The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-22
inaugural Address Emphasizes Necessity For
Development and Conservation of
Natural Resources
EDUCATION OF ALL THE
PEOPLE MOST IMPORTANT
Bold Stand Against the Clamor For Ruthless Re-
= ducti0n OF Taxation and Abandonment O..
Progressive Policies


above all other things. to render real
service TO the people Of South Caro-
lima.
For many years have given my
best thought to the problems affecting
our inalcinable rights to life liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness, und
during all these years the conviction
has grown upon me that our funda-
mcnta! need is education. Hence It
comes about that l have selected ed-
ucation as my theme today Going
up and down the state, and to AND
FRO therein, there have como to my
attention many great needs, MAN.
things which arc essential to a high
level OF common happiness. I see
clearly our fine accomplishments, and
no man Is prouder than am Of them.
Yet II seems TO me that we should ad-
dress ourselves 20 doing tasks that
are needed. rathe- than lauding tasks
that have been done. II is unpleas-
ant, sometimes. to be realist; and
perchance 1t will bes irksome to you
for me to dwell upon our deficiencies.
How, though, are we to correct con-
! dl;ions unless we first look them
squarely in the face? On the prom
! isc that We must see clearly things
as they are before We gan take steps
To effect remedies. I shall proceed i'm
] this brief talk.
! Why ~ it that we lay waste our
forests with so little thought for the
| future? Why is it that We deplete.
rather than develop. our coastal in
dustrles? Why do we 80 often TIL our
fle!ds but indifferently and provide
SO inadeQ Quately for mark citing of di-
versified AGRICULTURAL products? WHY
do we worry along under an out
worn tax system. splash and Jolt over
lad roads, leave undeveloped our po-
tential resources? In short, why have
we, to some extent. at least, pitched
our lives upon plane not commen-
surate with the lavish generosity na-
ture has displayed? Surely God has
vouc hsafGd to us every opportunity
to help ourselves. 1t is not that we
are. sluggards, and II Is not that we
, lack the urge begot of devotion TO a
great state. The answer, my friends
is that we lack information. Putting
IL differently we lack education.
One who Is familiar with our his
tory will understand why we dropped
behind other states in the matter Of
| education. Hard hit ny the war OF
secession. and still harder hit by ;ht
dark days that enSued, we became q
| people who were. relatively speakinC,
without money. ] shall not recount
| I'll the factors which enter into
uroper explanation OF our present con
di,!on. for explanations ure of sec
ondary importance. Elimination of
81 ardlng forces is the thing we want.
Among the many principal e!e-
mcnts essential to happy demuc-
racy are native mental ability and In
| formation. We have the former in
rs full measure az any people: but the
latter we have not made available 10
al the boys and girls who reside with
In our borders. TIE time was when
those who made laws and those who
executed Them could forget the man
who throughout the sultry days fol.
| 'oed tho plow up and down the fur.
rows, and also the man who in other
ways toilcd with h.s muscles. But
that time is happily passed forever.
The structure OF society rests upon
lhe man who toi's, he is OF primary
Importance. He must, regardless OF
cost, be given the education which
Is required IN order to enable him to
understand his work und to do it in
the most telling fashion.
In the modern world ones innate
mental strength and ones muscular
energy are not sufficient 10 meet the
cvcr"day needs OF iife The mind
must be- trained; ideas and inforina-
| ion must be implanted in 1t. Thii
can bc done only through system
Of schools "A democracy can travcl
no faster and no further than The
average nan. The way to adVancc,
in democracy. is TO afford Il higher
/ dc grce OF ucntal training 20 the ov-
crtgc man and average woman. Let
education DO general and efficient, and
then will We see progress in all 9TH
er worthy lines of human effort,
! Our fields will be better cultivated,
our homes more attractive, our
churches more inspiring. our thrift
more pronounced. social legislation
vi 20 forward with great bounds.
/ / nj lct education be lacking, and we
I shall behold a dismal society, clog
/ gcd and stGgnart Our idle water
powers. our devastated forests, our
diminishing fish and game, our whole
: economic life, and more important
'e'ill. our boys and girls cry out aloud
for enlightenment, and woe bctiGe
that man who docs not lend ~ help
ing hand to the removal Of our
< cateSt Stumbling block-an made
quate educational system.
/ II is littic more than idle to at
tempt progress hy Following any path
save that which leads through thc
school We can never hope to achi Vc
economic independence, social i'm
prov"men1. freedoms Of effort set
expression and the like until wc
have first rivrn to every ono the iacn.
tai equipment necessary TO cope Wi'a
present day lie.