The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1914-06-03
Big Day for Pelion

standpoint. It was day thath De
long remembered by the people that
progressive community, and seed
that we're sown will spring @ and
reap hundred fold in the anee-
meut OF education and the gen. nFs
lift Of the community It Was 5ool:
improvement rally, held an6
suspces of the Ladies SchooE9
ment Association of PeIion, sef
Mrs. J. G. Fort is the presidepf
The meeting was held in gro del n
the upper part of the town ard mere
were possibly 800 men woRen snd
children present. Prot 0 VII
liams, principal of the Per- High
school. in his opening addss ade
an apology for the small crowd Yin at
tendance, stating that hadit not been
for the fact that the community was
"alive" with measles, the crowd v ould
have been much larger.
The meeting was opened witk prayer
by the Rev. J. P. Knox, of Columbia.
and Senator W. H. Sharpe presided
The first speaker was Miss Mary Eva
Hite, the brilliant president of the
South Carolina School Improvement
Association. Miss Hite is a native
Lexingtonian, having been born at
Batesburg, where her parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. W. s. ,Hite, now reside. She was
greeted with applause aud was given
hearty reception. She reviewed the
work accump plished by the State asso-
citation last year, showing the large
amounts that had been distributed
throughout the State for rural educa-
ton and rural Improvements. Miss
Hite said that her organization had
done more to arouse public opinion in
South Carolina than any other orgaDi-
zation in the history of the State. She
used as her subject "The New Country
School, or the Beautified Country
School," and she pointed out the
many wavs by which the country
schools of the State might be i'm.
proved and beautided, and their use
fulness in the community advanced.
She discussed the canning clubs, de-
clsring that this was one Of the ave-
nues by which the high cost Of living
could be greatly reduced. Every
country boy and girl now has the
equal chance with the town boys and
girls to obtain an education, said Miss
Hite, and with the continued co-ope.
ration Of the people, the lime is not
far distant when education will reign
supreme and illiteraoy will DO forced
out OF existence. Miss lite closed
with a brilliant and elogueat plea tor
better school buildinRs.6sster teachers,
longer terms, and stronger co-opers.-
ton on tbs ,<psss of tsthsf and
mothers. ~
One of the most masterful eduos.
tional speeches ever heard ia this
| county was delivered by. Mendel L.
Smith, speaker of the house of repre-.
| sentatives and candidate for the
governorship. Mr.. Smith was at his
best and his flights of orstory brought
| a storm of applause and hearty ap.
proval from his audience. Mr.. Smith
chose for his subject ''Some of the
| responsibilities of an Educated Citi
| zenship." This is period of develop
| ment unsurpassed in the history of
the world, said the speaker, and in no
country or section is this more evident
than in the South. The southern peo.
pie are indeed favored people. The
trouble is that it is the freud of the
times for people to put the dollar
above the manhood and womsnhood
of this great country. He attributed
one of the causes for the trouble with
Mexico to ignorance. The church
comes first, the home second and the
school third, said the speaker, and in
these three great avenues rests the
future peace, prosperity and happi-
ness of the people. He closed urging
the people to become aroused to q
greater sense of their duty, laying
stress upon the fact that the rural
committees are the backbone 4,af the
country. The many vexing problems
that have faced the country from time
to time have always been settled by
the rural manhood and rural woman
hood Of every country, deolated Mr..
Smith. r
Although Mr.. Smith spoke for nearly
an hour ne did not make any reference
to his candidacy for governorship, the
only reference being made to this was
by the presiding officer, who paid a
glowing tribute to the speaker and