Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-09-04

n0RleCC6u III SOIilC COuHCiCOsAOSWAh
standing the general Improvement |
that has been made in this respect |
in recent years. We find that in
some countries there rare no
schools libraries; that many of the
counties have no local levy for the
rural schools, to supplement the !
state appropriation, and that in
hundreds of districts the people
are content to see the schools run
only few months in a yer, un-
der poor teachers, in wretched
houses, while they have not taxed
themselves locally one cent to
improve these conditions. We
further find that the very hearts
blood is being drained from our
rural sections because of the super
iority of the town and city schools.
Finally, we find that our state
stands today the only civilizd spot
on. the globe that has failed to pro-
vide for the professional training
of rural teachers.
In view of these facts, we ear
nestly plead that the time has come
when we must improve these condi-
tions. We must have Q) more
uniform method of distributing
chool funds appropriated by the
State; we must have (2) not less
than six months school for every
white child in Mississippi Git should
be nine months;) we must pro-
vide 81 comfortable and attractive
buildings and surroundings in every
community; we must have "a
scholarly and well trained teachers
for all our children; we must have
81 intelligent and energetic super
vision in every county; we must
have e. library in reach of every
school house in the State; we must
have (7) better salaries for our
competent teachers; we must have
(8) more local taxation. for this is
the basis for longer terms, better
houses and better teachers.
Most of these improvements are
directly in the hands of the people;
some of them rest with the lawma-
kers. But the people are the law
makers in this country, hence the
responsibility for all these matters
rests on their shoulders. 1t is nee
essary that the conscience of the
people should be aroused on this
important subject. Let us not rest
content with the advances we have
made but remember that nothing is
too good for our children in the
matter of preparation for the
struggle of life. Let us not be de-
ceived by the cry that we are too
poor! No people are too poor to
educate its youth. Is it not bet
ter to spend money to make men
and women than to sacrifice to save
money!" Shall we continue to be
dependent on other sections for
trained men to plan and construct
our buildings, to superintend our
factories, and to furnish the brains
to work up the raw material of our
wond 'rful resources into the finish
ed product? Shall our boys grow
up to be "hewers of wood only,
because we refuse to place them in
position to compete with brain ir.
stead Of muscle? Let our people
arouse themselves to the fact that
conditions have changed since the
time of our school days. True, we
wont tn school in log houses and set
on split logs for benches; 80, also,
did our ancestors ride in stage
coaches. But neither of these facts
is an argument why we and our
children should not profit by the
advancement that has been made
in civilization. The world calls
today for prepared men and women
to do its work. The lawyer of to-
morrow must be a man of educated
mind and broad knowledge; the
physician must possess trained
mind and hand; the merchant must
know other books as we'll as his
ledgers; the farmer must be- able
to delve in the printed pages as
we'll as in natures soil. The time
has passed when natural aptitude
and mere force of will and ener-
gy can place a man in the ranks
of leadership; henceforth he must
have a trained mind as well.
Shall we prepare our boys and
girls to answer the call?
Very Respectfully,
COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION,
Conference for Education in Miss
issippi.