French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-10-26
THE VAIN HOWL.

The attempt of State Republicans 10
again drag the public schools of North
Carolina into a political campaign III
the hope of temporary political gain Is
meetino with resentment rather than
success as a vote getting proposition.
The educational system, begun under
Charles Brantly Aycock and bulIded TO
its present high state of efficiency
through the untiring efforts of Dr.. j.
Y, Joyner. is the proud boas' OF every
clt,zen Oh the Commonwealth VINO
breathes the freedom of thought and
freedom of action. You may have no.
tlced he suggestion before but it is
worthy Of repetition here:
Since 1900, the last year of the Flu
sion administration, the value of public
school property has. been increased
more han f%ourfold, and Of all school
property more than eightfOld, the num-
Der OF .2achers employed has been in
creased 1850, Or nearly sixty per cent;
1854 new modern school houses have
been built (thirteen years, 1902 to 1914,
~inclusive). an average Of more than
one a day for every day in the year,
including Sundays, the average daily
attendance of children upon the pub
lie schools has been doubled, the aver
age annual white school term has
been increased from 1873 days to 124.22
days, the average annual salary Of
each rural white teacher has been in
creased from $3.50 to $235.27, or ITS
pei cent; 212 rural high schools for
country boys and girls, enrolling 1916
pupils, and seventeen farm-life schools
for their vocational as we'll as cultur-
al training have been established and
are annually maintained; 5,134 rural
school libraries and supplemental Ii
braries, containing approximately
365. 900 well-selected books have been
provided. And the end is not yet if
the Democracy continue at the helm.
1t has been well and truly said that
the public schools are the only hope
of all the children of all the people of
the State. They are the only sure
foundation for the freedom, the ciVili-
cation, the power. the progress. and
the prosperity of the State. They are
maintained by the taxes of all the peo-
pie for the benefit of all the children,
and they ought to receive the heartiest
support and cooperation of all the peo-
pie, irrespective of differences in re-
1igIous Or political creeds.
The man, set of men, or political
party that for political gain would
jeopardize the interests If the public
schools, would lay unholy hands upon
them, would throw in the way of their
progress unnecessary obstacles by
unwarranted appeals to political pre-
JUDGES. deserves the condemnation and
just rebuke Of all honest, patriotic
citizens of this proud commonwealth.
rights of the children succeed in their
unhoIy purpose, generations yet un-
born would rise up and call them &C
cursed.
But. as usual, the howl of political
opportunists will be in vain again. as
so oft before, since the Democracy
wrested the state government from
the hands of it's enemies sixteen years
ago. Shall the pendulum swing back
ward. Not if the people know them
selves.
The howl of the demagogue and hy-
pocrite will avail him nothing in North
Carolina this year, just as it las fallen
upon deaf ars biennially for more
than decade. Mark it.