The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1919-05-03

Dear Editor:-I went to the meet
ing in the interest of schools and
teachers the other night at the Au-
ditorium and kinder" had my eyes
opened to a few things. heard
some good speaking, sure.
1 wondered at there being such a
small number of people out, then
remembered how watery and glim-
merry my eyes were from the glare OF
headlights as came in. Riding in
automobiles at night must be a
pleasure indeed. Wish had one.
have always thought that farm
ing was the highest calling of man,
as the existence of the human race
depends upon 1t; but / am begin
ming to believe that teaching is
neck and neck with 1t for what is
the use of an existence If we cannot
be educated and trained to enjoy 1t
by being useful to the world? Shall
we be like the savage who eats his
belly full of cocoa-nuts, then slum-
bers in the cool sands by the waters
edge till he gets hungry, then re-
turns to the jungle and fllls up a.
gain? Or, shall we be like Moses
when he went upon the mount to
receive the law? He kept climbing
higher and higher from height to
height, from crag to crag and from
pinnacle to pinnacle till there was
nothing above him save eagles and
stars and God. So we, had we been
properly trained and taught and ed
,-S~ In6 aw.A
higher to heights sublime in our
thoughts and dreams and aspira-
tions.
DR.. Cooper did not call upon me
for talk as he did others, but had
he done so could not have said any
thing because of the lack of proper
teaching and training in my youth.
But, Oh! how / wanted to tell them
how our county and other counties
in the state are issuing bonds for
hundreds of thousands Of dollars for
good roads and other improve
ments" to be paid for by our boys
and girls 20 or 80 years hence which
in that time will probably be worn
out and gone and everything obso-
lete and out of date but the debt,
and we will be wanting flying ma
chimes and sky hangers instead of
graveled roads and automobiles.
Every effort to increase the school
tax levy, so that these boys and
girls can be properly trained and
prepared to meet these debts we are
upon them, has always been
given the solar-plexus in the flrst
round. We should issue millions,
yes, billions, of bonds or something,
for the education and training of
this coming generation.
/ wanted to tell them how our vast
timber resources handed down to US
by our fathers have been wantonly
and prodigally wasted and destroy
ed and could have been, had we had
the prounr training and education.
made to INST from generation to Eaik<
Grafton. It would be q great SIGHT
surely for thousands Of our younger
people could they behold the Inn
fnense forests of majestic pine trees
that once covered this fair land of
ours. And we, the present genera
tion, have used it up within the last
40 years because Of greed and lack
of sense.
/ wanted to tell them that for the
lack of proper teaching and train
ing, we are, and have been year af-
ter year, robbing our soil Of its life
giving elements which we take out
in the shape of corn, wheat, cotton,
etc, and return practically nothing.
We allow vast quantities Of 1t to
wash of and waste. We ship an
nualIy to Europe millions OF tons OF
it in grain, Hour, cotton seed meal.
cake, ETC., which is totally lost to
our lands. So the soil Of our coun-
try is being gradually robbed and
depleted Of its Hfe-giVing properties
and there will be limit by and by.
1t is prohibitive by law in some Eu-
ropean countries to export such food
stuffs that are high in soil fertility
and the government pays q bounty
on their exports Of low soil fertility.
Thereby, they keep at home the
high-priced foods and their land is
growing richer and richer.
The back bone of any nation Is its
farms and farmers, and for Gods
sake let US educate our farmer boys
and girls and II we can't pursuade