Hickory daily record., 1922-09-13
DAY OF OPPORTUNITY


James Madison Brown is one OF
many thousands Of young men III
North Carolina who can look back on
his ancestors with pride. They lived
at a time when opportunities were
few in North Carolina, w,er n com.
mon school education was difficul.
to obtain and when there we're few
men and women with vision enough
to scan the future in North Carolina.
They could not know that in 1922 no
boy or girl in North Carolina need
be denied high school education
almost as good as tina. to be obtain
ed in the colleges Of their day.
Browns grandparents could barely
read and write. There were few public
schools in their section OF the state
and the free schools, as they were
called, generally were poorly con-
Quoted and continued for g short per-
iod. His grandparents did not have
many advantages. But they gave their
children all the advantages they
could along with some good. honest
work before and after school. They
we're taught industry and persever-
ancc.
On ono side the grandparents prob
ably had better advantages than on
the other; in most cases that IS a
fact today.
When Brown was born his parents
were residing on farm in comfort
able circumstances for that day ana
time. They had been fixed by circum-
stances to their environment, which
they loved and which they :ried to
improve. While they could increase
their knowledge by reading and study
they realized that opportunity fol-
them had gone by. 1t was no fault
of theirs or their parents. They did
not blame anybody.
But they resolved to give their owr
children greater opportunities thar
they themselves had enjoyed. They
skimped here and there, toiled early
and late, and se,t the youngster:
to free and paid schools and helped
them get off to college. When Brown
was young man dollars were still
hard to get, and he can remember tha
the black Sunday dress his mothe1
owned had a counterpart Throughout
his section and lasted for many years
Brown has. seen his state grow il
agricultural, industrial and education
al wealth. lie has stayed at home t.
help along the people who have help
ed him and others along. He sees tn
greater opportunities for cducatio
in North Carolina and rcjoiccs.
Brown is nearly so years old now
with children Of his own. Like hi
ancestors, he is thinking Of the com
ing generation and willing to wor
hard that they may have better OF
portunitics than he had. His lot
much easier than was that of hi
parents and three times as easy a
that of his grandparents. He coul
mot find half dozen families toda
who get hold of less money than hi
parents saw in the same length {
time. He knows that there is oppol
tunity for every boy and girl wit
ambition.
The son of blacksmith has ju'
a. good chance to succeed as the SC
Of lawyer. 1t requires good min
willingness to work and longing
get somewhere. Nearly every boy ar
girl has a good mind.
As Brown studies the situation t
day, he knows that his grandparen
would have been fired if there hs
been /isible to them one-tenth Il
light Of hope that shines today f.
every boy and girl.
Parents who sit down, fold the
hands and complain won't inspi
their children to great things. ia
ents must turn back the pages
time for a few years, note the LAT
Of opportunities rs years ago al
80 and Is years ago, and compa
them with the present if they a
in earnest about progress. Thou.
their own destinies may be as fix
as the stars, they must realize tn
opportunity beckons loudly to the b.
and girl whose parents today a
capable Of inspiring ambition.
We are not living today for ou
selves. II we are real men and worne
we are living for the future--to il
prove the community, the state q