The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-13
PLEADS INTERESTS
OF AVERAGE I: MAN.
! Address Before Teachers Asso-
citation by Editor
PET FALLAclEs EXPLODED
Better Scheme Of Rural Educa-
ton Needed in the
South.

tlCu tAf CCuSA III elllc
South.
Nv -------------------------.
One OF the addresses that attracted
o. great deal OF favorable comment at
the Fourth District Teachers Assoc
citation meeting, recently held in Pc
tersburg. waE delivered by Editor clnr-
Gnce II. Poo OF the Progressive Farm
err Mr.. Poe said In part:
Tho great principle OF democracy to
which our American government is de-
2 dictated, is not confined TO the world of
politics. but applies with equal force
In the economic ana Industrial world.
we must revise not only our old,nris-
tocratic ideas OF government, but our
old arlstocratic ideas o. wealth and
industry as we'll. These old fatal mis-
conceptions have ehackled us too long.
ard there is hope for us only in real
izing that wealth liz. by nature, not
aristocratic. but democratic.
The poorer every other man Is, the
poorer you are. The richer every other
man Is tho richer you arr--not the re-
verso OF this proposition as too many
people have long believed.
burdens TO the Community.
Every man whosc earning power is
below par. below normal. Is a hur-
den on the community; ne drags down
the whole level OF life, and every other
man In the community IS poorer by
reason OF his presence. whether he be
~hitc man or negro, or what not.
Your unframed. inefficient man is not
only a poverty breeder for himself, but
the contagion OF It curses every man
In the community that is guilty Of
leaving him unframed. The law or
changeless Justice DEGREES that you
must rise or fall. decline or prosper,
with your netghbor. You will be rich
or for his wealth, poorer for his pow
crty.
Pet FnIlacics Exploded.
The farmer. tho common laborer OF
any sort. needs no training. Educate
him and you spoil him. The poorer
upper class" These have been our
great pet tallacies And long time
have been preached.
Hugging this vampire delusion, the
Southern plantation owner has seen
vast areas abandoned to broomsedge
and gulIies IN spite OF the fact that
intelligent handling would have kept
them productive a thousand years.
Preaching this fatal doctrine, the
g merchant has sold Western meat and
scooters and tobacco when with pros
porous patrons he might have quadru.
pied his profits by selling sulky plows
and haryestcrs and carriages and pia-
nos.
Deludcd by this fallacy. the states.
man has struggled against fate. only
to dlcsand he forgotten by people TOO
poorly educated TO read hts biography,
and too poor in property to build a
monument to his memory, while small-
err and meaner men in sections un-,
shackled by these ancient errors. are
famed In song and poetry.
And SO to-day every man who is TILL
ing an acre OF land in the South so
that 1t produces only half what intel
ligcntly directed labor would get out
of 1t, every man who Is doing poor
work Of any kind, every man who Is
creating and earning only so to 20 cents
4 q day instead of from three to ten
times as much. as intelligent labor
would do. every inefticient man. no
matter In what line OF work, Is bur-
den on the community rs dragging
down the level OF life for every other
imam in tho community.
Suppose you are his fellow citizen:
then because OF his inef1:cIcncy, his
poverty. because OF his failure to cons
tribute to public funds and public:
movements,y you must have poorer roads
poorer schools. u meaner schoolhouse
and courthouse, shabbicr church.
lower priced lands; your teacher will
be move poorly paid. your preachers
salary will be smaller, your newspn per
will have a smaller circulation, your
town will be q. poorer market. your
railroad will have smaller traffic, your
s merchant smaller trade. your bank
smaller deposits, your manufacturer
diminished patronage, and so on and
on. The ramiflcatlons are Infinite, I'M
ending
Writing editorials In support Of the
II Rrlstocratlc instead Of the democratic
!. theory of Industry, the editor has seen
i his weekly fail Of support, when o
Il properly trained and educated people
\ would have brought him wealth as the.
+ head OF q prosperous daily.
ss Fighting public taxation for better
schools, and other methods OF train
Ing or enriching the average man.
Ii your manufacturer has struggled along
with small Business when "a prQsp err
& GUS ayera go man would have given us
y greatSindustrics like those In the North
and West. s5s.
E training would spoil tho workingmen
and that "cheap per la bor' is What we
& need. your banker has com planned that
& the South offers no opportunities for
cheap. unprosperous labor means
small, unprosperous banks. Il i3
Opposlng taxation for bet ter schools,
the railroads, hauling cotton in tho
fall aHd-loW grade fertilizer In tho
$ -,III 49, |. I ~