The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-05

Perhaps no part of our country has been so much exploited, during the ias' decade, as the territory embraced m the Appalachian range of mountains extending from the Ohio river through the States of West Virginia, Kentucky Tennessee Virginia, the Caronnasi Georgia. and a portion of Alabama
 saThis range is estimated to be about 75e miles in length, and 250 in width and has population of 2,500,Veo. MoFe than one-half of these two and one half millions live in cities, towns anu villages, and have the benefit of all or much that goes to make up oul American civilization in cites ana towns elsewhere. In addition to these there are many weii-to-do familes who live in the country near the towbs' and have well-built. modern houses ana are accustomed to the comforts ana iuxuries of the average southern home,
 The newspaper reporters, the sociai- oaists and missionaries never mention this educated class; they tell or the xauaIor, the crime, the immortality su be found in that section. and that ap- peaf to assume that the state or aI fairs described is peculiar to this part of the country. and that 1t is a fair picture of the general condition or at- fairs is found. though not so exten- sivslv. in the mountains of Pennsyl- vania and New York, and in large sec tions of the West. and much worse condition exists in parts of every great city in the union. On the other hand, large portion of the inhabitants oi the Southern Appalachians are the equals in character and intelligence Of any populationAof the globe
 Some have written as though they had visited menagerie and were des, cribing what they saw when the animals were stirred up. or course thls has stirred the animals up still more
 One writer, quite recently sent our circulars urging the readers to con tribute to the establishment Of an in- duatrial school. to do something 70 reduce the illiteracy of this section. The impression made by this circular was that the mountain whites" are without educational advantages and uterfy unable to obtain them because they are ignorant of industrial arts.
 What are the facts in the case? This region has had the public school al ways; these schools have been low grade and of short duration.
 North Carolina has appropriated S2,- GOO, 900 in addition to the annual ap- propriation or $1.00o.000 for support of public schools, to improve the schools in the mountain districts. Besides the% public schools sixty~eight scnoots have been established by different churches.
 or these schools the Northern Pres byterians have established thirty-nine, ana fourteen missions; out of this work the French Broad Presbytery has grown In yall of these thirty-nine schools the three fold plan--iiteraryr industrial and religious-is carriod out.
 The Southern Presbyterians have ten schools; the Southern Baptists have eighteen schools; the Northern Meth odists two schools; the Chrlst.aft Church supports two large boaraihs schools in Kentucky.
 0beriin College has established ana superyiscs Berea school in North eastern Kentucky; and General How ard has established The Memorial College" at Cumberland Gap--a mem orfal to the Federal soldiers from the Appalachian territory.
 These schools were established 70 promote the true evangeltzing or the people of the mountain districts Rev, Robert F. Campbell, b. D., pastor or the first Presbyterian Church in Ashe- vile, N. C., and a mountain white himself, says: Christian schools are the greatest redemptive agency TOT xhe mountain Scotch-Irish relations of ours.p Tn this opinion, all who have made a study of the people and their environment. share.
 Well. If they have schools, both pubiie and Christian. what more do they need to solve the problem or the s'fnountain whites?"
 More Christian schools. Whatever the public school may do in other sec tions it has not been uplifting to the people concerned.
 This uplifting is not a work of organ king churches or of ordaining minis ters or simply school keeping. As pr. A. c. McConnell has expressed it: we do not need to multiply churches or other forms Of organizatica. There are now enough churches and the out ward forms of connection are complete and ample Nor do we need a large number of preachers. Indeed there are preachers to spare. Educated men men who understand how to preach Gods ord in their proper proportion, whose lives are inwrought by the Spirit of God. and who have good comnion- sense. men who know how to love their fellow men and allow others to love them--are a prime necessity. These are the leaders needed by the Baptists (and every other denomination In the mountain, and for whose coming every one should pray"
 At the bottom of the whole problem is education; but the education which does not take into account the religious state of things in the mountains which does not aim immediately at providing