The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-18
.GRAHAM''S ADDRESS
To THE ALLIANCE
Education and Educational
institutions First.
LIBRARIES COMMENDED
He Thinks Books For Children Should
Have Come First of All.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRlCULT LTURE
Cannot Now BE- Used as Dumping Ground For
Reward Of fayortes. Trusts Strongly
Condemned. The Problems of
Tax Discussed.

Taxation Discussed.
The following is the full text of the
annual address of Maj. VIM. A. Graham,
of Lincoln, before the annual meeting of
day:
To the Officers and Members of the n c.
Farmers Alliance:
IfexEress to you my regrets at my in
ability TO attend the last session. ana
tender to you my thanks for your resolu-
tion of sympathy when the darl- clond of
affection was passing ever me-. IN these
sad hours the knowledge that our friends
think of IS ami sympathize with Us to
some eXtelt ligntens the gloom
There has been relatively not much
change in the condition of the Alliance
during the year; some Sub. and County
Alliances have been re-organized, others
, have lapsed. l meet many who express
wish for the reorganization of the Al
lance, but seem to be awaiting re-or-
ganization before joining, they do not
seem willing to perform the work neces-
sary to accomplish the desired end.
EDOCAllON.
| The Alliance has always advocated the
| advancement of education in the State;
the efforts put forth by the SUB Alliances
have had much to do with producing the
present condition in the State.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The Governor of the State. who so
worthily fills that position, has directed
|
! advanced the cause of these schools. The
reduction of the price of school books will
be boon in this State of large families !:
the additional appropriation whereby the
| terms are heightened, the elevation of
grade and qualification Of teachers, win
accomplish much good. The non attend
ance Of the children is now the greatest
hindrance. The State is slow to enact a
| compulsory attendance law; Sub-Alli-
| ance can do no better work than to ap-
| point committees in each school district
| to persuade the negligent parents to send
| their children to school, Books for chill
| dren whose parents make no objection to
| their attending, but who will not furnish
| them books, would prevent 1nany bright
| child becoming an ignorant man or wo-
| man. A provision for books | think,
| should have preceded that for libraries.
| The advancement of the common school
| has not led as was hoped 10 the advance
ment of the Alliance. Education has en-
| abled the boy to think and to reason; ];
| this has led him away from the farm.
| The Alliance has been a ilr.n supporter
| of aid by the State TO Institutions of
higher grade and was chiefly instrument
al in procuring the establishment of the
A. and NJ. College and the Normal and
Industrial School for Girls. Considering
their age, the attendance upon these
schools has been unprecedented in the
State and seems to be limited only by the
accommodations that can be furnished.
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
With feelings of State pride is wit
messed the progress of the University in
its career of prosperity and usefulness,
and the passing of the opposition to it's
nurture by the State in a small portion
of our people for fear its success would
weaken other colleges or its alumni prove
hindrance to the progress of morality
and religion. Her sons have ever been
foremost in aiding the new colleges as
they have come into existence and among
the foremost in their localities in ad-
vancing the moral and religious inter-
ests. For more than a century their
lives have contradicted this supposition
The patent fact that we have a century
of conditions that prove the opposite
has been overlooked by the theorist in
his eloquent prognostication of evil The
resolutions passed on this subject by
those who assumed to be leaders of
thought in these assemblies of the various
religious denominations met with but
feeble support from the private members
Each Legislature contained representa-
tives of similar religious belle. earnestly
advocating contrary action and greater
aid; their course in the Legislature was
approved at the POLLS by the mass OF the
Achurch members without regard to politf-
cal creed. The people have advanced SO
far from such ideas thai they can only
be heard in the rear as the procession
moves on. The humble citizen NAV have
no seat in the councils but Is entitled
to position at the polls to express mis-
sentiments by his ballot, AMI ths lie has
done
The present status shows that after the
State has done or shall do all that it can
with due regard to its other departments
ability to the utmost, there is yet large
number of boys and girls who if they were
able. would take the courses of the col
leges, yet they have to be denied There
should be united action by all the colleges
to lessen this number as far as they can,