Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1905-05-04

pointed 10 higher service 10 the State
and to God
1T Is the. universal experience of
those who have been engaged in the
effort 20 get longer terms. that one ar
gnment that the opponents Of better
schools always make. is that II the
children do not go regularly to n short
term that they will go less regularly
to a longer term.
This argument has been made In
each Of the forty counties that have
heightened their school terms hy
county taxation; vet In each instance
II has proved To he untrue Our cx-
perience has proved this to BE- true
that tho longer the school term tlc
better the average attendance
This IS not strange when you think
Just for moment. longer school
term means better school ssuti
ment. which results in having better
schooihuuses and teachers Educa-
ton is thus dignifed by the people.
and each parent makes greater sac
rihce tp send their children 10 school.
Teachers who work in their prptes-
sion for from seven Ia eight months
a year eau AFFORD to spend more on
preparation for their work than they
could when thev taught for only four
or i've months n year and had TO sup
port themselves for twelve months
on = fcw months salaries
Let NJ look on It from the stand
point uf a child when hoy sces
that his parents are so Indifferent and
place so low an estimate on the value
of an education as to be unwilling 10
pay n small tax to improve education
al conditions. that they are satisfied
with the Indifferent teachers that us
ually teach the short term schools
tho long term counties usually draw
the boat teachers of the short term
counties he gets the idea that the
school IS not of much importance.
the consequence is. that he has not
much faitl in the school as an I'm
pOrtant factor in his life. and as one
cannot get more out Of n thing than
he has faith in H. he takes very little
interest in school STAYING at home
for the most trivial reasons He
starts to school and goes for a Few
months when the school Is ort. he is
out II the school for about two-thlrls
- NAAt IN fbNAt=H III NfANA4AN WIN
things that do rot raise his ideals or
stmulats his ambition. gathers a
head fun Of rubbish which displaces
practically all the information he got
during the short school term. When
he returns To school he finds n diner.
ent teacher but Of about tho same
Grade Is started about the same place
in his book. Going to school tiis way
Is not business There Is no hone in
It But when there is a school taught
by competent teacher. which is
long enough for him to finish a set of
books in one year. he soon finds ont
that the school Is a necessity for his
proper preparation for life. he is
made to feel the thrill Of progress.
ambition is born. he has had a soul
awakening.
The school is the States greatest
institution set aside and devoted 10
tho grand work of training her chill
dren AMI Il matters not how superior
their natural endowment may be. the
character Of training which they re
eeiye cannot be- any better than are
tho schools. Il is in the .smmon
schools that the basis of this work
Of children 1t cannot be done else
where. II Is in the plain school Of
the people thar n child is revealed to
himself and Is made conscious Of the
power with which God has endowed
him. II Is there that he will learn the
lesson Of human responsibility. and the
obligation resting on him 10 use his
powers intelligently for his own good
for the good Of society. ami for the
honor IF God For this reason tho
common school is the richest jewel
that glitisrs in tke diadem Of ma
tons glory
The school is but a moekery which
fails 10 impress upon it's pupils tae
great truth that their endowments
are the talents which God has com
mitted to them, and that their first
duty is.to deve op them to the utmost.
and that failure 10 do so is the
greatest sin that can be committed.
Parents. what did God give YOU
these beautiful children for2 Did He
give them TO you that they might he
your siaves2 DO YOU regard your
children just as you do your beasts of
burden? When your final accounting
time shall have come, what matters
II If you may have few dollars.
saved up. about which your children
in all probability viii contend in the
courts and brokers and sisters be es-
tranSea from each other2 Or did lie
give them to you to satisfy their ev-
cry animal appetite. that they might
eat. sleep. drink. breathe. die. and be
forgotten just as the insects of yes
terday2 Certainly God gave Won
these beautiful children for higher
purposes than these. What does our
experience and observation teach us
. tEat child might be? Let us. as did
the Savior on one occasion. take a lit
tie child and place il in our midst.
what can this pure work of God be
come? We know that if we deal with
It as God would have us, if we make il
obedient to authority at home, and
send Il to school where the teacher
understands those laws that must be
observed in the process of develop
ment OF the child. and keep il away
from the communicating things of life.
the result is a useful, productive, God
fearing citizen: but If we let it grow
up like a colt on the waste. pay no at
'NH'iOh W ~ ot Acihe, Dut permit II 10
come in contact with everything low
and vile, do NOT provide for its proper
education. pay no attention 10 what it
thinks about or what it does and
give il no systematic trsning. il will.
as effect follows cause. become
slothful, vicious mana shame TO its
parents. an expense to the State and
dishOnor to God.
1T IS not claimed that our schools.
as organized and conducted. are
equipped to do this work. even 10 the
extent TO which they go. We can
never nope for our schools to 10 thoir
great work until thinking Mississippi
takes hold of the question, until the
scaool is disnified il the eyes of all.