Fitzgerald enterprise., 1906-11-22
44OOLS.
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more costly than moderate tax for
their support.
Again, the existing system Of COM
mon schools, owing to the meagre ap-
preparation for it's support and the
brevity of the school term, is merely
half system, and therefore fails to
elicit sustaining interest and enthu-
siasm on the part of its beneficiaries.
1t is so we'll known to be inadequate
and inefficient that it is impossible
to grow enthusiastic in its support.
Make it whole system and you will
at once, / think, witness revolution
in sentiment and action. The people
will then espouse it because 1t pos
sesses inherent elements OF success.
Their pride, their ambition, their
self-respect will unite in it's support
because it is worthy and because 1t
costs them something. Their zeal
for education will burst into flame and
they will be amazed that they were
ever delinquent toward duty so im-
perious and sacred. Contiguous
neighborhoods will rival each other in
provision for excellent and we'll
equipped schools, and thus the fire
will spread. They will seek capable
and conscientious teaehers-not those
incompetents who follow the profes-
sion because they think it an easy
lob. or because they can find nothing
else to debut teachers OF strong,
manly, and robust character, broad
cultured and honorable men and wo-
men. thoroughly qualified to train the
mind and mould the character, and 10
make an impress on mind and heart
and conduct with enduring force.
A public spirit thus engendered Will
work miracles. 1t will become an IN
tegral part of all occupations, all as
pirations, and all ideals. 1t is essen
TALLY a new birth.
The propriety of local taxation may
be argued also from the necessity OF
the case. A long trial of the existing
system assures us that if education
is to become universal, II all our
young people are to be qualified TO as
sumo the responsibilities OF citizen
shin. il illiteracy is to be driven from
our borders, an improvement OF the
system is imperative. People OF mod
crate fortunes can patronize the board
ing-schools, or secure for their sons
and daughters a scientific and classl-
cal education at the universities, nut
these schools are not accessible TO
vast numbers of the laboring poor. Ii
the means of education are not
brought to their doors, they can not
derive any direct benefit from them.
And yet the State owes the same duty
to them that it owes to the proudest
and wealthiest of it's citizens.
Every child born within the juris-
diction of the State is entitled with
out discrimination to like privileges
and immunities. Each one should at
least be taught to read its constitution
and it's laws, else how can the State
be justified in demanding obedience to
them from all? Children, whose par
ents are unable to furnish them with
a primary education, are in measure
the wards of the nation, and the
money expended in their education is
not wasted, for the ranks of it's most
illustrious and most useful men are
recruited from the nurseries OF num-
BILE country homes.
Good schools are the Instruments
bv which we discover talents, they
are the OWNERS rod, and if they are
planted in the remote country dis
tricts we have reason to expect that
they will enrich the nation by reveal
ing hidden talents now perlsh1ng IN
obscurity.
So far | have said nothing concern
ing the effect of education on agrfcul-
ture which must, for many years TO
come. continue to be the principal oc-
cupation of our country people. IN
this employment every educated man
is a radical centre of usefulness ana
instruction to his neighbors. IoWaru
this occupation nature is most propl-
tious and helpful, and there is meme
in which the exercise OF talents ana
forethought and the intelligent appli-
cation of the principles OF science
yield better returns.
Who does not envy the happy lot
of him who stands in the midst On
natures laboratory where he may
daily witness the inception OF lie ana
the fashioning according to detnafe
and unchangeable laws of its multi
form and marvellous organisms? He
who 'nl0KSlA ltlG ClOuOo AAAAo SAAAS~
bestows upon the humble tl4er OF tne
ground an excess of delight as He
looks out upon the beauty OF the eartn
and the grandeur of the heavens: And
there is no occupation that yields a
larger income to men of moderate re-
sources. and none, of course. upon
which the world is more dependent
for comfort and sustenance.
Why is it thought that intelligenee
and forethought are not essential to
the pursuit of agriculture? Is it not a
pleasure to look upon country made
beautiful by industry and art an0
filed with happy and prosperous
| people? Man made the city, God
made the country" Let us then sc
use and beautify it that it may SEND
back to Him in waving harvests and
perfume of flowers its anthem OF
praise and thanksgiving. .