The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-08

imprisonments. The total cost of this
system would be $4,OOO,OOO. Where is
this to come from?
If this system is successful anywhere
it must be in the cities. Asheyilla has
1900 children and her schools can care
for only 1880, leaving 2,100. Her local
tax is 20 cents on the 500 and GO cents
o nthe poll and her city debt is 100000.
In Greensboro So per cent are in the
schools and every seat is filled.
Durham has 4,00O and her schools can
accommodate a little over half of them.
Wilmington, Raleigh, Charlotte and
Concord are in the same condition.
If the State cannot increase the schoo,
fund and her treasury has not the sum
to appropriate, and the counties will not
vote a local tax, and the cities have all
they can bear, is it not impossible to
carry out the system should it be adopt
ed, and therefore, is it not unwise for
North Carolina to adopt it?
A liberal share of applause followed his
eloquent peroration as, he gave way to
the next speaker, Mr.. o. p. Dickinson,
for the affirmative, who spoke after the
audience had listened to music by the or
chestra.
Mr. Dickinson showed evidences of "a st
speaking in the easy way in which he
faced his audience and presented his
argument 1t was we'll put and forceful
one, part of which may be summed up in
the following words:
Mr.. DICKINSON FOR APPOINTMENT.
We hold that the principle of compul-
sorry attendance is grounded on reason
and justice, that its adoption is now
necessary and that it would advance the
cause OF education in North Carolina
without threatening our liberty or cndan-
gering our prosperity.
That the principle is an equitable one
and that the State would not be going
beyond it's legitimate functions to adopt
1t, has been settled not only by thirty
two of the American States which have
compulsory education, but by our own
State as. well. The trainers of our State
constitution provided in that instrument
that the Legislature might enact compul-
sorry attendance laws whenever they
should become necessary.
The enactment of such laws has become
vital necessity. The main object sought
in the establishment of our public school
system was to secure an educated citi-
zenship without which no State can be-
come truly prosperous and great. Hav-
ing tried this system for seventy years
We still find one-third of the people
the very class for whose benefit the free
schools were provided-still unprepared
for citizenship.
The children of the State have inalien-
able rights, among which is the right to
an elementary education, which shall be
to them, implements with which they may
carve out their own fortunes. The chill
dren being unable either to declare or
maintain their rights it becomes the
duty of the State to protect them.
The recent changes in both our indus
trial and political life render the enact
ment of compulsory attendance laws i'm
perative. New industries have sprung
up making child-labo everywhere more
desirable and more profitable; hence the
increased tendency to keep little children
employed while they should be in school.
Added to this the requirement of the
Constitutional Amendment providing
that those who become of age after 1908
must read and write. or be deprived of
the ballot, a compulsory attendance law
becomes aDSOluteiy necessary.
Compulsory education will introduce no
new relationship between the races but
will lift up the whole mass without
changing its relative constituency. The
Anglo Saxon race, crowned with the ira
ditions of history and bearing in it's hands
the most precious trophies of civilization.
will ever be in the lead
Mr.. Dickinson was the first speaker to
get caught in the time limit Each speak
er was to have fifteen minutes. Mr.
Dunn finished his last word with his last
minute, but Mr.. Dickinson was cut off in
the midst of sentence He bowed and
was heartily applauded as he retired.
Then Mr. Hornaday was again presen-
ted. Despite his first mishap and his
sickness, he spoke and spoke with more
power and force than he had exhibited
in his initial effort.
In his argument Mr.. Hornaday presen-
ted the following reasons in the mega
tive:
MIR. HoRNADAY FOR THE NEGATIVE
He did not question the right of the
State to adopt a law compelling attend
ance upon public schools but he held
that under existing conditions in this
State it would be unwiSe to adopt this
principle. The greater part of the ar
Tgument was against the theory of the
law which the speaker held to be con-
trary to the dominant principles of a
free democratic government. 1t was
contended that the law would necessitate
the assumption by the State of the
wrong relation to the individual. This
would be done in three ways: BY fore
ing upon democratic people law un
acceptable to them; by unnecessarily in
creasing the powers of the State and it's
restraint exercised upon the citizen; by
instituting a regime of State paternal-
ism.
Under existing conditions public sem
timent in this State does not demand a
compulsory law and it should not be
forced upon an unwilling people. The
obvious result of forcing an unde-
sired law upon a free people is to rem
der the law imperative. law unen-
forced tends toward a growing disregard
for the law and it does not lessen the
evil which it was intended.
In this State compulsory law would
cause discomfort on account of the nu-
merous police officers necessitated to en-
force the law and on account of the in
creased restraint exercised by the State
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