The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-12-03
EDUC
Mr.. Gee. Warwick Advocates a
Compulsory Education Law
for Robson County.
To the Editor Of The Robesonian:

To the Editor of The Robesorian:
A law in Robson county COM
pelling Indifferent parents to send
their children to school, | do
earnestly believe, would be the
greatest blessing that could be
brought about for the rising gen.
GRAFTON. The Bible teaches that
charity begins at home, therefore
there is a great mission work
now should be done in Robeson
among the illiterate of the coun-
ty. 1t is this class that is so
careless in regard to sending
their children to school, therefore
| deem it highly important a law
should be passed at once compell-
ing this class of people in Robe
son county to send their children |
to the public schools of the coun-
ty four months in each and every
year, from 6 to 21 years old, |
which will remove this ignorance
from cur midst. Ignorance is
the greatest drawback to a ma
ton of any one known cause to-
day. What class of people fills
our jails, penitentiaries, chain
gangs and pauper list? It is the
class of people who will not send
to school and who never had any
training themselves. 1t was stat
ed as facts in the Teachers In
stitute in Lumberton last Satur-
day that there are now in Robe
son county some 1000 or 1,500I
children who do not attend school
at all, growing up in benighted
ignorance. Go to the chain-gang
of Robson county and see who
are on it; go to the Jail and see
who are in the cells. also to the
State penitentiary and see who
are there from the banner old
county of the State; go to the
criminal docket of Robson coun-
ty and see who are charged with
murder. Now trace up the train
ing Of this class and you will find
to a great extent that they have
had scarcely any advantage in
school or in their homes.
God says, Train up a child in
the way he should go and when
he is old he will not depart from
it," God says "the strong shall
bear the infrmities of the weak. :"
Now I earnestly believe that it is
the Christian duty Of our law
makers to enact such laws as
will remove this shameful ignor-
ance from among the class of
| people Of Robson county that
will not send their children to the
public schools. | conscientiously
ask our Senator, Mr. D. P,ShaW,
and our Representatives, Messrs.
Shepherd and Mcleod, to take
this urgent matter in hand when
! the next General Assembly of
North Carolina meets in January
next and see to the enactment of
such laws as will compel such
parents of Robeson county to
send their children to the public
schools of the county four months
in each year. If they fail to do
this they should be prosecuted as
though they had stolen a horse.
When they withhold their chill
} dren from school, what is it but
stealing? God says thou shalt
not steal" When we as parents
positively refuse to send our chill
dren to school and work them
t like dumb brutes and cause them
to grow up in shame and dis.
grace, what is it but stealing
their rights and their privileges
Why is not this the same sin ir
, Gods sight as stealing anything
+ else? Stealing is stealing; there
! is no little sin with God; they are
: all big sins; and | fear many Of
+ US as parents, unless we repen
/ and send to school, will go to tht
e hot country. There are so man!
of this class of people who, whei
h they pretend to send to school
e send so infrequently that it doe
q not do much good. Sending t
school is like a chain-it takes al
the links to make a perfect chain
:, so it is with sending to school
y it takes every day to accomplis
the aim in view. Three month
u every day is worth more to tn
$ child than six, as many send.
The school room opens ia
7s doors, closes court house door;
reduces the pauper list, lesser
T. the criminal docket and puts OF
tn people on higher plains Of life
enter upon the bosom of the bus
p world.
Mt Geo. Warwick.
n Orrum, N. c., Nov. %, 1908.