The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-01-24

there ever should be, hearty co opera
ton between those engaged in the
great work of teaching in those, and
those engaged as teachers of u com
mon schools While we as makers, OF
ministers of the law, should do all In
our power to build up and make more
useful our university, colleges and thigh
schools, yet most earnest sOlicitude
and help should go out to the common
schools Of our State, for it isin these
that the children of the great masses
Of III toiling, laboring, wealth pro.
ducing people must be educated, and
trained, preparatory t. their life work
OF not at all. 1t is the imperative duty
of the State to provide school facilities
for these children and we can never be
said to have done Our duty to these
children until we have complied with
the spirit of our Constitution, which com
m8nds that q school term of at least
four months in the year be provided
for them. Thirteen weeks, the time
now provided, will not do. and we are
trif1ing with the most vital interest OF
the State in longer ~neglecting to come
up to the full measure of our duty In
this matter. If, upon deliberate con.
sideratiOn. it should be found, in view
of a recent decision of u Supreme
Court, hat another provision of our
Constitution stands in the way Of
levying q sufficient tax to carry on
these schools of the people four months
in the year, then | advise that an
amendment to the Constitution be sub
mittCd to the people to take the school
tax out of the constitutional limitation.
These schools l regard as a necessity
to the children Of the men and wOmen
| 1rOoroI in foIpl0 1jen Tho 0hJ1SrO0 of
our people in cities and towns are well
provided for, as a general rule, by the
graded schools, and they enjoy priv
leges in educational matters which chill
dren living in the country do not have.
An efficient common school system is
the only hope of u people for an in
telligent, thrifty, labOring population
upon farms, and [ urge with all
the earnestnesS [ can command, that
our law makers shall not neglect this
imperative duty resting upon them,
PUBLIC ROADS.
Until recently [ have never been in
a position to realize the ~deplOrable con
dition of the public roads of the State.
The present system Is a failure and the
roads a disgrace to civilization. But
in view Of the fact that D road 0
gress is to assemble sOOn to discuss this
most import mt matter | shall after It's
ad jOurnment transmit to your honor
tble body a special message upon this
subject.
TAXES.
The listing, assessing, equaliZing and
collecting JaXes is a subject fraught
with great vPxatiOn to ali governments
and Is to day but little nearer perfec-
ton than with the village communities
Of the early Aryans. There are
ties in the State that raise and collect
twice as much tax for local purposes as
others that pay more State tax. This
comes from au unequal assessment,
supplemented in one cas- by a special
tax for local purpOses-tho State of
course being the sufferer. | would sug
gest the formation Of q commission
similar to that created by the legisla
ture of 1885 looking to a proper adjust
ment OF this great inequality. The
owner of a farm, factory Or work shop,
who pays full taxes upon his property
cannot have o bosom filled with patriot
ism for a government who permits his
neighbor, the poseessOr of stocks, bonds
and solvent credits, to go untaXed.
Solve this problem and your names
will go down to posterity as the bene-
factors of the human race.
ASYLUMS.
Our most excellent, the retiring Gov
ernOr, has called our attention to the
needs Of our charitable institutions and
homes for the unfortunate. HisrecOm-
mendations meet with my most hearty
approval. No provision you could
make, looking to t. e care and comfort
of these unfortunates, could be beyond
their deserts.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
convinced as I am of the value Of
the work of the State Board of Health
and the imminent danger our State is
in from a threatened invasion of that
dreaded disease, Asiatic cholera, [
would suggest that in addition to the
now necessary appropriation an ad
ditiOnal fund be provided to meet such
an emergency. This, in my opinion,
is an important matter and must have
your attention prior to your adjourn
ment.
STATE GUARD.
desire to call your attention to the
strong right arm Of the executive
branch of the State Government-the
State Guard. While the civil law
should always be paramount, the PEG
pie Of North Carolina have IN peace
and in war, shown themselves the
earnest advocates of the supremacy OF
the civil law, yet, experience teaches
us that it is sometimes useful to have
a military organization ready at hand
to assist the officers of the law IN en-
forcing obedience to the civil authOrl-
ties in times of popular disturbances.
The State Guard is such an Organlza-
ton, and in my opinion has erV a
most useful purpose in the State, and
I earnestly advise that nothing be done
to discourage the patriotic a w-abiding
young men of the State who have, at
no inconsiderable sacrifice to them
selves, made their organization an
ornament to the State.