Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-03
THE G0VERNoR,S ADDRESS
Of welcome to the Southern Educational Association In Mobile-Dubbed the
 "School Governor"

The Mobile Register publishes the fol- lowing account of Gov. Joseph F. John stons address of welcome to the Southern Educational association at the recent meeting in Mobile:
 President Phillips introduced Gov. Johnston. saying that it was his pleas ure to introduce to the association a man who is known, not only throughout his own state, but in other states, and who, during his brief occupancy of the position as chief executive of this great state, has already earned for himself the title of "The School Governor of labama. This sentiment was greeted with loud applause and when the Governor rose and advaneed to the. center of the stage in response to this Introduction there was another burst of applause, which the Governor acknowledged by gracefully lowing. The Governor then spoke as follows ~
 Fellow Citizens-Had the duty been as- signed to me, as chief magistrate, to se- feet the most appropriate place in this commonwealth to welcome to our borders representatives of the great educational forces of the south, no more appropriate place than this beau tiful city by the sea could have been chosen.
 Here is the gateway to all our trans actions with foreign nations; here, the place where the first white immigrants D1d0iHu the Dd0nGf Ol I1e cTOSS anu here the first school house was erected in alPour domain. n
 If we should follow up stream the great river that flows by your gates to the thousand sources of it's existence, scarce ly a county in all the state but would be reached and from this parent source 1t is our hope that we shall send the stream of education over mountain and plain and fertile valley until the-ssprings, of every infant life shall be onened to irri- gate and fructlfy and deve.~) the splen- did resources of our state. s@
 In the heart of every true man that being who taught his infant lips to say mother" holds the most sacred and en- during place. The lessons learned at her knee are never forgotten. To her all of us are most indebted for every success in life, and next to her the teacher. What greater incentive can stir the hu- man heart than to worthily succeed the mothers of the land in unfolding the pos abilities of the infant brain? What grander work can be done for the state or human elevation and progress?
 You gentlemen and ladies are the rep resentati tives of a body holding in their hands largely the future of the south, As you build, so will the structure stand. Poison the foundation and the stream will bear in its bosom the seeds of de- struction. t
 In this day few can be found to ques- ton the moral and material value of eQucatl0n' or the Quty or lnet Sldte lQ oPtl it's common schools to all who shall have right of way to its ballot box
 If Education can stretch out her hand and unseal all the eyes of Helen kelaar so that visions of her own beautiful river and valley can enter her soul, and the starry heavens become there visible; if ;can touch her ears and let the wave sounds make music in her heart; if 1t can teach her fingers to read the coun- tenances of her friends and catch the ut tered phrase from their lips and give sound to her enchained tongue, what can she not do for the hundreds of thous- ards of our children whose eyes spar kle with intelligence, whose lips are uhl- sealed and whose ears are open to the throbbng pulsations of all material life?
 Pc what rank or condition or occupa- ton in life can she not bring multiplied power; or to what human being unfold larger vision? What citizenship can she not elevate? Where can her hand be stayed in cultivating morality, religion and patriotism? What other power un- der God can be found to wage success ful warfare against ignorance and vice, and under what other banner can blind prejudice, striking at all progress, be de- throned and man be emancipated from error?
 Your meeting here. at the time, when the pulsations of greater educational ef- fort are now being felt all over the state, seems most happy; and it gives me great pleasure in behalf of our state to wei come you to her borders and to express the hope that your sojourn will be as pleasant to you as I am sure it will be profitable to our people.
 When the governor finished there was another burst of applause.