Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1921-05-26
VOL. XXI.
, The POVERTY OF the soU1H
CHARITY and Children)

N Onarlty anu OIlllureHJ
N It is not in her material resour-
ces. It is not even in her actual
possessions, for she has made
wonderful advancement in all
lines of business and is able at
last to hold up her head with any
other section of the United States
but she is poor in her education.
al equipment and in the general
culture Of her people. Lynch
law is more common in the south
than elsewhere because of the
ignorance of the masses. In
telligent people respect the law,
but the ignorant can be easily
infamed, and sober reason is
overwhelmed by the passion of
the hour. Mobs are always ig-
norant, It is ridiculous to think
of a cultured lynching party. If
education were more generally
diffused every other blessing
would follow in it's wake. The
great masses of ignorance hold
US down and give some reason
for the criticisms of those none
too friendly to this section of the
country. Our common school
system in this part of the coun-
try. Our common school sys.
tenn in this part of the counGry
does not function as it should.
We are too niggardly in our ap-
preparations rom the public
treasury. We are too niggardly
in our appropriations from the
public treasury. We are amaz.
ingly liberal toward our higher
institutions of learning, bnt state
colleges will never touch the sit
uation in the way of raising the
general level of education to a
higher plane. In fact the grad
yates of our State institutions,
as a rule, are out of sympathy
with the common schools, or at
least, do not sympathize enough
to help them. Have you heard
of many graduates of the Univer-
sity engaging in the common
school work of the State? Our
denominational schools and col
leges, for the most part, are
poorly equipped and have most
meagre and inadequate endow-
ments. The Baptists of North
Carolina have besides their cole.
ges the high schools under de
nominational control. With few
exceptions these schools limping
along with the poorest facilities,
including the buildings, that can
be imagined. And where a school
has "a good building it has moth
ing else. The Is million fund has
helped, but it is wholly made
quate to meet the needs of these
institutions. With the exception
of Trinity College none of GU r
higher institutions of learning
are at all prepared to do their
best work because of their pov.
erty. What is true of North Car
olinais no doubt true of the Sou.
thern States generally. Our
Methodist brethren of the South
are tengaged in a campaign to
raise thirty million dollars in the
South for education. But what
are thirty million dollars among
so many? North Carolina will
raise nearly twice that much for
good roads. Good schools mean a
great deal more than good roads,
but we do not see it that way,
and that is exactly why we are
Intellectually so poor. Bishop
Ainsworoh, in . recent address
in Dallas, Texas, said: "Compar
atively speaking, the entire South
is so poor in educational facili
ties that it's bones are sticking
out through the skin. The Bish.
op went on to say that last year
seventy nine million dollars were
given to educational institution.
in this country but of this am