The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-06-30
Our State Schools.

e To The Commercial: If there is on
e question that should interest ever,
It Tennessean more than any other it i
y our State schools. They do more t,
y develop our State than anything W,
: have, and we sho-.ld all speak kint
J. words of them and do everything il
y our power to make them better.
e Our university, four normals ant
e polytechnic school are a credit to oul
State or any other. Money and tim,
E have been lavished on them, giving
them good equipment, the best teach
7 ers money can buy, and from nine to
ten months term each year. Those in
management of our State schools
: have been generous to these, and
: have been diligent in looking after
their interests. They have made
| their standard so high and expenses
so great that only a favored few are
. able to attend them. Their doors
are almost or quite closed to the
common poor girl and boy of our
State. We are all proud of these
schools, and commend our State
school officials for the good and care
full attention they have given them.
True they only teach one per cent of
our scholastic population-but they
do that we'll.
But how is it with cur common and
high schools? Have they received
the same generous care and atten-
ton that they have given our high
er institutions? If our State school
authorities have not given our COM
mon and high schools the same show
and attention as they have given our
Estate higher institutions, why is it?
They are all our States wards, and
have a right to the same care and
attention, and if they are not get /!
ting it no one is to blame but our |
State School Board. These common
and high schools teach ninety-nine
per cent of our girls and boys, have
no equipment, poorly qualified teach
ers, some of whom can't stand an ex-
animation for teachers certificates to
teach and have to work at starvation 1
prices, and have from sixty to ninety II
days school term each year
We are sorry to see our STATED
school lobby, assisted by its good and
trusted friend, the book trust, drag
our public schools into politics by
supporting a candidate for Governor
who has never lifted up his voice for
any of our State institutions and
wage bitter war against the candi-
date for Governor who has always
been friend to all our State institu-
tions and has always championed
their cause. Why have they centered
their mud batteries against this can
didate? 1t is because he had the
to speak out for the six hun
dred thousand poor girls and boys in
our State and demand that they have
the same show for an education as
our favored few, who are able to pay
their way in any school they see fit L
to attend? Why have they called out
all their puppet county superinten-
dents and made them pass cut and Il
dried resolutions, prepared by their
'uperiors, condemning candidate
for Governor who always stands up II
for the common peoples cause? Why III
was it that these puppets were select II
ed to pass these resolutions of con ii
1emnation? Was it because they III
knew if they did not do their supe- III
'iors' bidding they would lose their
bread and butter and the lobby's u
suillotine would be set to work and III
heir heads would be sent home in
charger to show the authority in
power? These poor puppets are to ii
'e pitied because they have not the
courage to stand up and fight for the
COMMON and high schools from which II
hey got their education and start in III
ife.
1t is time that the people of Ten
lessee were standing up and demand
ng their rights and that Their schools
re placed back into their hands for
heir management, which has been
Systematically taken from them by
ur school lobby Until this is done
ur common and high schools will
ever receive fair and just treatment.
A. X. SHELTON,
Petros, Tenn.
Death of T. a. Threlkeld. III