The news & observer., 1897-01-26

frauds as long as ignorance prevails To
an alarming extent.
"Out of every hundred people over lu
years of age in North Carolina, 50 can
read and write. OF the negroes but 30.
'.Some of you are terribly solicitous
about 100000 negroes in Cuba and want
ing to tie them on to us like dead
corpse These negroes are here to stay.
| am afraid they are not improving as
much as we want them to. Unless you
white legislators lift up the blacks they
will drive you down to the hell of igno-
rance and poverty.
Il don't believe any man ought to be
allowed to put his ballot in the box who
cannot read his ballot. Read the Massa-
chusetts constitution. 1t says no man
can vote who shall not be able to read
his constitution in English, and who has
not paid the taxes assessed upon 1t, This
IS the law in Massachusetts, Rhode Is
land and Maine. With Caucasians on
ly to vote they insist upon education,
how much more should we, with our Pc
culiar conditions. and with the impos-
sible barriers that separate the races
here.
But there is another reason. What are
why some people wanted to come to the
legislature 1t il the investure Of the
prerogative of making laws. / wonder
men don't tremble IN view of the respon-
siMlity. When you go before an un-
bought and unpurchased constituency
YOU ask them to commission you to pro-
vide for their welfare. You cannot be
equal to It unless You provide for the ed
ucation of the people.
mo ignorant people were ever a pros
porous people. Wealth comes in part
| from labor. but it depends upon the In
,elligence of labor.
~ hat was the curse Of the Souti3
| It was when vessels came into our rivers
and left slaves here. These vessels ali
| started from Old England and New Eng
| land Never one of them started from
| North Carolina They came here and
| eft Pandora's box, full of evils
| ''You have got to get rid of ignorant,
/ stupid labor You must give education
and skill. | can demonstrate that every
| kind Of work is productive and valuable
| in proportion as science is connected
| with it.
| Apart from the Christian religion, our
/ civilization is one of schools and rail-
roads and newspapers.
| why is it that Connecticut gets more
patents than all North Carolina? Be
| eause of her public schools and advanced
| education
/ Massachusetts gives to her citizens
more than three times as much school
term as North Carolina. Its per capita
| wealth is more than three times as much
| as yours.
/ when John Tyler visited New Eng
| land. they didn't receive John Tyler
very pleasantly. He he'd vetoed the tar
| if and banking law. Tyler asked
what are the chief products of Massa-
chusettsY' Granite and ice," he was an
swered. He replied: II thought so
| from the hard and cold reception you
| gave me-" Why is Massachusetts ahead
Of all other sections? Because of her
public schools.
| Il hear a great deal about the New
| South and its wonderful prosperity.
| Were is it? / don't see it, 1t isn't
here. Why? Prices for agricultural
employment is not one whit better than
| in 1865. | go to farm. We have un-
| skilled, uninventiye labor. undiversified
employment bad roads / stop at a sta
| ton or a depot and find from 20 to so
| lazy, Micawber-like folks standing
| around waiting for something to turn up,
| Il am told that there are 10000 hungry
mouths waiting for some Federal pap.
| Why? 1t cannot be other wise as long
| as you are forced to sell your cotton,
wheat and corn for nothing. Is it strange,
| with such conditions, that people ask
| for an office?
Manual training ought to be found in
every school from the University up to the
kindergarten. Women ought to learn
how to read, write, sew and cook.
II heard man say this morning: we
are all in favor of education, but we are
too poor to make better schools"
I'm the name of God land | say it rev.
erently), you are too poor not to educate
/ would like to burn that into your con-
sciences. Ii you don't educate them
you'll remain poor until Gabriels
horn blows.
s'There are no doubt members of this
Legislature who couldn't make an axe
handle, and yet they know all about gold
and silver, and talk eloquently about the
advanced tide Of prosperity that is said
to be sweeping over the country. Moral
character is above all the standards of
gold and silver. While you are debating
the ratio between gold and silver, / want
you to consider the ratio between educa-
ton and illiteracy.
If you want to develop North Caro-
lima, if you will establish a public school
in every neighborhood and put trained
teacher in charge, you will succeed. You
ought to improve your schools. You
made terrible mistake last session when
you did away with supervision. A school
system cannot succeed by the schools
running themselves. Why repeat expert
ments of failures? No child can learn or
teacher instruct with a sixty day session.
You want more money, longer terms, bet
ter teachers.
s'In animal creation, in a few months
the animal is fully grown. With children
it takes Is or 20 years to qualify them for
the duties of life. The office of a State
is to perpetuate free government, and it
can only be done by making good citi-