The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-18

!NclN Dl!SlllcSt cldSS VI illcI ei'u WIFI
en- cf the country. The training Of
our children should not be in the
hands, as is often the case, of imma-
ture boys and girls. The teacher
should be consecIatei to the service,
but patched britches, the same old
dress year after year, and empty
stomachs do not tend to consecra-
.ion
"The South must awake to its cdu-
cational backwardness its every prob
lem must find it's solution in the school
room. Against the hyphenated Am
erican, the Bolshcvist and So"ietist, |
should feel safe when | felt sure that
the citizenship of the country was cd
ucatcd sufficient to know something
cf the institutions of the country
compared with the Institutions and
forms of government of other coun-
tries. The great duty ahead OF the
American people is to put on CAM
paign that every patriot become a
teacher to teach the people plain, un-
adulterated Americarism."
After handing out the above straight
from the shoulder Philippe OF the
school conditions, Mr. Lever entered
upon a discussion Of mud. Differing
from many public men, this man nev-
er throws this article, yet never MISS
es an opportunity to talk about 1t.
"Our mud tax" he said, sis one of
the heaviest drains On the South. This
mud tax is paid by the farmer who
produces the crops. 1t is deducted
from the price of his products. Let
me illustrate. 1t costs North Car
oiina farmer Is cents to haul l0o
mounds of corn distance of one
mile. Illinois, Maryland, New Jer-
sew and Wisconsin farmers can 40
such hauling at cost OF from hVe
to seven cents. You see, they have
salid reads, while ours are. mud. Ihls
same ratio OF cost holds good in the
hauling to market Of such crops as
cotton, hay, tobacco and potatoes.
"But, my friends, the financial
drain of the mud tax is the least OF
the burdens it imposes. The human
race loves companionship. The con-
tentedness CT community is in pro-
norton to the ease Of communication
between individuals Of the 'commun'-
tv Community centers, so vital as
factor in the development of COM
munjtv life, are dependent upon the
character of the roads. This IS true
likewise of !he church and education
al life Of the community.
"Corsolidated schools with modern
couipnent and high grades teachers
are impossible in community OF oao
s7d Indifferent roads. Roads, rsllgfon
ard education are inseparably linked
I'D as primal factors in tie progress OF
civilization.
m know the tragedy Of the woman
who works on farm. My mother
WIS ore of them. The traveller who
rasses through the South sees the
f.rm woman with her little brood OF
children picking frost covered cotton
and wonders at it. I often sec sacf
sights ard my heart bleccs because
Of it.
"The greatest problem Of this or
any other age is that OF home owner
ship. The ownership Of home IN
spires the desire to conserve. Inc
desire to conserve inspires the wish
for orderly procedure. Anarchy, l.
w. W.'ism and such other isms re-
suit from idleness AID the lack OF
anvthing TO conserve can not thrive
where the bulk of the community
owns its own homes.
"Therc are two fundamental things
wrong with the world. One is idle
ness: the other is the inability of such
a large per cent Of the people 70 Sc
cure homes on the one hand and upon
the other the desire Of so many OF our
city people to escape the responsioll-
itv Ct home ownership. Fortunately,
we now have the federal reserve sys-
tenn, the farm loan system ana the
federal warehouse system. through
these inst-umeatalities we may COW
fix forever the economic and social
status of our country. Will we 60 1t!
But is this only a farmers PROP
lem? Has the banker no concern IN
the welfare Of the farm children! IS
rot the lawyer, merchant, doctor and
every class of society v:tal!y. interest
Z