The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-16


wisdom of the declaration of the Faith
ers. made ut Halifax in 1776, that Re
ligion. morality, and knowledge being ne
! cessary to good government, schools and
/ the means Of education shall forever be
encouraged; and cognizant of the full
meaning Of that recent constitutional
enactment which debars from the privi-
lege OF the suffrage, after 1908, all per-
sons who can not read and write and re-
| living on the patriotism and foresight of
] North Carolnians to deal with a great
question which vitality concerns the ma
tsrial and social welfare OF themselves
( and their posterity. we, in an educational
/ conference assembled in the city of Raj
eigh, this February 10, 1902, are moved
to make the following declaration of edu-
cational facts and principles:
]. Today, more fully than at any ether
! time in our past history do North Caro-
Iinians recognize the overshadowing ne .
cessity of universal education in the So
| luton of those problems which free gov
ernment must solve in perpetuating its
existence.
g No free government has ever found
any adequate means of universal educa-
ton, except free public schools, open to
all, supported by the taxes of all it's
citizens. where every child regardless OF
condition in life or circumstance of for
tune, may receive that opportunity for
training INTO social service which the con-
stitutions of this and other great States
and the age demands.
g. We realize that our State has
reached the constitutional limit OF taxa
tion for the rural schools, that she has
made extra appropriations to lengthen
the tern OF these schools to so days in
the year. We realize. too. that the fnI
months term now provided is ina~5-
quate, for the reason that more than
Ia 600 children of school age in the
United States outside of North Carolina
are now provided an average of las days
Of school out OF every $50; that the
teachers of these children are paid an
average salary of $4S per month, while
the teachers of the children of North
Carolina arc paid hardly $25 per month,
thus securing for all the children of our
sister States more efficient training for
the duties of life. And we further real
ize that, for every man. woman and
large is spending $2.S3 for the education
of it's children. while North Carolina is
spending barely 81 cents; that the country
at large is spending on an average of
S20.29 for every pupil enrolled in it's
public schools, while North Carolina is
spending only SO or 81, the smallest
amount expended by any State in the
Union; that the average amount spent
for the education Of every child of school
age in the United States is approximately
$3.50, while North Carolina is spending
Sis.
These facts should arouse our pride and
cur patriotism, and lead us to inquire
whether the future will hold this gener-
alton responsible for the perpetuation Of
conditions that have resulted in the null
tiplicitykof small school districts, in
ferior school houses, poorly paid teachers,
and necessarily poor teaching; that have
resulted in twenty white illiteratcs out
Of every 100 white population over ten
years of age, in generally poor and poorly
paid supervision of the expenditure Of our
meagre school funds and of the teaching
done IN our schools; and, finally, in that
educa tional indifference which is the chief
cause of the small average daily attend
ance Of 36.6 pupils out Of every 100 en-
rolled in our present public schools.
We believe the future will hold us re-
sponsible for the perpetuation of these
unfavorable conditions, and, therefore,
we conceive it to be the patriotic, moral,
and religious duty of this generation OF