The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-05-06

education, contributes the following
thoughts upon educational matters
pertinent to Mississippians and a
Greater Mississippi Mr.. Whitfield
is very enthusiastic in his work and
the items are well worth the perusal
of all:
That Mississippi's great natural
resources have been discovered to
the outside world, there is no ques-
ton. Every train that comes within
our borders from the North brings
men who are investing their means
In our lands, men who are to promote
great enterprises, and skilled men
who are taking the responsible places
at large salaries.
we are permitting these great nat
uraI resources 10 fall into the hands
Of outsiders. We. by failure to train
our boys for the higher work Of this
complex age. are permitting most OF
the skilled and high-paid work to be
done by people WAO come from places
that have put q premium on ~prepara-
jjon for work. If the names Of all
the civil and electrical engineers,
architects, and. in fine. all the skilled
T1cn who are doing work in the State
could be secured, it would show that
by far the majority Of them are not
our own boys.
"Some say let us offer every in
ducemcnt to encourage the capitalist
and skilled men to come into the
State tor the purpose Of developing
its great natural While
We should cordially welcome any
good citizen who wants to cast his
Lot with us, vet should we rely on
foreigners TO do this work for US?
What use will a developed State be
TO our people if it is owned by 9TH
ers? DO YOU want your boys to be
satisfied to do the d~rudgery and mus
Gle work for low wages, lille the
profit on tac investment and the high
salaries paid for skill go to outsiders?
What IS it worth to our people to
stand off and see such great activity
without being participants in it, or
without receiving any of the great
profits derived from tho work?
NO. my friends. there can be only
true, genuine prosperity for Mis-
sjssippj. and that is to have Missis-
ainpi resources largely devalOpod by
Mississippi blood. Old sensible PEG
pie viii agree that it is the people and
not the physical State hat should be
considered. How can this end be at
tanned? There is only one way under
high heaven. and hat is to dignity
the training Of the individual. First,
we should make Our common schools
the peer Of any in the land. 1t mat
tcrS not what calling a boy may final
~ adopt. it IS in the common schools
that he is revealed to himself and is
made conscious of his possibilities: it
IS there that he can view the great
word n decide for himself his
course in life.
The C0mmOn school is the neces-
sary basis for all other training. and
II the future of the State is to be
determined by the character of train
ing We give our fine AngIO-Saxon
blood, then it follows that the first
work 10 do in the great scheme OF
the St2te's proper development is to
make better the schools that all our
people first attend.
Because children have to work in
the fields is no reason why a county
should o have q regular school
term.
In the first place. the training CT
th"ir children should he a PARENTS
first duty and highest responsibility.
that person has a very low cOncoD-
ton of parental responsibility who
would only look to his ChiId'S prem
aratlOn tor life Wlen there is nothing
else to be done. No one has ever
said that children can be properly
reared and trained without expense.
To do SO often means harder work
aud greater sacrifice. But is there
any other WOrthier motive, or greater
compensation for increased toll and
,~seIf-denial. than to see the beautiful
children God has given you daily in
crease IN usefu ness to their family,
TO themselves n to God? Fathers
Il mothers. when you see your nil
dren, through the results of your toll
and scif~jenial, being raised constant
~ to a higher plane of life, do YOU no
feel that yOu have been paid a thou
sane times Oycr for al the extra worl;
and sacrifice it has OccasiODed?
Put. unfortunately. there are some
WHO look on their children as they &c
their beasts Of Lurden-va,ue them
only for the service they can set out
Of them. It is especially to such PEG
pie | want to make an argument. Let
us take it for granted tlat even the
most indifferent parents to the vel
fare OF their children would like tC
send their children to school when
they are not Of material service or
the farm. In other words, if yor
want to send your children to schCo.
without losing their services on tbs
farm, it is necessary that they have
as much opportunity as possible to &c
to school before they are old enough
to be of material help on the farm
There IS . sep Of from five to sever
years between the time when a Clili
is cid enough to so to school and be
fore he is old enough to do regular
farm work. Now, il you want to senc
your children to school, and intend tt
keep them IN the field when Ole
enough to do regular work, then i
follows that @ SHOULD have as gooC
schools n as long terms as possible
during this time. Let us Illustrate.
If a child can so to school for five
years before his services are required
on the farm, he will get twenty