The Butts County progress. (Jackson, Ga.) 18??-1915, June 25, 1908, Image 4

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THE PROGRESS VAN WILHITE, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER. Subscription $i oo Per Yr. Advertising Rates Furnished On Application. Published Cberv Clmrsday. Entered as necond-clann matter, Novem ber 8, 1907, at the jioHtotHce at Jack non, Gu. under act of Congrm of March H, 1879. TELEPHONE NUMBER 166 THE DEHOCRATIC CONVENTION The Progress editor was one among Georgia’s array of one gallused weekly editors who at tended the state convention in Atlanta Tuesday. The work of the convention, as it could only be under the new primary ruling, was harmonious from the beginning, excepting one slight hitch in the conven tion’s refusal to endorse Hon. Thomas E. Watson for vice presi dent. While it is probable that the honor would not have been accepted by Mr. Watson, we could not do otherwise than be lieve that, under the circum stances, Mr. Watson was entitled to at least an offer of a piece of the democratic pie. But he got the lemon nevertheless. Hoke Smith supporters no doubt rejoice with their oppo nents in the latter’s unqualified endorsement of prohibition and disfranchisement. There are other things to be admired in the work of the convention and in the platform which it adopted. But while this is true we of course still believe along with 9?,000 other citizens of Georgia that a change of administration was absolutely useless and which the future will yet prove to have been a mistake. However, we are going to have better things in Georgia, and if Mr. Brown can hasten their com ing, let him do it! MR. POWERS ON STATE EXEC UTIVE COM/HTTEE. The new state democratic ex ecutive committee which was appointed at the recent demo cratic convention contains the name of our clever local towns man, Mr. W. T. Powers. Congratulations to Butts coun ty as well as Mr. Powers! Not to mention other reasons, no political candidate or party could have a better supporter other things being equal than Mr. Powers when it comes to pushing a political race to vic tory. Of course Mr. Powers was wrong in the recent political con tent, just as were 109,000 other citizens- from our point of view but one cannot help admiring the enthusiasm of support and intense sincerity of conviction as shown by this supporter of the opposing force. The convention could not have made a better choice from the Sixth. The other appointees from the sixth congressional district are John T. Allen, of Baldwin; T. J. Harden, of Monroe and J. W. Culpepper, of Fayette. RAISE THE SCHOOL TEACHER’S SALARY. We hope our readers are deeply interested in the pres ent movement for a better system of rural schools for Geoigia and therefore for Butts counny. And we as truly hope that they realize our teachers must be paid better salaries before we shall ever have a sufficient number of teachers and of the right kind. Georgia’s crying need at the present is more teachers and better teachers for the public schools of the state. There is hardly a section of the state in which this need is not seriously felt State School Commissioner Pound, in his annual report to the legislature, says: “If Georgia utilized every teacher turned out by the normal schools of the South there would still be a big de ficiency in the number of needed instructors for the youth of the state. After deploring the low salaries paid to the teachers Mr. Pound sounds a dangerous warning for the future of our pub lic school system. He says: “If some remedy is not provided and if better salaries are not paid promptly, the effect upon the schools will be disastrous. Already the signs are ominous. It is becom ing increasingly difficult to supply schools with proper or acceptable teachers, or even with teachers at all. • The shamefully low salaries paid the school teachers this state, of course, is the fundamental cause of this scarcity of instructors. When a manufacturer offers high salaries for positions demanding skilled men, for such positions he knows there will be many applications out of which he can select the most skilled workmen. So it is with teachers; offer more money for teachers and you get more applications; raise the standard of the teachers’ examination and you get more teach ers and better teachers. This is the only means by which our poorly equipped schools and inefficient teachers can be im proved, and such a fact should lead the people to action. This is an age in which the Dollar reigns and any move ment. whatever, that fails to appreciate the influence and power of pecuniary gain is based on a misunderstanding of human nature and will fail. Men and women are not yet all sacrifice and philanthropy. Our system of schools need money behind it just as badly as a ship needs its rudder. About $29 is the average salary of the Georgia school teacher. Prices for articles of necessity leap higher and high er and higher until they are almost doubled and the salary of the overworked, brain-fagged school teacher remains the same pitiful amount. When you are sick you want the best physi cian, even though he charges you more; when you want a brickmason you pay him $4.00 per day or SIOO per month; when you want a mechanic you pay him from $1.50 to $4.00 per day or an average of about S6O per month. A plain black negro you will pay from $1.25 to $2.00 per day. And yet when it comes to preparing your children, bone of your bone, flesh of your flesh, for the awful struggle of life; when it comes to shaping their little soft, plastic brains, and directing their minds into lifelong channels, you are willing to pay only $25 or S3O per month, and that to almost anybody who comes along. What is the result? Population is increasing, children are increasing in numbers, and the ranks of the school teacher are thinning, because they can get more money for a different kind of service. Only about a dozen men have graduated from the State Normal School in the last four years, and there is many a woman "who would be teaching school today were they not forced to wear out their lives in, a noisy, over-crowded school room for a mere pittance. While Wfe insist on the present session of the legislature acting favorably upon Mr. Pound’s plea for higher salaries, we do not forget that the state is unable to sufficiently reward her teachers, and would insist, therefore, on local taxation as a supplement to state aid. The more schools and better schools which Butts county wilfi* take the trouble to have, the more taxable property and prosperity she will enjoy, saying nothing of the advance along intellectual and moral lines. AN EDUCATIONAL RALLY. The Progress and other citizens of Butts county, who are interested in the education of our young, will be pleased to learn that arrangements are being made for an educational rally to be held somewhere in this county at some convenient time the present summer. Our county superintendent of schools, Mr. Maddox, has already invited State School Commis sioner Pound to be present with an address and Mr. Pound has accepted the invitation. The Progress would make just one suggestion—that this edu cational rally be a big occasion. Let the addresses be made in the open air and shade and comfortable seats be provided for everybody. Invite some other speaker of note to assist Mr. Pound in entertaining and instructing the audience along educational lines. For the second speaker The Progress would suggest the name of Henry R. Hunt, a former school teacher of Jackson, and a man who by the natural force of a big intellect and pure character, has pushed rapidly to the front rank of educational work in Georgia. Mr. Hunt is an eloquent speaker and would entertain as well as instruct his audience. Here’s hoping grand success for the educational rally. A CORRECTION. Our subscribers doubtless re cognized the mistake which ap peared in last week’s Progress, the mistake being the statement that Mr. Bartlett named Butts county’s delegates to the congres sional convention. As Mr. Blood worth carried the county, he of course, named the delegates in stead of his opponent. Subscribe for The Progress. We Want “You” to consider THIS BANK just as a place of business dealing in money and credit; a place of business that depends upon the support of the people of this com munity and is vitally interested in the future growth and up-building of both our town and tributary ter ritory. We want you to feel ju& as free to come in here as you would in going into any store in town. Come in and get acquainted with our officers, take note of the class of people we have for customers; we are confident you will be glad to open an account with us and be associated with these in a business way. <>l Jackson Banking Cos. NOW 20 YEARS OLD J. E. Edwards The Bicycle Repairer j"~ Repairs Bicycles, Graphophones Phonographs, Umbrellas, Sew ing Machines, Novelties, Etc. Sharpens v Meat Saws, Wood Saws, Scissors, Knives, Lawn Mow ers, Etc. Sells Bicycle Sundries and Supplies. Puts Rubber Tires on Baby Carriages. Guarantees his work. Do not send your repair work away when you can have it done here and saving, at least, express charges. j Vinegar Caution Vinegar, may be vinegar, or it may be some thing else; and due regard for health demands care in the purchase of this article of universal consumption. Perhaps a so-called vinegar, composed of acetic acid and water may not be called strictly poisinous, but to use it is to treat the delicate lining of one’s stomach rather harshly, to say the least, while its str6ng metallic taste destroys the flavor of everything to which it is applied. Or if it is doctored with tannic or sulphuric acid to improve its flavor, then it is doubly dangerous because more deceitful. It would seem, therefore, that one’s only safe-guard is to Purchase a Reliable Brand From a Reliable Grocer I refund full purchase price if any pack age of Heinz Vinegars proves unsatisfactory S. H. Thornton