The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-06

tend the public schools. No one has yet
I undertaken to explain how, without
means, they are to procure shelter food
and clothing This applies to the restric-
ton with reference to children under IA
years of age as we'll as to children under
Y years of age. If they cannot maintain
themselves and attend Scnool, their eX
clusion from the cotton mills will drive
them back to the country districts where
they will be forced to again live ten
ants upon farms. deprived not only of
the comforts enjoyed al the mills, but in
many cases the necessities or life. other
wise the cost of maintenance, like that of
education, will become charge upon
the state. This is Wores than paternal-
ism run mad il is down right rank So
cialisnl and to this end ii will come to
last unless through the conScrVa tism and
good sense Of our legislators this move
ment is strangled at its birth. If attend
ance upon schools is made compulsory,
in 50 far as the children employed in the
cotton mills are concerned, | submit to
the members of the legal profession, and
to the intelligent laymen as we'll that
this policy cannot be confined TO children
of this class.
AS to Educ. ion.
''The constitution of the state viii not
permit the execution Of law which
requires that one class of children shall
attend school before they are permitted
ti'tAe SA''i
dren shall attend ~School before they are
permitted 10 work. - far as | am con
cerned | am opposed to compulsory
school attendance, because in the inst
place IL interfere with parental control
of children, and in the second place means
further complication of the troublesome
race question which has disturbed the
south for the past third OF a century.
| do not believe that education obtained
through attendance upoA our public
schools is a panacea for all human ills;
on the contrary the experience of the
people of the south with reference to
this question up TO this time should teach
us to handle it with the utmost caution.
1T has been stated that majority of
the nameless crimes committed by negroes
upon white women on this section have
been committed by young negroes who
have been educated at public expense.
My observation has been that education
obtained at public expense, and especially
in the higher branches. does not impress
its recipients with either the necessity
or duty Of working The impression upon
those who have committed the crimes to
which have alluded seems TO have been
that, by reason of their education. they
We're to do nothing but loaf around our
towns and cities play baseball and en-
brace our white women by force. | do
not desire to be understood by this state
ment as charging the negro race gcner-
ally with the crimes of "A few of its
members, which the better class of ne
Sroes abhor as much as we do. Instead
of requiring that any one who wants to
work shall bring d certificate that they
have attended school in order that they
may be permitted to work. | would rather
see q law passed that would require
any one who desired 10 be educated at
public expense. TO bring certificate that
they had been at Worl. before they are
permitted to enter the public schools
The retormers as | stated in tie out