PUBLISHED EVERY THUB8DAY EVENING
BY THE
Mcdowell publishing co.
Marion, N. C.
MARION PROGRESS gradoates can eDter wbput condi
hod any college in INortb Uarolioa,
while there are several other
schools giving one or two years of
high school instruction. Only a
few years ago the number of young
men and women in one year going
from McDowell county to college
O f iiii i tt r 11 r- j i it . , .
Oi t. wnii inn, taixor ana rrop. could have been counted on the
fingers of one hand. Now either
Entered at the Postofficfe at Marion, of our State high schools send as
N. C. as second class matter. many. v
There will always be those who
TEEMS : will stand in thft wav of nrnirrMs
OKI Year,
Six Months,
Three months
Strictly In Advance!
-MARION, N. C, MAY 13, 1920
75c
40c
The Era of Education.
In these days of great prosperity
and progress in all fields of en
deavour the public schools are not
lagging behind in the procession
but are going forward with a
rapidity that a few years ago
would have been thought impos
sible by the most optomistic.
The war, of course, gave greater
impetus to education than any
thing that has ever happened iD
this country. The absolute neces
sity of trained men and women
was realized as never before, for
the world war was won by brains
and not by force. It was a war in
"which science played the leading
part. While millions of men lost
their lives in the awful conflict,
yet had not there been back of the
whole thiDg a great organization
composed of men of superior edu
cation and training the toll of
death would have been far more
terrible. The sad feature was,
however, that of the millions of
young men called to fight for their
country and to make safe the name
of democracy thousands knew not
the meaning of democracy, for
how could they understand the
meaning of something in which
they had never been given any
schooling? It is a known fact that
a very high percentage of the boys
called to the colors could not read
or even sign their names to the
pay roll.
The war revealed the condition
and now we have set about to right
it. We have at last come to the
point where we realize that if our
American institutions and form of
government are to endure that we
must have an educated citizenship.
Education must be made universal
and to have it so we must have
schools and teachers on a much
greater scale than we have ever
dreamed of. Good schools, Like
every other good thing, are ex
pensive but we must have them
regardless of cost.
" The State has at last got down
to business and is putting on a
program of education that will
revolutionize conditions in North
Carolina. Teachers have been com
pelled to work for a pittance, but
now salaries are to go up, while
tbe qualifications of teachers also
go op. This means that while it
will require more money to finance
schools the schools will be of
greater service because of their
increased efficiency.
But, as we said in-' the outset,
wonderful progress is already be
ing made and we think that this
progress is as marked in McDowell
county as any other section of the
State. It has been only a matter
of a few years when there was
not in this county a single school
building to which we could point
with the finger of pride, but now
there are several magnificent struc
tures that do honor to every citi
zen who has had a part in their
building. We are ashamed to tell
the short number of years ago
when not a single school in the
county prepared for college en
trance. Now there are four whose
i-& and in the path of education and
in the upbuilding of the people,
but we are glacl that in McDowell
county there is a board of educa
tion that is going forward with a
big program. These modern school
buildiDgs that are springing up in
the different communities are go
ing to be the beacon lights that
will attract and draw the btfys and
girls to school and hold them until
they have, been fitted for a life
work. The time will not be long
when the work that is being done
now in the cause of education in
this county will bear fruit. We
hope the great work will continue
until a modern high school is with
in the reach of every boy and girl
in McDowell county.
o
3QC
DOC
DOC
DOC
Loafing and Living.
We've read a good deal the past
.1 m
year or so on the cost of living
problem, and we still read every
solution offered. But up to this
time we believe the best advice of
fered, and the thing that will cut
the high cost of living quicker than
anything else is for everybody to
go to work. Sweat, good, honest
sweat and a lot of it from every
man regardless of his financial con
dition, is the one thing needed to
bring prices back toward normal.
We don't see much loafing here
in Marion, and yet so long as one
man is content to remain idle he is
doing that much to keep up the
cost of food and clothing. It is in
the large cities of this country the
loafiDg is being done, and on a
larger scale than ever before
known. Men make from two to
five times as much now as they
once did and, instead of working
all the time they are, in thousands
of instances, content to work three
and four days a week and loaf the
remainder of the time. Every
man who loafs makes it necessary
for some other man to work that
much harder, so loafing even for
a day is an imposition on the men
who work steadily. Production
and nothing else will reduce prices.
If a factory turned out a million
hats an hour instead of one a day,
hats would be cheaper. If we
raised a hundred billion bushels of
potatoes to every fifty bushels we
raise now potatoes would be cheap
er. But with more people loafing
than ever before and factory and
farmer unable to produce as liber
ally as they wou lu like to 'Vnd
should, we need expect no drop in
prices. When the day comes that
every man can be made to under
stand that it is criminal to loaf, and
that loafing is the surest step to
ward starvation, then honest sweat
will start to flow in this country as
it should and prices will drop.
Judge Ray's Candidacy.
Elsewhere in this issue will be
found an open letter from Judge
J. Bis Bay to the Democrats of Mc
Dowell county. We call to it the
attention of our readers. Judge
Ray has made a splendid impres
sion wherever he has courj;
according to reports froni t h e
Western Districts of North Caro
lina. His friends say he has made
good, and the fact that he is stick
ing to his duties on the bench and
leaving his candidacy to the voters,
rather than neglecting bis official
duties for his personal interests,
is most commendable and should
meet with the hearty approval of
the entire citizenship.
DRESSES! OR ES S E S !
You talk about pretty Dresses. We are showing them by the scores, all made in the
latest vogue of Georgette Crepe, Crepe Meteor, Satin, Taffeta, Voile, Tricolette and goodness
knows what all. This ts the most wonderful showing for the money we have ever secured.
If you expect to wear a-"Glad Frock"
Spring, come and sec these.
this
9
toe
o
o
30C
The Square Deal Store.
JQf. - iQi
5
DOC
Open Letter from Judge Ray.
To the Democrats of McDowell
County:
I wish to ask your support
of my candidacy in the June Pri
mary for the position of Superior
Court Judge of the 18th Judicial
District. I regret that 1 have and
will be unable to make a personal
campaign of the district and see
you individually, but ray duties on
the bench prevent me. I have been
holding Court constantly and could
not and will not be able to make a
personal canvass in my own inter
est without neglecting the duties
of the judgeship which I now hold.
I, therefore, must appeal to you
through this open letter, and as
sure you that your support will be
greatly appreciated by me.
Upon the death of the lamented
Judge Mike Justice, Governor
Bickett appointed me to fill the
vacancy. I am now offering for
nomination to fill oat the unexpired
term of Judge Justice. On tbe
bench, the State has received my
most faithful service, it having
been thy purpose at all times to
hold the scales of justice fairly and
impartially without fear or favor.
I have held Courts throughout the
two districts west o f McDowell
county, beginning with Asheville
and going to Cherokee. Your rigid
examination of the way and manner
in which my Courts have been con
ducted is earnestly invited in any
county where I have, served. I
have known no favorites, and have
stuck to my post till the cases o n
the Court Calendars were tried
out, or the term ended, and, if no
minated at your hands, I promise
you my untiring, most faithful and
best service in maintaining tbe high
standard of our Courts.
I appeal to you for support, and
am sure that you will not permit
my candidacy to suffer on aecount
of performance of duty in sticking
to the duties of tbe Judgeship
rather than neglect me it for my
own Interests. I will appreciate
your votes, and will leave my for
tune in your hands.
Faithfully yours,
J. BIS RAY.
OS
3
TGibb
(Co0 DDaysf
Wf ' 2
KNOX
HATS
Will soon be over and Straw Hats will! be abroad in the land.
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