Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-12-05
GOOD RURAL SCHOOLS.
Extracts from Address of Hon. ThOs. C. lawson


~ the waste and deterioration is far
more costly than a moderate tax for
their support.
Again, the existing system of COM
mon SCHOOLS, owing to the meagre ap-
preparation for its support and the
! DFeVlty OF the school term, is merely
a half system, and therefore fails to
| 64iclt q sustaining interest and enthu-
slaSm on the part of it's benefciaries.
II is so we'll known to be Inadequate
and inefficient that it is impossible
10 grow enthusiastic in it's support
MAKE 1t whole system and YOU will
at once, | think, witness a revolution
IN sentiment and action The people
VIII then espouse it because it pos
sesses inherent elements of success.
Their pride, their ambition, their
! selt-Tespect will unite in it's support
because it is worthy and because it
costs them something. Their zeal
Tor education will burst into fame and
| they will be amazed that they were
/ ever delinquent toward duty so i'm
| porous and sacred. CONTIGUOUS
| nelghborhoods 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 teachers-nOt those
1ncompetents who follow the profess
sion because they think it ali easy
job, 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 to
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, if all our
young people are to be qualified to as
sumo the responsibilities of citizen
| ship, if 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 CLASH
! cal education at the universities, but
these schools are not accessible to
vast numbers of the labOring poor If
! 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 a 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 hum
| BILE country homes.
Good schools are the instruments
| by 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 perishing in
Obscurity.
| So far | have said nothing concern
| ing the effect of education on agricul-
! 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 and
instruction to his neighbOrs. Toward
this occupation nature is most prOpi-
tious and helpful, and there is none
| in which the exercise of talents and
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 of
natures laboratory where he may
daily witness the inception of life and
the fashiOning according to definite
and Interchangeable laws of it's multi
form and marvellous organisms? He
who "'maketh the clouds his chariots"
| bestows upon the humble tiller of the
! ground an excess of delight as He
| LOOKS OUT UPON LA6 OSduLg VI L1S CstA IA
and the grandeur of the heavens. And
| there is no occupation that yields
! 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 intelligence
! and fOrethOught are not essential to
the pursuit Of agriculture? Is it not
pleasure to look upon country made
beautiful by industry and art and
filled with a happy and prosperous
| people? Man made the city, God
made the country" Let us then so
use and beautify it that it may send
back to Him in waving harvests and
perfume of flowers it's anthem OF
praise and thanksgiving.