The Robesonian., 1918-11-25

rade.
The patriotic pageant was an In
spiration and joy. 1t was well con-
ceived and excellently carried out. A
number of schools participated in it,
and in the cast of characters were
represented America, spirit of peace,
spirit Of play, war, truth, honor, ser
vice, War Savings stamps, Liberty
Loan, garlanders, farmerettes, Red
Cross, France, Italy, Scotland (repre-
sented by Flora Macdonald college),
Ireland. It was directed by Miss
Alice Page.
This pageant, given in the open air
inside the race track, was most in
spring sight, reminding one OF some
great May-day festival.
For the rest, there were Moore
and Lee county home-guard drill,
Sandhill farm-life school military
drill, steeple chase, flat race, and
maybe some other field exercises.
The exhibits were good and attrac-
lively arranged, but not so good nor
so attractively arranged as the ex-
hibits at the Robson county fair held
in Lumberton last week.
We kept wondering all day, and
have been wondering ever since, why
Robson county cannot have as good
a fair. The answer is, of course, that
she can. Of course we could not
have, and perhaps might not want, the
races, nor could we have, certainly
not for some time to come, as preten-
tious an exhibition of hogs; but in
every other respect we could have just
as good a fair if we start out to do it
with determination to succeed on the
merits Of exhibits and pageants par
ticipated in by the schools Of the coun-
ty. Why, Thursday at the Sandhill
fair was day the school children of
Moore county will never forget. It
was a great day for them; and visi-
tors from far and near were most
favorably impressed with schools that
could stage a pageant like that. Robe
SON county school could give just
as creditable an exhibition, and a
school day at the fair would be worth
more than all the carnivals.
In fact, we are satisfied that car
nival, instead of being a help, is an
actual drawback to any fair. The
carnival was the only thing the mat
ter with the Robson county fair last
week. The exhibits were good, but
it is as certain as anything can be
that they would have been better but
for the fact that the carnival was al
lowed. Some people who otherwise
would have had exhibits refused to
have anything to do with it on account
|of. the carnival. -, j.
I'VE ,lare not blaming Manager
Thompson. The entire success of the
fair seemed to devolve, upon him, and
l-hes felt that it was necessary to have
somea' outside attractions in order te
draw: crowds. Many of us who are
opposed to. carnivals might have taker
the same view of it he took if we hac
the same responsibility. So this i.
not written in censure of Mr.. Thomp
lson. What we do want to emphasiz,
though, is that it is possible to hav,
a bigger and better fair with car
nivals and all outside shows of tn,
kind absolutely excluded. In order t,
make such fair success Manage
Thompson-and we do not believe /;
better man for the place can be foun,
must have wholehearted support. I
tLumberton will give the proper sup
port we feel sure the people Of tn
country will furnish exhibits that can
not be surpassed in the State, an
that the schools will also furnish fea
lures that will be far and away bet
ter than any shows that can be gath
cred.
/ Let's do it next year. Let's deter
mine now to do it and to crowd ou
, any carnival. At best such attrac
itions are cheap, sordid, demoralizin
, and debasing. They are not needed t
make fair success any more tina
, saloons are needed to make pros
porous town.
> The Sandhill fair proves it. Let
o prove it with the Robson county fai
e The last general conference of til
k Methodist Episcopal Church, Soutl
a passed down to the annual conference
+ the question of granting to wome
all the rights that laymen have in tt
r church. It will become the law of tt
e church if three-fourths of the annu
/ conferences vote in the affirmativ
y Last week the Western, North, Car
y lima conference voted to give the won
% en- these rights, while the South Geo
q gia conference voted in the negativ
UTa IL ~ e