4 O
Price: $4.00 per year
CONCORD, N. C. TUESDAY, MARCH 18 If 02 . .
-SlNGLH COPY 5 CENTb.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Tlielr Benefits far All Rnnirp of Studies
Should be Wide Improved Methods.
There is 'scarcely anything in
which the intelligent citizen of a
community should take more in
terest than in the education of
the young. Education, I am well
aware, does not consist in read
ing, writing, ciphering or any of
the branches taught at school,
but in training and leading the
mind to that further education
to which the rudiments lead the
way.' But that very training is
given by the well-conducted
school, supplemented of course
by the family management. In
proper hands the school not only
imparts the element of knowl
edge but it accustoms youth to
application, system and method
in study and provides for them
that discipline which is as essen
tial in civil as in military life.
The good sense of the American
public has made primary educa
tion an affair of State, giving the
essential branches of knowledge
free to the children of rich and
poor alike, giving them some
thing more valuable than wealth
the foundation of wealth, since
without it industry would be ill
directed and thrift degenerate
into avarice. In doing this we
must see that the places wh3re
children are taught shall be
roomy, airy and convenient, so
that the health of our future men
and women be not injured ; that
every appliance which makes in
struction easier shall be used,
and that those who teach shall
be competent, kind and firm.
The term "free school," implied
charity and seemed to confer on
on the poor man's child a gift.
a pauper, and with a sensitiveness-
peculiarly American, and a
very proper feeling, he shrank
from and repelled it. But when
the public school system was be
gun, when the schools, were
maintained by a tax on all alike,
when the new academies became
better and more thorough in
' their methods than the private
schools, then both rich and poor
crowded them.
Primary education is not a
favor conferred by the rich, but
a right built up by the labor of
the poor man the basis of all
taxations and takpn by him as
he takes any other benefit of our
government, whicjh represents
the whole people. And some of
you," remembering the closS and
inconi-PTiiAnt schools of the oast.
their incompetent methods of
instruction, and their generally
rfalf competent conduct, are well
satisfied that public education
has become a matter of deep
public concern and is no longer
left to the impulses of a few in
dividuals. The time was when the public
school system was fought on the
ground that it was bad policy to
educate the poor. 'Learning, it
was said, would make them dis
contented. 9A wiser policy pre
vailed. It was felt that the lib
erty of this country rested upon
the intelligance of the -people.
To develop that intelligence re
quired that they should be ab?e
to read; for tbe'ir own safety
they should write, and for their
own protection in the ordinary
transactions of life that "they
should calculate with precision".
For a long time it was thought
best to confine instructions to
those' three branches. But as
from the common school there
sprang up men of distinction,
whp had afterward to run handi
capped the race of success, more
liberal thought added study after
study, and gave them additional
rudiments. If you give your
children some knowledge of
geography-and who would strike
that from the scheme of instruc1
tiou ? why not of cosmography?
'If we impart enough knowledge
'of the earth to incite them to
'look for more, why not of the
j
1 heavens ? Wo teach, them read
ing, but do not" try to make them
; accomplished elocutionists. We
teach them arithmetic, but do
not expect them to be perfect
mathmeticians. So we may teach
them the map of the heavens,
the laws thai govern the planets
in their qourses, the distances of
the sun and moon, and a host of
other valuable facts, without
making them perfect astrono-'
mers.
It may be said that astronomy
is more ornamental than useful,
such at least as can bo taught to
children. But if it were, if it
only afforded a relief to an other
wise dull course of study, it
should be encouraged. It is bet
ter to know a little of everything
than nothing at'all. and the child
who has facts at his r.ommarfd !
will add other facts to them in I
after life. -If he gets no farther
the fault is not with the com,-!
munity. If has started him in
the right way.
If music and some knowledge
of foreign languages were intro-
duced in our puonc scnoois, an
the better. There is something
due to yie graces of life. All
these things afford pleasure and
keep their students from mora.
uUKpiSuu,
and refiue the growing mind,
Astronomin pticuiar s
elevating influence, and le?.ds
those who master its facts to1
nobler purposes and higher pur-j
suns. J.U uiusi wuuujf scuuuis
the pupils throw away a great !
deal of time in "going through,"!
term
after, term, bulky text;
books, an arithmetic filled to re-
pletion with school masters' puz-
real life, and crammed with tech
nical "rules," which are learned
only tobe forgotten. 'It requires
decisive firmness to clear awajr
the rubbish of a superficial edu
cation and get down to a solid
basis. There is no mistaking the
fact that a great deal of our cur
rent school education, like the
ornamental tatooing of the South
Sea Islanders, is only skin deep,
and is valuable orily as fashion
able ornamental work. To a cer
tain extent every teacher must
perhaps yield to the prevailing
custome and decorate his pupils
with education paints and fea'th
ers; but the aim of all intellec
tual training 'for the masses of
the people should be to cultivate
common sense. J. O. B.
ClPT.PBOrsT GEi'S THE JO It
Contract for the Graded School Building
let on Monday Capt, Propst's Bid the
Best bj $1,G06.
Monday, the 17th, was the day
on which the contract was let
for the central graded school
building.
Contractors from Atlanta,
Charlotte, Statesville and else
where were here and put in their
bids.
Our own townsman, Mr. A II
Propst, was awarded th con
tract at $16,148..
This was $i,600 below anv bid
put in and some $5,000 below the
highest bid.
The Standard's minute descrip
tion of the construction of this
building sometime since shows
it to be very complete and beside
being imposing enough iu out
side appearance it will require
much skill in its building, all of
which the contractor possesses
and we are very much gratified
that ho will build the house.
Tenement Honse Burned.
The unsual sound of the fire
bell rang out this morning at,
about 10:30 o'clock: The fire
compaines and others (m
tho latter) fastened to the scene,
l was s'mT , wnm
nouse on me lauu in ivir. ouv. tr
Allison 'and situated between
Cedarrow and the Oil Mill. Tho
flames started from the stove
j flue and quickly enveloped the
ine" Christian, 'a colored;
man and his iamny, uvea in ine
house They saved most of the
contents
t- I 'mi 11 nt It ma til a
, ;
Could Not Breathe.
and othftr thr0Atar?d!
lung, troubles are quickly cured
by One Minute Cough Cure. One
r , nAisui
liquifies : the mucous, draws out
causeofthGd.sease Absoutoy
gale., Acts at once, -une ivnnuie
Cough Cure will do all that is
, p j Q Hod Crosby
Miss. "My wife could not get her
breath and was relieved by the
i first dosi. It has been a benefit
to all my family." Gibson Drug
Filo Wash
WW
Braihard and Armstrong "Asiatic" Filo Wash ,Sj
Silks are absolutely the best'. We have just re-.j
ceived a new line of
Silks, per skein only .
WHITE MADRASS.
Today we Dlace on sale the second case of
88
US White Madrass Mill
w
m yards to the piece. This
the first case, which lasted only 10 days. It was RH
merely a chance that we get this case and the com- 5
I mission people write us that they will have no j
8 more of these goods that the great demand has Kj
exhausted all the accumulation This splendid lot m
comes in fine mercerized
and dimity cords. Some
rwide. Would be considered good value 25c yaru,
our special price
j H. L. Parhs
POSITIVELY THE
Great Auction
o-
OF
Be!! & Harris
will be
Saturday,
ostyjat 2 p. m. and 7 p. m. at
cene. keep you away. All kinds
keep you away
for our losses, foi our losses
, s . . . , T, ,
'come and see What bargains you can buy. Kemember,
the last day.
Bell
. X.300130CXXX4
Q GOOCl Job Work !
e substantiate this statement H
l.j iin P 4U v sr- a ii T
f u,c; lHai oiuii,
V to SaV Whether OUT
w , , . rf : j x " cmamntPP in
Q n0X ana ,T 11 IS n0 We guaraniee lO
$kq it so. We are here to ma e a g
r-. ... . . . . ft
prOTlta IIVingaiSO tO GO JUStlCe XO X
p QUT CUStomerS.
The Standard Job Offlce.
;X:OOOOOOOe300
Bend in your
rTTUzvQfo nrlovrl
m
colors in the Rope and Filo
S3
m
m
m
m
9S
m
m
m
m
ends running from 5 to 15
case is finer goods than $
ft
satin stripes, lace strip -s
32 and some 36 inches
ft
t
m
m
ffi
M
M
B
W
M
K
if?
L Company.
LAST DAY OF THE
THE
-o
Furniture Co
pulled off
March
15 th,
Let nothing?
don't grieve
the old stand,
of F urniture-
are your gain. What fun
& Harris Furniture Co.
DOOOOOC 1:
rinrl nOWrt IT T f- UAI I KJ
anu ioqyc il iu yuu
WOrK IS all Tight Or 0
t t
subscription to
n'-c o Tvrffli