The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-20
GOVERNOR RUsSELL's sPEEC

Presenting the Constitutions to the Grad
uating Glass.
Young Ladies Of the Graduating Glass:
| have been requested by the President
of your college to present, to each of you,
one of these little volumes, containing
the Constitution of the United States and
of the State, and to make some remarks
on the importance of imparting civic
knowledge to the minds of the young. The
basic idea of that socialistic policy which
taxes the property of all for equal distri-
button in maintaining public schools is
that education makes a better citizenship.
In this age of greed and gain, of sham
and shame, of venality and corruption, of
alarming inequality in human condition,
it can not be truthfully asserted that there
is equal opportunity for all citizens in the
pursuit of happiness. This Republic
presents to the world the only encourage
ment for those who aspire and struggle
and hope. But even here it seems we are
approaching that period in material de-
velopment when even the comforts and
reasonable wants of life will be denied to
all except those who are born to them.
But if this be not so, it is certain that
tional pleasures of life without the mental
cultivation of the schools. And equally
certain it is that without general educa-
ton there can never be intelligent or sue
cessful citizenship. The conception Of
your President, is that you should study
these organic political instruments to the
end that you may teach them to some ex-
tent in the schools. To ''some extentY'
parb nc ~ will no n yualI To tha
instruction too far along this line, lest
you cause the juvenile minds to question
the justice of some of the rules Of civil
action prescribed by the supreme power
of many of the States. They might in
quire why it is that women should be
selected to give civil and political instruc-
+, ton, why should they know anything q.
bout it? Most of them are in the habit
of entering into civil contract constitut-
ing what the law calls marriage. As long
as they keep out Of this covenant they do
have civil freedom. They may have prop
| erty, they may acquire it, they may work
! for it and earn it and keep it. They may
!, sell and buy and go and come and trade
!, and follow various pursuits-that is such
! pursuits as are not specially attractive,
! and, therefore, reserved for men. But
when they make this contract of maria ge,
the law says that they shall contract no
/ more-probably upon the idea that it is
a species of Elusynian mystery, with the
| ingrafted motto Dante saw emblazoned
above Tartarian Gates. They can not
make advantageous sales of property
which they may have acquired by self de-
| NAL and toll, they can not exercise dom
inion over their own land they can not
sell it, they can not exchange it, they can
not turn it into more desirable property,
they are not entitled to their own earnings
and can not get hire for their own heads
| or hands; none of these things can they
| do without the consent of the husband
1t is to be observed, however, that the
law in its hberality does permit them
to dispose of it by will-that is, to have
control of it just when they have no need
for it. Then again as to personal liberty
or slavery, they are the subjects of the
laws deepest solicitude. When the Bible
| speaks Of "all men, it generally means