The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-06-18
NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY
JUDGE CLARK'S VALUABLE ADDRESS
BEFORE THE TEACHERS ASSEMBLY
His Subject was SHOW Can Interest be
Aroused In the study of History In
North CaroIina.o-The Campaign for
Education Discussed.
Ladies and Gentlemen OF The Teachers
Assembly:

Assembly:
Those of o who at dawn have rock
ed on the restless deep know that 'wnen
the great sun lifts himself upon the
horizon a breeze always springs up and
with the new light a new breath from
heaven walks upon the face OF Jne va
ters So in North Carolina as the cooIs
swing wide open TO the coming Twentletn
Century, We feel that a new spirit
moving upon the face OF the Iah1. -
new epoch IS at hand. Universal educd1I
ion must soon come and with IL VIII
come the untold development OF ouE
surceS and OF the energies OF our pSO
pie. We feel that farther West iInnaa1 I ne
tabled island of Atlantis. TINS anu o.
North Carolina is rising into the sun
light of a grander and more perfect Gay.
To no other agency IS so much 49,
association Though l believe TINS Is
onIy the eighteenth annual meeting OF
vOur body YOU have IN these seventeen
wears completely revOlutionized PUBIC
Sentiment in this state upon the SUBJECT
of pubic schools Instead OF DelnS pare
" tolerated. they are now deemed OF
ne first necessity and no public man
and no respectable section OF society
dare oppose them. They are becoming
our pride and the only real question is
so TO readjust taxation that a sum ade-
ouate TO their just and proper support
shall be laid upon those best able 70
Your are to be congratulated on the
S2UO.OOO appropriated from the general
fund which is due to your efforts. Thougn
l~n40enudtP. II IS an IlSItlAIIlcHl uPOA
the pledges made for the education OF
the children 1t is also significant or
the growth in public sentiment that eE-
cry election this spring upon the subject
of graded schools has been favorable and
indeed in some places unanimous.
The North Carolina Literary and ms,
tOrical Association. though organized
only last fall. has been. 1 am proud TO
say. as 1 have the honor TO be its presI-
dent, of some assistance TO you IN TINS
great work. 1t was in one OF our meet.
inoz that the Man OF DuDlC SCnOOIS
libraries was formulated The draft OF
the bill as originally suggested by Pro
ments adopted by the General Assem-
bly,. Though now limited TO six School
districts in each county with. a library
of SO each. this IS n good beginning. II
will not be long before the library Will
be extended to every school district IN
the state. and the appropriation for each
library will be increased
The subject you ave assigned me.
How to Encourage the Study or the
History of North Carolina" struck me
with surprise. 1t is related OF the great
Hannibal that a certain philosopher I'M
dertoOk to point out to him the defects
in his system of strategy. with possibly
some criticisms of his lingering so long
around Capua- The old warrior listened
with such interest that some one VEN
tured TO ask hin afterwards what he
thought of the philosopher. Why he
aid. he had such cneek | was bound
TO listen to see what he would say next
l don't understand why have been Sc.
4CSLC0 ~ t"Ah " "NA ~ III
50 many HannibalS-if some one present
who is skilled in the Punic tongue viii
tell me the feminine for Hannibal L
will add in the presence of so many Han
nibalS and lady Hannlbals- L can only
account for it upon the popular super
stitiOn which is entirely ~unfounded. that
a awyer'S cheek is equal to anything. 1t
is so hard for a superstition to die out!
The first requisite for the encourage
ment of the, study of history Is a SUI
ficient school term and suitable school
houses in which it may be taught. First
catch your rabbit precedes all dlrec-
tons as to how to cook him. With the
present school term of little over three
months there is not much time for more
than the three RS" All d~eclamatio1
all pledges OF education for all the chill
dren are worse than idle unless there
is sufficient revenue for the support of
the schools.
Your association has created and di-
rected the public sentiment which IS
now almost unanimously in favor of an
efficient system of public schools. What
Is needed now is the ~nancl ability
which shall draft and enact a modern up
to-date system of taxation which shall
raise the necessary funds by the re-
adjustment of the burdens in accordance
with modern conditions 1t is idle to
talk about a nine months term with
money must be had. and a great deal
more. 1t cannot be raised by increasing
the tax upon land and merchandise. the
crude medieval system which is still SO
largely in & among US. The farm
er's business is not prosperous. You a
not add to his burdens. Nor can the
double tax but a three-fold OF four-fold
tax. bear a heavier burden. In the classic
Language of the day. 1.-The proposition is
up to you"
Your able secretary who for four
years has been the efficient superin-
tendent of public schools. has in two re-
ports called the attention OF the legiS-
lature to a new source of revenue
hitherto untouched. which he thought
port OF the public schools. The railroads
of this state collect as North Cardinals
proportion OF their earnings annually
over SIC. Q. 600 of which more than 81. 900 =
900 is net profit Not one dollar OF this
immense revenue pays one cent of tri-
butte to God nor Caesar. As they are
owned almost entirely by non-residents
these great net revenues are carried out
or the state. never to return, and thus
TO our permanent impoverdshment.
Not in a spirit OF hostility to them
but in justice to all other ~ax-paye
= Nj. Mebane has called attention to the
fact that many other states were rails
ing a large share of their revenue from
tons. Illinois lays a tax of s per cent.
upon the gross earnings of the Illinois
Central. and Governor Odeu. of New
York. has recommended that all the rev
enueS OF the state should be derived from
that source alone. leaving the tax upon
real and personal property for county
purposes It has been suggested that a
tax of S Der cent levied upon the SIG. OO0-
600 OF railroads earnings in this state
would raise $780, 900 from that source
alone. which should be a sacred fund de-
voted solely to purposes. The tax
on the earnings of other great corpora
tons would raise this additional reve-
nue for school purposes 20 more thar
$4,000 90 annually. 1t would not be Sc
rfously felt by the subjects OF it. for
while a tax Of S per cent. ON the SIC. 0o.-
600 of gross earnings is 500. 600. as the net
earnings OF the railroads in North Caro-
lima are over 5000 600. there would still
be left them $500 600 net revenue. which
- u per cent net interest upon the
$4,000. 200. on which they T assessed as
The fair value OF all their re- and per-
sonal property in this state. It would
seem that they can we'll aford TO pay
$4,000 tax on gross earnings. when after
such aymen there will still be left
them Is per cent. net earnings upon the
actual value OF their property. Every
dollar of this sum viii be needed before
You can have an adequate school fund.
Where else can you get it from parties
who can so easily and justly pay it? If
there IS any better ource let us find it.
The schools must be supported.
I'm making this recommendation. Mr..
Mebana waS hJrr f0lfOUi0r thu axamD1e