The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-06-26

tulc HAY dulnOTlLe the county cOIn1nlS- |
sioners to levy a tax over and above the
constitutional limitation for the specific
purpose of building jails, court houses.
bridges and feeding prisoners and yet
they held that the same Legislature
may not authorize the county to levy
a special tax for the purpose of building
school houses or educating the children
without first admitting the same to the
qualified voters and the decision is put
upon the ground that the bridges aCf
Jalls are necessary expenses while
schools are not. Local taxation affords
the best means of len~gthening the school
term. These taxes are sanctioned by
legislative authority and approved by the
vote of the people of the community.
Thus the people become identified with
the maintenance and the operation Of
their schools. They feel that the taxes
are not levied by some distant authority,
but by their own ~volition and thus they
become interested in their management
and take a pride in the prestige of their
success. Local taxation has brought to
numerous cities and towns in the State
a system of graded public schools which
are the pride OF their people and are
rapidly taking first rank among the
schools of the country. They are furnish
ing employment for trained teachers,
who are likewise furnishing pupils for
the normal schools and these are fur
nlshing a disciplined army Of educational
workers ready to go out into the fields
where the harvest is ripe. Local taxa
ton will furnish the remedy for short
term schools in all the rural commune
ties of the State and SHOULD be encourag-
ed by all means at the command Of the
educators and public men and women who
boyn o,1ictnI for tho oo,,r - o-oora
public facilities in every section of the
State.
l have been asked to declare the faith
that is in me upon the question of ed
u~catiOn. What convictions | entertain
upon this question may interest very few
persons and yet | do not hesitate to pro-
claim them. | believe that every child
has the right to demand Of the State and
of the community in which he lives that
the facilities of the public school shall
be afforded him which shall be as free
and as gracious as the sunlight Of heav-
en-. l believe it is the duty of every
citizen, both upon general principles and
by constitutional enactment, to pay his
taxes upon the property with which God
has blessed him for the purpose of main
tanning these schools for the benefit OF
the children of the State. | believe there
ID Ho OGlltI investment WHICH llo lax
payer can make Of his means, or which
will yield him a better return, and l know
there is no expenditure Of revenue more
productive of benefit to the State or o
blessings to the child than for this sa
cred purpose. | believe it is the dut,
of every man, and particularly the youn!
men and OF the young women Of TIL
State to stand upon these ramparts an
proclaim these fruitful truths until con
yiction shall overtake the men and wo
men of our State and the school hous
and the trained school teacher ar
brought within reach of the poorest an
most inaccessible child. The time 70
plain speaking has come and / am gla
to say that this fact is being recognized
The young and aspiring man who seek
political promotion and advancemen
ana the intellectual young woman VII
wishes to do her State a service and brin
her name into good repute can find n
surer avenue for the accomplishment
their purposes than to get in the process
zion and stand for the cause of educf
ton. AS l read in the newspapers, / al
glad to say that one of the candidate
for the high office of Governor of til
State. a man Of education. a learned &C
vocate and a broad publicist and with;
an unerring interpreter Of the signs
the times, is today going about anon
the people proclaiming that the creates
issue Of the present and of the future
the education of our children. So may
be with all the candidates Of all the pc
litical parties. We invite discussion {
this issue. We challenge debate becaus
! we not only have the organic law Of on
State to sustain us, but the prompting
. of a high sense of duty-a high ideal {
citizenship.
Young ladies the records of this inst
tuition show that more than 9 per Ger
Of the young women who have receive
it's instruction became teachers, and mos
! of them teachers in our public school:
In the name of your alma n1ata and !:
grateful recognition of the future pre-
5 gress of the State which has made you
t presence passible today. in recognitio
presence possible today, in recOgnitio
and examples of this splendid corps {
+ teachers. who nave illustrated by thei
} lives their devotion to the girls of Mort
Carolina, | urge you as you emerge fror
these walls and enter the arena of If
; that you impress upon the children WI
5 come in your presence and under you
! tuition the rights and duties and respon
sibilities of citizenship and above all i'm
5 press upon them that the public school
! afford the only remedy to dispel tn
blight Of i!literacy and to bring the ligh
t Of knowledge to every child. Unto 20
2 4 great opportunity is given to mould tn
2 minds and hearts of the future men an
t women of this Commonwealth, and t
participate in this progressive movemen
for the education of all the children 9
the State. If you lead in this vanguar
| and hold aloft the banner of light Their
l are thousands who will bring up the rea
and lend you gallant support. In tn
2 words of this charter you represent gen
2 eral morality, religion and knowledge,
and we wish you ~God-speed and a happ
l life.
l 50 WORTH OF PRESENTS.
For SOC worth of work. We are givin
,wov Watches Ricyc1eS Sewing Ma