Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 191?-19??, 1914-12-10

Superintendent of , Education, pro-
nounced by the school authorities of
the State to be about the best on the
list of North Carolina Superintendent,
and a descendant of one of the earliest
of the settlers, has given me the fig
ures. What a contrast Against one
hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars in 1850, we spent in 1913, for
the education of the children of the
State four million dollars for better
schools, better teachers and longer
terms. The school property of the
county is worth five times as much
today as it was worth in 1900. Moth
ing is of more Importance than the
education of all the children, for upon
the character and intelligence Of the
coming generation depends the future
prosperity of the county. I take pleas
ure in talking about the material,
growth of this county. I rejoice in it;
but there is something I rejoice in
more than that; it is the moral growth
of this community, it's growth in in
teligence and high ideals. If we could
let some old citizen compare the in
tellectual and moral conditions exist
ing here fifty years g with the in
tellectual and moral conditions ex-
listing today, and show US the differ
ence, we should be astounded and de-
lighted. Never has progress been
more wonderful. Wherever progress
has been made, it has been the result
of the work of the church, the school
and the home and in the uplifting of a
citizenship that is growing morally and
Intellectually higher every year.
The first vote I ever cast was for
the establishment of the Goldsboro
Gyodo1 Cahno1 in I QQ1 4o %hic
Bar, and in hat year we had a bitter
controversy about the establishment
of public schools. We had nothing
but private schools before, and it vas
a fight to a. finish as to whether this
community should take charge OF the
great function of government, the
training up of it's future citizens. I
remember a man who has passed away
who was a great power in that day,
and some of you gentlemen remember
him, julius A. Bonitz. He was heart
and soul in favor of that movement.
I remember that he came to Aycock
and your speaker and asked us to
write the editorials in his great and
useful paper, The Goldsboro Messen-
ger, in favor of the establishment of
the Goldsboro Graded School; and
Aycock and I, from week to week,
wrote the editorials for the paper.
Sometimes Aycock started to write,
was interrupted, left the editorial half
finished, AND when the editor called
for it, [ would finish the other half.
Sometimes conditions were reversed;
I would start and he finish. 1 should
like to see those old editorials. I
should like to see them because the
Governors style and mine we're n
tirely different, but our hearts were
together on that great proposition.
The fight was won. How about it now?
Why it is the most popular institution
in G%oldsboro. If a man in Goldsboro
who cares for popularity wishes to
destroy himself utterly, let him put
himself in opposition to the progress
of that splendid institution. Some of
the finest educators in the State have
gone out from it's halls. I might men
ton, Moses, Alderman, Claxton, JOY
ner, Foust and Brooks and others.
While 1 admire this modern educa-
ton, while 1 have the highest respect
for those useful institutions, the State
Normal and Industrial College, at
Greensboro and the Teachers Training
School at G~reenville, while l know that
it is almost a liberal education for
boys and girls to come in contact with
those refined and cultured young wo-
men who come from. these institutions
to teach our children, l wish to stop
just a moment and talk about some
old teachers I knew. I want to say
that in this community when there was
no, public school, that the little chill
dren were taught and trained and in
fuences exerted upon their characters
which will last them through eternity
by three good women, two of whom
have gone to their reward; the other
fingers here honored and revered by
this whole community. 1 refer to Mrs.
M. o. Humphrey, Mrs. M. D. Crayton
and Miss Mary Carrow. I do not think
my task would nave been complete
until 1 had paid this just tribute to
these noble women.
Another great factor in the educa-
ton of the people has been the press
represented in this county by b
Argus, The Record and The Headlight,
of Goldsboro, The Tribune of Mount
Olive and the Messenger of Fremont,
which Ire always conducive to the
public welfare.
In 1881 foul young men we're licen-
sed by the Supreme Court and came to
practice at. this Bar-Charles B. Ay-
cock, William R. Allen, Jos. E.. Robin
SUI anu Ffduk "A. DduI01S, anu next
| year a fifth, William T. Dortch, Jr.
They were intimate personal friends
and their youthful regard for each
other deepened with the years without
interruption n bound them together
as with "hooks of steel" Of widely
differing temperaments and gifts, an
~tagonists who met each other in this
arena in many a holly contested de-
bate, their affection and loyalty for
each other, ecemented by generous and
manly rivalry, never faltered. 1 re-
gard my friendship and life long asso-
citation and communion with these
golden hearted gentlemen as one of
the great joys with which my life has
been blessed.
JOS. E. Robinson in a few years
left the practice, which I am sure he
would have adorned, for newspaper
work, established the Goldsboro Argus.
which he still edits and which has
been for more than thirty years the
eloquent advocate of every measure
that tended to the material advance
ment and mora uplift of the com