The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-08-02
Editor Leader-Enterprise

| My dear sir:-I have been following
very carefully what you have had to
say about school and picking cotton.
NO doubt others have been just as in
| terested as | have and even more so
l would like to offer brief study
| relative to this matter.
We are at war. Everybody knows
that and most of us will know if with
Its tragedy pretty soon. From nv
own fathers family have gone four
boys and how many more of NV kin
| do not know. With this deluqe Of
war we are also deluged with so MANY
other important matters that only the
1mpotent criminal at heart can view
the situation without a shudder and
without steeling his nerve for the pro-
lonGed conflict. We believe that we
are hghtlng Tor humanity, or we
would not fight. The standards of
high moral resolve echoed by Presi-
dent Wilson are become our stand
ards as a state and nation and we
will die by the guns. But in this ones
tons OF interfering with the school
ing OF our children there are too
many interests at stake to act unad-
Nsedly. 1t is kell known that Eng
land made the same rash move and
repented. No nation can afford to
allow war to rob its children of their
right to develop physically, morally
and educationally. But in spite of
everything that can be done that is
exactly what war always does. We
must reduce this to the minimum.
Under proper restriction and favor
able conditions | would be in favor
OF your proposition, viz:
tlrst:-Ihat proper, wholesome
environment be provided.
Second: That the full work of the
school year be provided for with am
pie time to do the wor thoroughly.
Thirdly: That a sufficient number
of the school children undertake cot
ton picking to justify the arrange
ment.
In every nation at war there is an
increase of truancy among the Young
which in many cases borders on GRIM
lnallty. Not single exception can
be had 1t is true that we do not hear
very much about it in this country vet
but that is accounted for because we
are just swinging into the war and
further because the process of edu-
cation which is incident to war has
Just begun to get under way. Our
play houses, where there should be
wholesome amusements have been
turned into war machine, educating
our children to think in term of hor-
rors which a short while ago were
outlawed. The expressions of hatred
and disgust incident to war cannot
be expressed any more without near
swearing, to say the least, and these
expressions are countenanced by our
leaders, often church men.
| am citizen of Fitzgerald, and
hope to be for many years. The in
terests of the people of this city are
my interests. | am willing to pick
cotton, and | will see to it that no
cotton is lost because | am slack
or. | am willing for my children to
pick cotton, if that is the call to duty,
but | am not willing to sacrifice the
moral and intellectual well-being of
my child tor any compensation in dol
lars If there can be provided the
proper wholesome environment for
these children; if they may have the
opportunity to make up their work in
school; If sufficient number of them
engage in the work, then l have no
objection.
These are fearful times and not for
one moment should be allow our zeal
to consume our knowledge 1t is one
thing to allow the country schools to
postpone their opening, it is another
thing to close them in our cities. Let
us be careful brethren, when we trife
with Our boys and girls today; we are
threatening the stability of future
centuries. Let us see to it that all the
loafers are put to work before we rob
our boys and girls of the greatest
heritage they have. Better close some
of the .non-essential places, where
men fool their time away, and let the
schools. run the full time. Let us not
close the schools and churches and
allow the non-essentials to continue
The man power of our country is not
consumed yet
Sincerely Yours,