The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-19

address of the President, pr. T. D.
 Humphrey, Superintendent of Educa-
 tion of Madison County.
 The roll was called by the Secretary, Prof. l.. F. Rosser of Pickens County.
 and twenty-five Superintendents an
 swered to the call.
 The annual address of the President, pr. Humphrey was then delivered. Dr. Humphrey spoke as follows:
 Fellow Superintendents-The cry for better public school system that went up from every hilltop and every valley in every countySin this State, and swept this State like cyclone from the Ten | nessee to the Gulf four years ago. and the demand two years later for better teachers and longer terms have re- suited in incalcuiable benefits to the State.
 While the improvement has been great and the good accomplished can- not be estimated, yet the splendid school system inaugurated by our able State Superintendent. aided by the best men and women in the State, is not perfect. nor was it possible to make 1t perfect in so short time.
 To radically change the public school system of this State that had served the people for more than a generation was a stupendous undertaking. and re- quired the courage that every man does not possess. That the system is not perfect, no man will deny-hence we are here today to lend our aid and CO., operation in this great undertaking. We are here to combat for that which Is good and noble and to discuss SUD- jects of vital interest to the people of Alabama.
 The Association of the Teachers and County Superintendents Is composed of the Lest representatives of the edu- cational interests of the State, ana the deliberations here should go long way in moulding opinion conducive to the elevation in an educational way Of the rising generation. Here the obser- vations of the ablest and the experi- ence of the most progressive should be brought out, not only for our own ben eft and for the benefit of the children we are to serve, but for the benefit of those entrusted with the great re- sponsibility of framing our organic | laws. Let us give them the benefit of our knowledge and experience that no mistake may be made to mar or cripple the progress we are now max ing towards a perfect and ideal pubic
 school system.
 There are some very important edu-
 cational questions that are now pug
 ziing the minds of the members of the
 Constitutional Convention which should
 be freely discussed by the members Of
 this Association.
 The present Constitution provides for
 the levy of tax of $1 50 on every male
 citizen of the State over 2l years or
 age. We have in this State aoout
 800, 900 subject to the payment
 of this tax under a. proper
 construction of the Constitution. which Aka 0O0. a sum equal to three-fourths or all the fr nds we now have for schQol purposes. The amount collected each year is only $150, ,000, due to exempting all over 45 years of age from the pay ment of this tax and the defective sys- tenn of assessment and collection. There can be no good reason for ex- empting a man in the very prime or | life from the payment of poll tax. es- pecially when this tax goes towards educating his and his neighbofs' rht- Gren. There seems to be a disposition on the part of she members Of the Con- stitutional Convention to require that | a poll tax shall be paid before one can vote and heartily favor this prop | osition but If no other penalty Is to be | imposed for the non-payment of the Doll tax, the amount to be collected In | the future will fall far below the one hundred and fifty thousand mark. Men | do not often voluntarily pay S1.60 for | that which they sell for 50 cents. If l the only penalty for the non-payment of the poll tax is to deprive one of vot- | ing, how many, both white and black, | will voluntarily dlsfranchise them
 selves?
 The negro Is here and here to stay and must be educated in order to make
 a good citizen of him and to raise Ala
 bama higher in the scale of literacy
 and civilization. It is just and right | that he should contribute something to-
 wards the educational fund and as he has no property to be taxed let him be
 required to pay a poll.
 Some changes should be made in re- gard to the disbursement of the poll tax. As now paid out in most coun- | ties, it is generally thrown in for good
 measure. Our eX-President, J. B. Ora ham in his address before the assOci- ation last year, suggested that the poll tax be apportioned per capita in | each county in the same manner as | the general fund is now apporttoNed, each county of course retaining. it's
 own poll tax. If the poll tax which is
 not reported until July of each year l could not be used until the following y the State Superintendent include the | poll tax in his apportioDment sheet. Then the trustees and County Superin- tendents will know exactly the amount
 of funds for each township and we will
 have no need for pro rata share of
 the poll tax" inserted in the contracts.
 The State has been very liberal
 in its appropriation of money for the.
 public schools. With the present sys-
 tenn of assessment and the
 present tax rate, Alabama has done
 and is doing about all she can do, as
 State. With proper management the
 funds are large enough to run the
 schools in some localities from six to
 eight months each year but there are
 many districts, townships and counties
 in which 1t would be impossible to em-
 nloy competent teachers to run the
 schools even four months in the year.
 Tn these localities where the funds are
 insufficient what are we to do? Must
 the children be permitted to grow up
 in ignorance because of the sparsely school funds. while their neighbors in
 an adjoining township enjoy schools
 for eight long months?
 The only hope as can see it. Is for local taxation. Give the people a the day is not far distant when every
 ted with comfortable school buildings
 these buildings supplied with globes,
 blackboards. maps and all the neces- sary apparatus, and occupied by up-to- date teachers do this and we need not hn