The Columbus commercial., 1917-02-04

ulati0n than any other state IN the
Union; and IL is harder for her TO
make laws suitable for the mass; yet
she has made and enforced compul-
sorry education laws. Her laws are
not just mere forms, made to deceive
the public; they are real laws, made
to decrease poverty, illiteracy and
disease, and to increase culture, san
itation and wealth. These laws state
that all children between the ages Of
eight and sixteen years must attend
school the full term mot less than
one hundred and sixty days. In
districts where the population ex-
ceeds five thousand, all children be-
tween the ages Of seven and sixteen
must comply with this law. New
York is now one of the leading states
in an educational way, and the reas-
on is that she has awakened to the
fact that she needs better citizens.
The cities of the state are being
filled with immigrants; and New
York realizes that they will be very
undesirable addition unless they are
educated.
New Jersey was the first state to
see that an elementary education
was not sufficient; and she made
laws forcing children to attend high
school. If New Jersey is able to ex-
tend her authority that far, is it not
possible for Mississippi to at least
force her citizens to go through the
grammar grades? Are we going to
!. allow the children of the immigrants
who flock to our shores to be better
, educated than the children of Mis-
sssippi, in whose veins flows pure
: Anglo Saxon blood? Are we willing
. to admit that states as small as Rhode
Island or as new as Arizona and New
Mexico surpass us in education, wher
n education stands for culture, refine
n ment, wealth and good breeding
Will Mississippi still sleep and ALLOW
4 immigrants to surpass her in know
!. edge?
+ If the state of Mississippi wishe
to make great progress either in
h financial, industrial, or educationa
q way, she must do something to abol
= sh ignorance. Ignorance is the caus
= Of most of the evil that exists today
: Culture and learning take away tn
q animal instincts that are prevalen
,s imong the uneducated.
Our state has in it vast body o
negroes, who are without moral o
intellect. They are constantly com
hitting crimes of varied seriousness
and we seem powerless to stop then
We will never stop them until W
q ,ealize that we are to be blamed. W
e cannot stop the evil until we fin
IL is source and we will never find il
i source until we open our eyes an
% behold the poverty and ignorance o
X the state. II is true that negroes d
Is not usually have the open, receptiv
e minds, with which our race is gift
ed; but they can at least be mad
e into good citizens. Here we face
& problem. How are we to convinc
o them that they need this strang
. thing called education? Their mind
have slept since the beginning of tn
g race and they will continue to sleel
: until we arouse them, There is onl.
one way to arouse them, and that i
y by compulsory education. II the.
q cannot be persuaded to learn, thel
}, they must be forced.
IS 1t is not only negroes that we mus
e educate. What are we to do witt
T that twelve thousand men of votini
age who cannot write their names
s They are too old to be forced to at
S tend a public school, Then we cal
Il only do our part. which is to educat,
o their children. If the children ar
l, forced to attend school, they will
II unless they are subnormal, gain ,
It least an elementary education; an
perhaps, in some way they can in
d tluence their parents. Parents wi'
l. be ashamed to know that their chill
e dren surpass them in knowledge
n and compulsory education for IN
L In L.. LII ...ohahla. sri,-1. r.iaa u