The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-03
rzE AMgNDMsNrAND SCHOOLS

1.-THE News and Oh server has ounce
q loud note in favor of the public
schools. It wants a plank in the Demo
cratic o aiform declaring for a four
months school. That is all right, but
we must have something better than
pIanks in a platform. We have al
ready a con institutional requirement for
that very thing, but the Constitution
has been di~sregarded."
The above paragraph we clip from
Charity add Children. And In 1t
Editor johnson has hit the bulls eye
That is all right, but we must have
s1mething better than plsnks in a plat
form" That is the sentiment and the
sentence that all friends Of education
in the State OF North Carolina should
echo aud re echo until they do bring
ABOUT 'somethipg better than planks
ia a PLATFORM" Our Constitution de-
clares it the duty OF the State to main
tain g four mouths school in every
school district in the State. With the
Constitution itself d,sregarded, do
politicians expect US to put our faith
in and be satisfied with a plank in a
party platform7 If so, they are merely
deceIvIng themselves The WAtchword
OF the friends OF education is some
thing better than pianks in a party
plattorm"-snd something better than
a null aud useless section Of u Con
stItu ton.
The more we study the matter the
finer becomes our conviction that
the Constitutional amendment should
be amended by the adoption of a pro-
vision something like this, as an a0di
ton, ssy. to section 8:
Provided further, That no person
beconiog twenty M years OF age
after January 1. 1908 and residing il
a school district in which the State
fails to maintain free public schools for
an average Of four months or more ger
year for six years preceding his twenty
first birthday, shall be denied the
right to register or vote at any cleo
ton in this State by reason Of his
failure to poses the educational quail
Acation prescribed in Section 4 OF this
article.
The politicians, as we'll as the people,
real Ke that il is the ssence of inius
tice for the State to r, quire an educa-
tional qualification for voting without
providing for the poor children OF the
State all the advunts2es needed to en-
able them to meet the stern demancs
of the Constitution. The politicie ne,
We say, recognize this, and they are
attempting to still the clamor for bet
ter educational advantages by making
promises-which may be given in good
fai5b, but are certainly entitled to no
more respect than the Constitution OF
our State. Lat it be understood that
in Rdvoc ating this amendment to the
amendment, we are doing so neither ae
an advocate nor as an opponent of the
amendment "a il now stands, but as
an unbiased and unmU zzled editor.
But it is well enough to face condi-
tions as they are and lock before you
leap. There is csEtaiDly a probability
OF the adoption Of the amendment at
the August election. VS. ask the voter
TO sss that hs does not require of his
child certain things, withou1 making
provision for that CHILD to nGe5 those
requirements. Only by the addition
IF an amendment such as thas pro
posed by us can he be sure that II re
curing an educational qualifc ssion he
is not making an unj1st ard unreason
able demand Of his son or of other
mems sons.
Perhaps you hadn'5 thought CT it,
but it is nevertheless a fact that the
adoption of the amendment Git it be
adopteo) viii make public education
with some who do not now
autagon5z3 it. TIE amendment adopted,
tbs opponent of free schools will arg u
WIG "Ny Ao ACSAOCS uCSb k06 GASlE
share OF the money the more money
for public education, the more and
schools for negroes; AMI the
more schools for negroes, the more
educated negroes; and the more edu
negroes, the more negro voters.
Therefore, as I don't want the negro 60
vote, let the white man educate his
IN children. Ian opposed to longer
Tree school terms" Suca q sentiment
may become powerful enough to pre-
vent the proper extension Of the pub
ic school term. II you do not heed
This warning now, you may recall it
when it ia too late. The voters should