The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-06

rms Is not Il Ody LOT ldlk, IL Is a
day of action. since last we assem-
bled on similar occasion, event of
more astonishing magnitude and
deeper significance have t%ranspired
than had taken place prior thereto
since the c~rucifixion OF Christ, and
the world has moved further in it's
sweep towards Destiny than it had
in a hundred years before. Things
are happening now and only God
knows what will take place next.
The greatest statesmen no longer can
fathom causes; the most brilliant in
t~ellects can only guess at results. Civ
ilization is in the balance; hat the
people of the earth are in hell to-
night.
do men stand up before the can
mons mouth and let themselves De
shot to pieces? Why do mothers bid
their sons Godspeed as they march
into the jaws of Death? Why do
fathers tear the clinging arms OF
children from about their neckS and
go forth to pour out their Likelihood
ON the plains of Europe? / will let a
woman answer. At little while ago
there assembled at The Hague hum
dreds of women from the four quar-
ters of the earth to take part in the
deliberations of the Women's Inter-
national Peace Congress. Some one
IlONtS II d0OptlOh VI "
calling upon the Nations to stop fight
ing. But just before the vote was
taken the delegates were asked to
stand for a moment in silent prayer.
Then came a connection. One woman
refused to pray for peace In the
back of the room a little Belgian wO-
man arose. Il am a Belgian" he
said, land / cannot think as you do.
There can be no peace Without JUS
tice."
That is true in Europe n it is
likewise true in America. For a hun
dred years and more the race has
fought for liberty. fight has
been won and the time is at hand
when we must wage a new fght-a
fight for fair play between freeman
and freeman-a fight for justice for
the common man. The battle is on in
Europe and it is on in America. We
differ only in methods. They use
bullets and we, ballots; but the end
for both will be the same.
Three Achievements Necessary
But, my riends. it is not of Europe
and it is not of America that l wish
10 speak. 1t is about North Carolina
and her relation to tie new fight that
/ am chiefly concerned. / conceive
three fundamental achievements to
be necessary before we can say that
the fight for justice has been won in
our own State. There can be no such
thing as justice until all of our peO-
pie are given an equal opportunity to
secure an education, to avoid disease
and to obtain and hold property.
We shall be very unfortunate if We
fall into the error of thinking thai
the fight for education is won in NORTH
Carolina. ] know that we have made
great progress; 1 know that during
Inc last twelve years we have averag
ed building a schoolhouse every day
in the year and during the last twt
years we have built 500 schoolhOuses
But we are foolish to boast when i
can be said that last year nearly $50
900 children of our State were not il
school anywhere; when it can be sal,
mat there are among us yet 200 90
ADULT men and women who canno
read and write their own names
Surely we hav a long way yet to G
when 1t can be said Of a typical Nortl
carolina city that 5000 childrel
were in school and 5000 out an,
every school building crowded. Rattle
should we hang our heads in sham
when we know that nearly 1900
children under 16 years of age wer
ioillng in u manufacturing indus
tries last year, and it is said tina 5
per cent of them were illiterate.
Only 44c for Schools.
IN S Is a day of cOmmercialiSn
The people of America spent $500
ooo'o00 for automobiles in 1914
more Than was spent on all the pub
lie educational institutions Of til
country. We are putting other thins
ahead of the child in the scheme {
NE. We are defying the dollar an
'rampiing upon the human soul.
'nat were not so it could not be sal
oI us that we spent only 44c p,
capita last year for the education
our children. The reason why "
nave no better schools is tina "
won't put up the money necessa1
10 get better schools. The reaso
why we have no better teachers
that we are not willing to pay IL
price. The shame which is ours b
Sause the average salary of the rur
School teacher is less HI $50 %
month Tor five or six months in Il
gar Is only equalled by the audaci
- those who would force teache
mat are working for such a pittan
~ stand the same examination
lhe teacher in the city stands WI