreds Of millions,
not less but more should he spent
/ through the hands Of the wise in or
der that the whole nation may rise to a
higher understanding Of its duties to
each component part aud Of its hill
top position in the sight Of the nations
Of the world.
The healing of all national sores, the
curing Of all national ills, the unIfying
Of all interests, depend upon education
| i'm it, broadcast sense, mental, moral
and spiritual, placed unreseryedly
before all who need it, That education,
when Il teaches the interest Of each as
| the interest Of all, and the success OF
each rs being part Of the success Of all,
Will be the new Declaration construc-
tive instead Of the old Declaration de
structive.
The old Declaration held men together
very loosely, and when the tyranny
was overthrown il had proved only the
first step towards making a nation.
/ The new Declaration will tend TO bring
all closer together in interest prepetu-
ally, and from greater knowledge Of
each other will come greater unity, and
therefore a greater United states.
Let US think another week on another
aspect Of this subject
The baseball umpire is his own hero
Short-sghted men are naturally close
observers.
A deceitful friend is more dangerous
than sworn enemy.
Some men want the earth and some
women seem To expect IT,