The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-04-25

graft in books and other expensive
changes as 20 make them sure that
this "free' notion was G delusioE, a
"catch" to fool the fools, not one Of
them, perhaps, would come out and
say as much. Even me ana Brown
like the idea so we'll of getting our
children T. free" education that not a
word do We say about the delusion
that is in it. This spirit controls a
greac many, while there are still othar
causes for some being silent. Some
communities, the towns, are so heav-
lily loaded by investment in the sys-
~" that they fec! they just can't turn
a-loose, while many float along just as
some have always foated, with the
current of popular opinion, without
tnoHght of where We are "at,' or
where in the mischief We are liable
to go. Brown sWears that the Geor-
gia legislature used to have higher
standard Of men than the United
States senate has now-look for re-
suits in this as between the "cld-
field" system Of before the war and
now?
For many years Brown has seldom
- IN "a n
masses upon such questions when an
honest expression could be had, and
now he is willing to risk all his con-
ceits on the assertion that very
great majority of the people feel and
believe that our public schools, as
they are in the rurals, needs some
very radical changes, if not an entire
abandonment Brown may be right,
the South led thi sUnion in illustrious
men and women in the years before
the war, and now our present system
should not hesitate to investigate if;
the past forty years has produced the
same quality Of people-whatever US
ed to be was the results from the old
field system, whatever is now is the
results of our present system. Had
the Georgia legislature a higher STAN
dard of men before the war than the
great United States senate has noW?j
Ny old friends thinks there are a!
few-just a "few," mind you-young
men that inspire a hope of wise fu-
ture, and of soaring where great men
used to soar. I know myself that in
1860 every county in Georgia had
truly great men within her bo':ders,f
and they were not great as the leaders
Of some crazy fad, some society, some
'tism;" they were on much higher
planes, held to their individuality, ap-
nroached atesmanship-some Of
them were truly statesmen of high !
order. If you have such men, even in
prospect, as the result Of the last 40
years of public schools, trot the mout,.
or else Brown and some other old !
fools will beast that greatness is, in
decay.
But it is idle for old men like >me
and Brown to worry over any sort of
conditions, the only excuse We can
make for so doing is that we are
afraid that we will be "held up" or
our purses "snatched,' when black
berries get ripe and our money is
flush, as it always is in blackberry
time.
But it would not be idle for men
whom we could, name, men whose
prestige is great and whose influence
hints" that we intend to be hid in
these lines. High buildings, great
achievements, nothing on earth, can
supply the loss sustained by neglect
that breeds immortality and crime
Welath is nothing if the having OF
wealth brings anxieties and fears that
one can not rest. We used to hear
that uneasy was the head that wears
a crown" II We keep on this may ap-
ply to those who have any sort of
wealth. Our hope is in our religion
and our womanhood. It is dangerous /
for old men like US to speak of these
things at all, but Brown will risk the
following little verse for what it is
worth; he is cranky on a Womanly
blush, believing that it implies quail
ity that is priceless:
Steal not the blush from Woman's
cheek,
Whatever else you do;
Not words on earth its worth could