PAGE FOl'R
(Cumngtnn
Published Every Thursday
Official Organ of Newton County and
City of Covington Georgia.
FRANK REAGAN, Editor and Publisher
A. S. ADAMS, Superintendent
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year ..................... $1.00
Six Months ....................
Three Months ................. 25°
Advertising Rates on Application.
Entered as second-class matter De¬
cember 2, 1908, at the post office at
Covington, Ga., under the Act of
March 3, 1879.
All cbituary notices, cards of thanks,
and announcements, other than of a
public nature, will be charged for at
the rate of one cent a word—cash with
copy.
____
COVINGTON, GA., MAY 4, 9116.
i! ORIGINAL! |
ii------------A N D------------------
!! § OTHERWISE | |
BY A. S. ADAMS
Look out for the Special Edi¬
tion next week.
*—n-—•
The Revenue Officers are
still on the job.
*—u—*
Have you had that old straw
lid cleaned up yet ?
*- 11 —*
Iscream doesn’t taste bad
these days. Things are warm¬
ing up.
*—n—*
“White Lightning*’ every¬
where, and not a drop fit to
drink.
*—n—*
Are you doing your part to¬
ward helping make the Chautau¬
qua a success?
*—n—*
It begins to look like if we see
a ball game this year, we will
have to go to Porterdale or Cov¬
ington Mills.
*- 11 -*'
Atlanta winning four straights
reminds us of how Covington
did Monroe last year. How
about it, Campie?
*—n—*
Get ready for the biggest
week in the history of Coving¬
ton. Beginning May 22nd and
lasting for seven days.
*-It-*
We don’t like to be talking
about our hard luck, but it seems
pretty hard on a fellow to have
to set up his own paragraphs.
--n—*
Haven’t got many paragraphs
this week. Our machine man
has gone, and we had to take his
place. So you see if we no
writee, we no have to sete.
--If-*
M. H. Sinquefield, the Lithon
iagrapher, is back with the
News. We are thinking of turn¬
ing over our column to him, on
condition that he omits that
spring poultry stuff.
*—IT—*
A Few Reasons Why You Should
Help the Chautauqua.
1. It shows that you have
Covington’s interest at heart.
2. It brings business to Cov¬
ington that would not come, if it
was not for the Chautauqua.
3. It brings first-class enter¬
tainments here, that are seldom
seen in small towns.
4. It puts Covington and
Newton county very much on
the map.
5. A good Chautauqua not
only boosts Covington, but New¬
ton county.
6. We see the same enter¬
tainments here that the King of
England and the President of
the United States have seen and
endorsed.
7. If you co-operate with the
Chautauqua Movement, you
prove, beyond doubt, that you
appreciate the efforts of the
guarantors in securing the best
to be had in the way of first
class entertainments.
8. The price of a season tick¬
et entitles you to see twenty
first-class entertainments, eith¬
er of which is worth the price
of the season ticket.
9. It shows that Newton
county is not only a leader in
Public Schools, and many other
things, but a leader in securing
entertainments that would flat¬
ter a town of twice Covington's
size.
10. This Chautauqua puts
Covington first in twelve states.
i We see the famous Alkahest
artists first.
THE COVINGTON NEWS, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1916.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
There is no such thing. The words contradict each
other, for no education of a person is compulsory. We have
all been using this term, though, both those proposing and
those opposing it, only meaning by compulsory education com¬
pulsory school attendance.
In beginning this discussion we must neccessarily con¬
sider education. For education is what they desire to secure
who advocate compulsory school attendance. Education is
the end for which they propose compulsory school attendance
as the means.
Two questions present themselves to us at the threshold
of this subject:
1. The value of education. What does it accomplish
and is its value so great that, like peace in the opinion of some,
it should be secured at any price ?
2. Is compulsory attendance at school on the part of our
State’s children sure to produce an educated people of them ?
If a part of the first question were answered negatively;
that is,if we could possibly deny the value of education, or at
least of that education to be provided by the compulsory
method, such an answer automatically answers also in the
negative the second question.
But if the last sentence of the first question were nega¬
tively answered, and the first sentence answered in the affirm¬
ative or left in doubt, we still would have something left to
argue, that is: is the price, compulsion, too high or not too
high to pay for this valuable boon of “education?”
We shall consider briefly, first, the value of education.
Most of those who have spoken or written for compulsory
school attendance, begin with the positive statement of a cer¬
tain proposition as if it were an axiom, needing no proof but
admitted as true by all. That is as to the value of education.
Now here again arises a confusion of terms. Many who
speak for compulsory school attendance, go on in their argu¬
ment to speak of the inestimable value of “education” and the
whole context of their discussion clearly shows that they are
speaking of the term as possessing a broader meaning than
that of mere schooling.
“Schooling,” however, is one of the dictionary definitions
of “education,” though such is one of the most narow mean¬
ings of the word.
But in a discussion of the proposed compulsory “educa¬
tion,” this is necessarily all that even its most ardent advo¬
cates can ask that the State shall provide and require its child
rep to accept, mere schooling.
Now this opens up the discussion of whether our public
schools are today properly performing their purpose of pro¬
ducing an educated people.
We have for some time had our opinion about this, but we
have hesitated to criticize for several reasons*:
We are not a patron of the schools and we are not a close
student of the school system and of educational affairs; we are
not able to propose a superior system to replace the one in
force, and we usually feel that, so much easier is it to be de¬
structive than constructive, we should hesitate suggesting the
tearing down without at the same time suggesting a better
building to replace what is torn down.
But, when those who have been instrumental in building
up this system and have had charge of the operations under
it begin to show such belief it the correctness of its architect¬
ure and approval of the working of its functions that they
would extend its operations beyond its present scope of enter
ling only those who voluntarily desire the shelter of such
icture’s benefits and would compel all to enter its portals
there to partake of all the potion and provision prepared
:heir plans, whether they or theirs will or not,—it then be
les the perfectly proper right for any person who is a pa
t and a lover of his people even critically to examine this
pendous structure of our school system in every detail and
ge its present value, even to its defects ,to determine wheth
t is so efficient and beneficial in its operation that it/should
illowed to widen its present work.
Many of us have come to feel that the largest and the
t part of our education is secured or to be secured from at
lance upon our institutions of learning, both the public
ools and the colleges, either or both.
Our own experience in attending both during nearly all
years of our life prior to majority and our observation
and since by contact with many other products of such
i whether this
itutions lead us now very seriously to doubt
;rue. almost
Frankly we say what is easily within every per
power to discover and judge for himself, that these days
s the broa sense
not producing such well educated men, in er
he term, as the“gentlemen of the old school,”splendid spec-
1 blessing to us. L1 the fine _ type .
money-makers, it is true, , but ,
We are making
the scholar has almost passed. speak
Illiteracy is not as great but the number who can or
ite correct sentences sometimes seem smaller.
Where else we place the blame than on some fau ty
can
tern of schooling ?
Many much older men, whose lives have covered both per
s, who in the beginning labored and fought for better edu
irmoi facilities hpo-in now so to question our system that
they favor abolishing the whole school system.
So, at least, we are justified by a large and respectable
portion of the public in asking of these operators of our educa¬
tional institutions, who would force their benefits on all:
“First for a generation demonstrate the superior value of
your school atendance to those who only voluntarily attend in
a people grown up as the product of such schooling. Then
only will you have become capable of taking even a single and
the first step toward the compulsory part.”
But this is only touring the edges of the question; though
we think it alone should defeat any compulsory school atend¬
ance at present proposed.
But there are deeper, far deep truths which are against
this proposed law.
Genuine education cannot be administered by forcing up¬
on a person like medicine. Every person has within himself
something which must seize and assimilate all the elements
presented by teaching before they begin to benefit him or to
produce in him an education.
As long as that within a child fails to operate so long will
his education cease to have a beginning.
Now let the State assume this function of the parent and
itself take the child to school. What effect do you suppose it
will have upon the parents ? Sullen, you say, it will make him ?
Yes, and worse than that, but we shall come later to the worse.
In a larger measure, like parent, like child. And a sorry
set in school it will be when they are there by compulsion.
Minds, their’s wil be, in no condition, even to grasp the ele¬
ments of knowledge, much less to assimilate them.
We are told that this proposed law is directed against par¬
ents possessing children willing enough to attend school but
prevented by parental objection.
But let us have a generation or two of children of such par¬
ents whose authority has been overriden and the crop will be
a generation more rebllious against authority in spirit than
were the former generations.
Now’, when those opposing this compulsion say it is tak¬
ing away parental authority, they say such is nothing new,
that there are already provisions of law for depriving a parent
of his authority over a child.
There are such laws, it is true. There are laws providing
that even the custody of a child may be taken from either or
both parents and his rearing and keeping be committed to
others.
But there is in Georgia no law depriving ALL parents of
their parental authority, and the law proposed for school at¬
tendance would do this.
Such a law would not be progress but a going back to cen¬
turies ago, when the State took the child and used him and
trained him for its own purposes and in its own way.
That the family is the very foundation of society and the
bulwark of the nation is a trite truth, but we need often to
remember it. The very integrity of the family depends upon
its having a head in the strongest sense of the word.
The State invades the sacred precincts of the home and
dethrones the authority which insures the perpetuity of that
home wehnever it takes therefrom one of its children against
the wish of its head, for any prpose whatever.
What do you think is the strongest anchor which holds
a father to the paths of rectitude ? Is it not his responsibility
for the rearing of his children in righteousness?
We have even heard some women as young ladies spoken
of as frivolous, and “I pity the man who marries her.”
And we have seen the same young ladies, as mothers of
children in happy homes, remind us of the very Madonna in a
life of holy example and glorious precept, reproduced in such
children as must have been in the Christ mind when he said
“of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Would you lift the anchor which holds that father safe?
Would you withdraw from that mother the holy light which
has transformed her life and return her to the old days of ir¬
responsible and thoughtless indifference to all the things of
eternity ?
Then take from them the feeling of responsibility for the
future of that child of theirs, let them think the State will see
to all that, and you remove the only restraints which tend to
keep the world sweet and Godly.
Make men irresponsible, you make men mean.
Take from the mother the feeling of possession and pro¬
prietorship in her child, cause her to cease in even the least
respect to say of him “my own,” and you make her childless
indeed and not to be comforted, far on the road to losing the
' only love that leads many a lonely soul along life's weary way,
and the little light upon his pathway, which may at the last
brighten for him into the light of endless day.
SOMETHING GOOD NEXT WEEK
We have just been permitted to inspect a very interest¬
ing book. It is the war time diary kept by Mr. M. Moss.
Mr. Moss was a Newton county man and enlisted in the
Confederate service from Newton county.
The diary contains many interesting and some amusing
facts.
Next week we shall begin to publish this diary, publishing
a part of it each week.
We are very anxious to secure more of sqch material for
publication.
Those who possess such will be doing a patriotic service
in allowing its publication, for in this way its preservation as
material for history is more nearly insured.
So, begin reading this diary with the beginning next week,
and do not lose the connection by missing any of the issues.
This is not the only Confederate matter and is not the
only interesting matter of other kinds which next week’s News
J will contain.
Next week our Special Development Edition will be pub¬
lished.
A number of other Confederate articles and many local
articles about our county and its; cities will be published.
MANSFIELD NEWS. *
* * * * * * *
_
Messrs. J. B. Meadors, P. It. Loyd, S
Hays and F. M. Hudgins attended
exercises in Covington on
26th.
Dr. T. U. Smith and farniU wet^
a short while Wednesday.
yuite ji goodly number of young
people and older ones too attended
meeting at the Baptist church
night, and enjoyed the song
practice after prayer services.
Messrs. J. S. McGarity, J. C. Har¬
well, and B. I*. Roquemore spent Mem¬
orial Day Ashing, but were sadly dis'
appointed at no returns for their labo”
Mrs. R. L. Roquemore entertained
large number of ladies at a quilting
Wednesday. Four quilts were quilted
and were given to Rev. J. J. Winburn,
pastor of Carmel Baptist church.
Mr. E. P. Loyd has purchased a
Ford automobile.
Mr. T. C. Swann, of Covington, was
in our city Thursday.
Mr. P. Y. Thompson, of Eudora. was
here on business Thursday.
Messrs. J. M. Hurst and E. S. Al¬
mond, of Social Circle, W. A. Adams,
of Covington, (J. C. Adams, of Brick
Store, were here on business Thurs¬
day.
Mr. W. I. Cornwell, of Monticello,
spent some time here recently.
The largest Ash seen here this sea¬
son was a 20 pound carp, brought to
town by Mr. ,T. M. Edens, Thursday.
We are glad to note that Mayor W.
B .Beckwith is mingling with friends
again, after a week’s illness.
Mr. and Mrs. H, M. Speer, of Social
Circle, were visitors here Thursday.
Mr. W. G. Hays left Thursday for
a trip to .Nashville, Tenn.
Messrs. C. N .and J. T. Skinner, of
Starrsville, were here on business
Thursday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. '1'. H. Barnes have
been spending some time in Monti¬
cello. the guests of their daughter,
Mrs. C. H. Jordan.
Miss Florie Hollis, who has been
spending some time with Mrs. M. J.
Morehouse, has returned to her home
in Forsyth.
Mr. II. C. Adams, of Briekstore,
spent Friday afternoon here.
Mrs. M. J. Morehouse, young son.
Dutton, and Miss Sigrp Kolmodin, left
for Evanston, 111., and Mr. and Mrs.
L. D. Bolton and daughter for Detroit.
Mich., Friday, after sitending some
months at the former’s country home
on the Burge Plantation, near our
city. We are sorry to see these en¬
terprising people leave, but are glad
to know they will return in the fall.
Rev. Mr. Milton, of Demorest, is
spending a while here.
A most interesting sermon was de¬
livered by Dr. A. C. Cree at the First
Baptist church Sunday to a large and
attentive congregation, when this
church was dedicated.
Misses Laree Malone and Finney
Persons si>e»t the week end here.
Mrs. W. C. Benton had as her guests
Sunday Mrs. B .Persons, Miss Katie
Kelly. Mrs. I,, 8. Kelly, Miss Finney
Persons, of Monticello. Mr. Will Paul
and family, of Godfrey, and Mr. and
Mrs. Grady Benton and son, and Mrs.
Nannie Starr, of Starrsville. ’
Messrs. X. B. and W. G. Freeman
ire spending some time with home
folks. '
Mrs. X. C. Adams attended the Chau¬
tauqua at Newborn Monday.
Miss Maggie Freeman, who has been
caching near Stockbridge. is expected
to arrive Saturday afternoon, to the
lelight of her many friends.
Mr. Rav Pinkerton, of Broughton,
spent Sunday here.
Miss Mozelle Estes returned Sunday
from a visit to Miss Mytis Peters, at
Monroe.
The Newton County Singing Conven¬
tion met at the First Raptist church
Sunday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. E. H.' Wright had as
their guests Sunday Dr. and Mrs. T.
U. Smith and ch.ldren. Mr. and Mrs.
J. M. Davis, and Miss Hester Richards
and Mr. and Mrs. Howard.
I lie younger people were very pleas¬
antly entertained at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. W. E. Lunsford Friday even¬
ing.
The young people enjoyed a social
gathering at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
W. B. Hurst Friday evening.
The Merry Many were pleasantly
entertained at the home of Misses Ad
dilee and Grace Ozhurn Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. F. F. Ozhurn and son
of Madison, spent Sunday at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. F. Ozhurn.
Mr. and Mrs. B. D. Johnston, of
Broughton, spent Sunday with Mr. and
Mrs. T. R. Starr.
A dollar and a-half isn't much
for a paper like the News.
*—11-
Now that May the First has
come and gone, let’s go back to
“swat the fly.”
Isn’t *—n—
it worth something to
know that Covington is first in
getting the Alkahest people
here? We are the first in
twelve states.
