The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-01-23
Gov. AyCock Talks Oh Imperative Need
Of Education.

cOmcS Vi aye tudL year VI aitCl "oi"S
can ever vote unless he can read or
write.
GOyERNoR's PROMISE NOT FORGOTTEN.
In the campaign which l made in
1900, | distinctly took the position
that the Amendment ought to be
adopted because it would tend to the
education Of all the people OF the
State. insisted then that the Amend
ment would be an incentive to the
parents to send their children to
school and would result in the educa-
cation Of everybody. then declared
that it would he a crime to disfran-
chise the children of those men who
followed Lee and jackson, and
shame to let them grow up in ignor-
ance. That appeal resulted in ma
iority of more than 60, 900 for me as
Governor of the State. | have not
forgotten my promise, nor have l
neglected the opportunities which
have been presented to make good
the pledge which | made. | told the
people in that campaign that If |
were elected Governor OF the State |
administration to the education OF the
people Of the State. told them also
that the Amendment necessitated the
education of all the children and
when | made this statement in my
campaign, .he people of the state,
rich and poor, applauded 1t and at
the polls ratified it. | am. therefore,
compelIed to believe that they believe
in universal education. Ii they do
not their course in electing me cannot
be explained.
EVERY NEGRO WILL BE TAUGHT TO
READ.
am perfectly aware that there are
| men, good men, and many CT them,
who think that the experimen OF edu-
| eating the negro has been failure,
| but | am here tonight TO say that we
need not concern ourselves about ths
education of the negro. The Amend
! ment renders it certain that every
negro male child will be taught to
| read and write. Their schools are
running, they are instructing their
race, and if we wish to keep pace with
|
advance Of them which we have held
for thousand years, we must teach
the white children OF the State.
| There can be no compromise on this
question. If we wish to maintain the
advantage which we have, il We be-
lieye in the white people and think
that they ought to stand at the head
Of the procession, we are compelled
to educate oar children. Tn: truth Of
thu matter is that we have Jagged
in the rear and have failed to como
up to the high mark of our calling,
| simply because we were ignorant. We
have less crime than other States. 1t
is, therefore. not our vices that have
kept US behind. We will have to
look for our relative position to
another cause, and that cause may
be found in our neglect Of educa-
ton.
Ne have been an economical, thriis
ty. industrious and sober people.
obeying the law and regarding the
rights of our neighbors, bat not
withstanding these facts we have be-
come the poorest State in cents and
dollars in the American Union. This
can only be explained on the ground
that we have not known how to do
things. 1t is incumbent, therefore,
upon us to realize this fact and to
correct it. We can never become a
leader in the American Union unless
we educate our people. Money is not
everything, and indeed it is not the
chief thing, for the Glove of money"
we are told in the Scriptures, lis the
root of all evil" but it is still very
necessary thing in order to enable u:
to do the best work of which we ar,
capable.
NORTH CAROLINA OUGHT TO LEAD.
Education IS necessary in order tina
we may work out the fullest indus
trial and agricultural development o
our State. Other people have mad'
inventions and gained monopolie
and we have bought their inventions
because we were incapable Of pro
$ ducing the things which we wished
:, The time has come when we ought t
:. cease to buy the things which W,
= need and ought to begin to Great
and sell them to other people. 1t i
certain that we have the finest popu
lation in the world, strong, alert
libsrty-loving, independent. self-sac
rificing - with these qualities W
ought TO become leaders in the world
/ We ought tie sell more than we buy
' not only more of the ordinary article
: Of exchange, but of literature and ar
| and the produce of science. VIII,
t should we not write books, prose AM
e poetry, make statuary and execut
: paintings and compel the world t.
0 buy them because of their merit? |
t we really have the people who charge,
/ farthest at Gettysburg and laid dow
. more arms at Appomattox than an
: other people, who sent more men t
: the front in the Southern Confederac
than we had voters, why should W
n not produce things that the worl
5 needs, both in wares and the pro
5 ducts of the mind: if we are worth
Y OF the great men who made histor
# for US from '6l-'65 We will yet do thi
= thing. Those men wrought with gu
= and sword and have made history @
n which the Universe is glad II W
e ! will work as nightly in the walks G
It civil life we will accomplish so niue
l. that our State will rank with the fir.
s State Of the world If we would bu
5 do in the ways of industry tn
e mighty works of the patriots of III
when Mecklenburg became famou
We should have no occasion to incit
our people to higher action.
l STRENGTH OF THE STATE
| Why should we not realize that tn
| strength of the State is the averag
/ OF the intelligence and virtue of he
| citizens9 Why should we insist, an
| part Of us. that education is injuriou
i | and lao behind because the nerrn h q