The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-10-14
The Agricultural High School.

lily NolGIo u ILLS county SIldll
signify their approval or disap.
proval of the proposed Agricultural
High School it behooves the press
the Farmers Union the Cotton
Growers Association, the School
Improvement Association, and other
like organizations as well as every
good citizen who loves his country
and has its progress and develop
ment at heart, to keep the question
before the public and explain over
and over the objects and purposes
of such school and the benefits to
be derived therefrom.
Such public discussion and ex-
position is further necessary in
view of the fact that some of the
farmers of Lincoln county manifest
opposition to this project. At the
outset we must attribute to such
opposition absolute good faith.
They approve it for the simple rea-
son that they do not believe it is
for the good of the county. Rea-
sonable men may reasonably and
honestly disagree on any PROPOSE
tion. To offset such opposition,
the unsoundness Of their view must
be presented to them in a calm
sensible manner.
The object of the agricultural
high school is to instruct the chill
dren of farmers as well as the chill
dren of all citizens in the county
who desire to go into the farming
industry, in the art of farming; to
make farming science; to make
farm life more attractive and fas-
cinating to the younger generation.
In brief, to make the farmers call
ing profession rather than a mere
manner of earning livelihood.
This school for the instruction of
scientific farming is based on the
analogy of other professions The
lawyer and doctor, to learn the most
modern and practical ideas, must
attend the law school and medical
school respectively. School train
ing is not a luxury today as it was
fifty years ago. 1t is necessity.
The struggle for position and pros
perity IN the world is much harder
than it was in days gone by. Com
petassio.2, is fierce and destructive
in every avenue of life, and, as in
the other professions, SO in the
farmer S only the best and fittest
can survive.
Our press and some of our most
progressive farmers and citizens
have already given their reasons
for favoring this educational insti-
tuition, calling attention to the fact
that the only object Of such school
is to afford to the children in the
county an opportunity to study
agriculture, theoretically as we'll as
practically. To enable our children
to understand and appreciate the
scientific methods of sowing, rails
ing and harvesting our crops and
thus to uplift the present position
of our farmers, to educate them,
and thereby to ameliorate their
condition.
Since the above mentioned ex-
pressions have been given to the
public several petitions have been
presented to the Board of Supervis-
ors protesting against the establish
ment of the school. It is evident
therefore that there are persons in
the county who do not agree with
the opinions expressed by our. citi-
zens and press. and it therefore is
very necessary that the subject be
rehearsed again and again. This
is vital question; the prosperity
of our county to a great degree
depends upon it. For does not
the whole structure of our
society, the merchants, banker S,
and professional mems success and
happiness depend upon the condi-
tion and success of the farmer?
He is the corner stone of all. If he
is successful, all are successful: if
he fails, all fail. Education has
never spelled failure in the course
of the worlds history. Will edu-
cation, scientific and practical. in
'jure the farmer?
The great Ruler has blessed US
with fertile soil and running
waters. Few counties in the State
exceed ours in natural resources.
In cotton alone, Lincoln county pro-
duced 5000 bales in the year 1907.
This was after the acreage had been
decreased and the crops diversified.
What can we do with better, SAT-
Ell, more modern methods? Our