Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-01-17


| founded upon It, Our amendment may b
| revolutionary but it is revolution of advance
| ment, It takes step backward, it distinctl.
| looks to the future; it sees the day OF unive1
| sal suffrage but sees that day not in the oh
| scurity Of ignorance but IN the light of univeI
| sal educa tion The twilight will grow in to tn
| perfect day. with the sun of intellig gence shin
| ing in the sky. That is our hope and promise
| We shall not fail
On a hundred platforms, to half the voters
of the State. in the late campaign, I pledged
the State. its strength, it's heart, it's wealth. t.
universal educa tion. I promised the i1literatt
poor man, bound to life OF toll and struggle
and poverty, that life should be brighter fol
his boy and girl than it had been for him an6
the partner of his sorrows and joys, I pledged
the wealth of the State to the education of his
children. Men OF wealth, representatives o1
great corporations applauded eagerly my dec
laration. I then realized that the strong desire
which domino ted me for the uplifting of the
whole people moved otonly my heart but was
likewise the hope and aspiration of those upon
whom fortune had smiled. I had loved the
North Carolina people before that time, but /
never knew and appreciated the best qualities
of many of our citizens until [ the owners
of many thousands as eager for the education
of the whole people as myself. Then /
knew that the hope and task before US, gentle
men of the Legislature was not an impossible
one. We are prospering as never b8fore-ou
wealth Increases. our industries multiply, our
commerce extends and among the owners of
this wealth, this multiplying industry, this
extending commerce, [ have found man
who is unwilling to make tie State stronger
and better by liberal aid to the cause of educa-
ton.
Gentlemen of the General Assembly. you will
1ayo faor pla
provision for the education of the whole peo-
pie. Rich and poor alike are bound by promise
and necessity to approve your utmost effor is in
this direction. The platforms of all the parties
declare in favor liberal policy towards the
education of the masses; notably the Demo-
cratic platform, referring to the addition made
to the schooFtund, says. We heartily commend
the action of the GeneSal Assembly of 1899 for
appropriating one hundred thousand dollars
for the benefit of the Public Schools of the
STATE, and pledge ourselves to increase the
school fund to make at least a four
months term in each year in every school dis
trict IN the State" and in the campaign which
was conducted throughout the State with SO
much energy and earnestness that platform
pledge made the basis of the promises
which we all made to the people, Poor and un-.
lettered men, anxious about the privileges of
their children and hesitating to vote for the
Amend dments were fna2l Il persnad ID ata.aessgsszs
our promise and place their children in po-
sition in which they c1n never vote unless the
pledges whichwe made are redeemed to the full
est extent For my part declare to you that it
shall be my constant aim and effort during the
four years that I shall en deavor to serve the
people Of this State to redeem this most solemn
of all our pledges. If more taxes are required
to carry out this promise to the people, more
taxes must be levied If property has escaped
taxation heretofore which ought to have bee
taxed means must be devised by which that
property can be reached and put upon the tax
list. rejoice in prosperity and take delight in
the material progress of the State. I would
cripple no industry I would retard the growth
of enterDrise, but I would by just and
equal laws rd ire from every owner of prop
erty his just Con tribution, to the end that all
the children may secure the right to seletc
their servants. There many important t
matters which will claim your atte ntior. The
problems before are of the gravest nature,
but among them all there is none that ap-
proach in Importance the necessity for aking
ample provision for the education OF the whole
people.
Appropriations alone cannot remove litter
acy from our State. With the appropriations
must come also. increased interest in this
cause, which shall not cease until every child
cdH r6dO aud NTlCS Lie preacher Gno teach
ers, the newspapera and the mothers of North
Carolina must be unceasing in their efforts to
arouse the Indifferent and compel by the force
of public opinion the attendance OF every
child upon the schools. It is easier to accom-
plish this since the amendment to our Consti
tuition raises it's solemn voice and declares
that the child who arrives at age after 1905
cannot share in the glorious privilege of gov
erning his State participate in the policies
of the Nation unless he read and write
This is. therefore the opportune moment fol
a revival of educational interest throughout
the length and breadth of the State. We shall
not accomplish this work in day nor can il
be done by many speeches. It is a work OF
years, to be done day by day with full reali
zation of its Importance, and with that anx.
ious interest on our part which will stimulate
| the careless and will make all our people eager
| to attain the end which we seek. Our states
men have always favored the education of the
masses, but heretofore interest in the matter
has not approached universally; hencefortt
in every home there will be the knowledge
| that no child can attain the true dignity O.
citizenship without learning at least to rea6
and write. This simple fact alone justifies the
| adoption of the amendment for it was it's pas
sage that first brought home to all our people
| the necessity for universal education. We en-
| ter era of industrial development. Growth
| in that direction is dependent upon intelli
| gence-not the intelligence of the few but O
| all. Massachusetts, realized this fact from tn
| day when the Pilgrim Fathers landed OF
| Plymouth Rock and by that clear perception
| she has won wealth out of bleak coasts AM
| sterile lands. Our forefathers acknowledged
| the same fact in their first Constitution. an,
| from that time to the present onr Constitu
| tions and Legislative Acts have all looked to
| wards this end; but the whole people hav
| never before been awakened to it's advocacy
| From. this time forth opposition to education
will mark man as opposed to the theory c
our government. which is founded upon th
consent Bf the governed, and our Constitutio
provides that this consent in the not distan
future can be given only by those who ca
read and write. We need have nothing to fea.