The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-02
GERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
POSTAGE PREPAID.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1902.
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

The republicans at their state "
tiol in Greensboro showed how hard
prsssed they were for campaign ammu-
nision by several remarkable clauses in
thair platform. For instance they
co"demn the democratic party for fail
u:z to provide proper educational facili-
It's for the poor children Of the state
during the period from 1870 to 1894.
What does this declaration do but call
more forcibly to the minds Of the peo-
pie that during the time prior to 1870,
when the republican party had control
of the state taxes were levied for main
tenance of public schools, but no such
schools were opened. During that pc
riod the republican party did not a
thing to establish public schools except
to collect the tax from the people, every
cent OF which they squandered without
opening the door Of a single public
chool house or putting a spelling book
into the hands of a single child; as to
higher education, they closed the doors
OF the state university. When by aid
of the populists they came into power
again in 1894, they found the democrats
had the state divided into thousands
of school districts and a public school
in every one of them, the state univer-
sity and other institutions of learning
f1ouriahing. For the four years Of their
hold on the state they did not raise a
finger to d to the school system as
they found it. When the democrats
came into power again they took up the
work Of improving the public school
system where they had left it off in
1894. They found not a single step hal
been made by the republicans and pop
ulists G-ring the four years they were
in power in the way of improving the
schools of the state. What the demo-
Gratis ave done in the last four years
to increase the opportunities for obtain
ing a better education by the children
of the state demonstrates the fact that
they are emphatically in earnest N
stamping out illiteracy in our state
and educating every child within it's
borners who will take advantage of the
opportunities offered. 1t will strike
every one as most absurd for the re-
publicans to compare their record on
this inter- with that of the democratic
party. ON the one hand we a taxes
collected for schools and ~squandered, no
schools opened; the state university
closed. On the other side we see COM
schools, graded schools, high
schools in every county in the state and
many Of these supplied with libraries
for the further enlightenment of the
children, all properly and economically
conducted and the money collected
from the people not squandered, but
spent in the education of the children.
Again in their platform these repub-
licans invite the attention OF the peo-
pie of the state to the clean, able N
economic administration of our state
government by the republican and pop
ulist parties from 1897 to 1901" and chal-
Ienge a comparison with the present
democratic administration. Will any
reader of The Messenger say this needs
comment? The idea of favorably COM
pairing the condition of affairs in this
state under the Russell administration
with the present is too absurd to notice
and unworthy OF attention by airy
thinking man atall conversant with the.
affairs OF the state since 1897.
Then follow in the platform a list OF
"arraignments'' against the democratic
party, some of them so vague that out
few will know what they refer to. The
shallowness of the declarations shows
that the republicans who drafted L
were at their wits end in their attempt
at connecting a so-called platform of
party principles to put before the pub
lie. What shows still more forcloiy
hat they were hampered by conscious
ness of their forlorn condition is TT
fact that the platform was no
hastily drawn document 1t is said
that it was drafted by Senator Pritch-
ard before going to the state convention
and was therefore the result of much
thought and elaboration.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.