Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-07-15
EIGHT MONTHS
SCHOOL TERM
DIR. Dougherty Offers Solution for
the Longer Term; Addresses
Ashe Commercial Club

the Appalachian State Normal, ad-
dressed the Ashe County Commercial
Club at Lansing at It's monthly bar-
quet held last week
Dr. Dougherty in his address pro-
posed solution of the eight months
school question which is unique and
has aroused 4 great deal of discus
sion in this section. His solution is
not in accordance with orthodox po-
itical ideas, but is thoughtful work
ing out of a system that does not
destroy local self-government and yet
provides for a central authority in
school matters, says jefferson
special to the Winston-Salem Jour
nal.
DR.. Dougherty's address in full is
as follows:
| am reminded of what Landon C.
Haynes said in the city of Jackson,
Tennessee, just after the war at a
great banquet that was held there.
The hour was growing late AID the
tOastmasteT said, "Gentlemen. we will
now be glad to have some remarks
from the silver-tongued orator from
the GOd-forsakeE country of East
Tennessee. Landon c. Haynes was
sitting at the table asleep and some
of his friends woke him and said,
''Landon, get up, they are calling on
you for speech and throwing off on
your county" Mr.. Haynes arose
o,,l -aiI.
Gentlemen; plead guilty to the
soft impeachment. | was born in
east Tennessee, on the banks Of the
Watauga, which in the Indian yer
"2culGr, is beautiful river, ard beau
j;ful river it is. | have stood upon
its banks in my childhood and looked
down into its CLASSY waters and have
seen heaven below, and then looked
up and beheld heaven above, re-
flecting, like two mirrors each with
he other, its moons and planets and
trembling .tars," and On and on and
on, and finally wound up with this
statement: "Oh, beautiful land of
east Tennessee, with thy SUM- painted
cliffs, how can | ever forget thee?'
May | make the application: Ref
erence has been made to my birth
place. Il plead guilty to the soft
impeachment. | was born in old
jefferson, and the truth about the
matter was that l had too much sense
to be born anywhere else. There |
played in my childhood and listened
many times to the history-told by
my grandfathcr-of this fine old
county of yours.
| heard Dr.. P S. Henson, of Chi
cago, once when introduced at the
college commencement where ! was a
student. He had been introduced in a
most charming manner, and he arose
and said he believed hat when
man had reached the zenith of MS
usefulness in the world. that it was
futile for him to live any longer as
he would be useless to his country.
If what the gentleman who intro
duced me has said is true, then |
think it would be a mighty good time
Just now for P S. Henson to pass
away. Mayl also make the appli-
cation: If all that you have heard
about me were true. it seems to me
that it would be good time just
now for B. B. Dougherty to pass
away
My friends, | cannot tell you how
glad that | am to be back in this
fine old county of yours and of mine.
| think it. is one of the best counties
in the State, if it is not the best, I
submit with all catldor that it's
mighty close to it. | say Pm glad to
be here, for | think as much of this
county, expect that | think as
much of it as any man that lives with
in its borders, and Pm sure-quite
sure, that | think more of it than
any man that lives on the outside of
it. You have the finest timber, the
richest valleys rolling back into fer
tile coves, you have enough water
power here if harneseed to turn all
the spindles in the State, that would
make the State immensely rich. You
have iron mines, and have cattle and
sheep and horses, and twenty thou
sand of the finest men and women
that ever walked upon North Caro-
lima soil. l repeat, l am glad
to be here. I'm glad to meet
you and to greet you, and | wish I
had bunch of roses-the sweetest
flower that grows, that | could pin
on the lapel of every coat here and
lay in the doorway of every home in
this fine old county as token of
the best wishes that any man can
have for his fellows.
My friends, | do not know what
to say on an occasion like this.
| have been thinking since | came
here. | do not know what your Gus
tom is down here in Ashe, but over
in our place at meetings of this kind
we always try to set out some one
thing that will help the town, and
help the county, and help the State.
have come to the conclusion in fol-
| lowing up what was said at vour last