Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-04-11

AS far back as 1870, when there was population
of less than 49, OOO 00O there over 125OOO pub
lie schools in this country having 6OOOO 900 pupils
To-day We people OF nearly lCO, ,OUO, nav
ing common experience, speaking one tongue, and
with universal communication. This is a country OF
schools aud railroads, mail, telegraphs, newspa-
pels. How fast the process OF assimilation CIVIL
zation, compulsory education, Amerlcan1zatlon must
have worked in the past third OF century to prac
ticaly treble the population while mparing surely
and indelibv the national character. The process
OF reconciling the Eative OF inherited preiud1ces
which have rent the Old World is not yet complete
in the New, yet those prejud!ces and dlnerences
create no ripple OF disturbance in this country In
the phrase Of Doctor Sparks, t'The stern hand OF
necessity has wrought the reluctant material so tar
that the result may be viewed with pride by those
who read the story"
Already the Poles who went through st. Louis 70
the Southwest have subjected themselves to the edu-
catve and nationalizing experience which the bust
ness Of getting living compes. Soon the men Will
be employed doubtless in diverse occupations, ana
the children will be in school. Daily contact with
Americans is q physical necessity. English VIII
soon be the only tongue in the home. At night the
various experiences CT the day will be common ed
ucation. American newspapers will rapidly De-
come a factor in the mental life OF tho household
Speaking the American language, thinking Amerl-
can thoughts, living by American rules ana GUS
toms, they will soon be thorough paced Amerl-
NNS--~-~'
~. . -~---
Motley foods flow into Washington. The more
wealth, the poverty, the more learning, tne
more Ignorance, the more ambition, the more dee-
perately disheartened, the less need Of anything,
The more need of everything, mao reallzes-tne
more he idealizes bis chances in the Mecca OF the
Free and sees the cTesset OF his hope at one end or
the other Of Pennsylvania avenue, midway which
the skew pOstofice stands open for ALL de circles
first about the pool, whatever his predictions or
expectations them. whether intoxicated BY success
or by disappointment, he plu1ges In the vortex
and would be utterly lOsttbe great majority o.
hfm-we it not for q window in the Washington
postoffice They boast that there are no poor In
Washington. 1t strne. Among the constitutional
ly stdown- -trodden' there few exhibits OF ablect
destituton and good many small bank accounts
The acknowledged poor of the capital are better
provided for in AN adequate adjustment of supply
and demand that could possibly obtain In the
fanatic fluctuations OF commercial centers But
there is another large class in Washington-the un
known poor the floating pOor-which is never In
ventoried in taking account OF stock; they who
came in more or less Distress hoping for relief, and
nave waited IN vain for it till they have not the
means to get away. There is pride covered power
ty, masked misery, shame yelled destitutlon IN
Washington as nowhere on earth. Thousands OF
stranded ones have dragged fOrlOrn hopes through
years OF grimmest economy, ashamed OIL unable to
retreat, existing Heaven knows how; starving,
freezing anything to keep up an externally not too
threadbare show; still believing, in kind OF chronic
Washingtonia that tho next mail or the next must
bring them the longedfOr summons that shall mean
their sweet salvation. They have no abiding
place. They only exist-they would lot for worlds
have anyone know how or where. They live on
the solace granted by plying Heaven TO the nnor-
ltunate-Hope! To them window In the Wash.
ington postOfice is the last link which holds them.
1t is the General Delivery