The news & observer., 1901-01-16
Governor of North Gaf0iiI1a,

cept our promise and place their chill
dren in a position in which they can
never vote unless the pledges which we
made are redeemed to the fullest eX-
tent. For my part | declare to you that
it shall be my constan aim and effort
during the four years that l 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 his promise to the people
more taxes must be levied. If property
has escaped taxation heretofore which
ought to have been 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.
would cripple no industry | would re-
tard the growth of no enterprise: but
| would by just and equal laws require
from every owner of property his just
contribution, to the end that all the chill
dren may secure the right to select their
servants. There are many important mat
ters which will claim your attention. The
problems before us are OF the graves
nature, but among them all there is none
that can approach in Importance the ne
cessity for making ample provision for
the education of the whole people.
Appropriations alone cannot remove il
literacy from our State With the APP
preparations must come also an increased
interest in this cause which shall not
cease until every child can read and
write. The preachers. the teachers, the
newspapers and the mothers of North
Carolina must be unceasing in heir ef-
forts n - IA in1iTarant
pei by the force of public opinion the at
tendance of every child upon the schools
1t is easier to accomplish this since the
solemn voice and declares that the child
who arrives al age after 1908 cannot share
in the glorious privilege of governing his
State nor participating in the policies
of the nation unless he can read and
write. This is therefore. the orportune
moment for a revival of educa tional in
of the State. We shall not accomplish
this work in day nor can it be done
by many speeches 1t is a work of years
to be done day by day with fun reaiza-
tion of it's Importance and with that anx~
ious interest on our part which will slim
ulate the careless and will make all our
PSOpit tdstl ~ dtLdIU LHb emu WHICH we
seek. Our statesmen have always favored
the education of the masses. but here
tofore interest in the matter has not
approached universality; henceforth in
every home there will be the knowledge
that no child can attain the true dig
nifty of citizenship without learning at
least to read and write. This simple
fact alone iustifies the adoption of the
amendment for it was its passage that
first brought home to all our people the
necessity for universal education. We
enter an era of industrial development
Growth in that direction is dependent
upon intelligence-not the intelligence OF
the few, but of all. Massachusetts real
lied this fact from he day when the
Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth
Rock and by that clear perception she
has won wealth out Of bleak coasts and
sterile lands. Our forefathers acknowl-
edged the same fact in their first cor
stitution, and from that time to the
present our Constitutions and LegisIa-
tive Acts have all looked towards this
end but the whole people have never
before been awakened TO it's advocacy
From this time forth opposition to educa
tion will mark a man as opposed TO the
theory Of our government which is found