Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-09
Cures Piles Permanent,

to the proportion paid by each race.
which could not equally apply to dr.
vision of the taxes paid by each race on
| every subject. Education is governmental
junction. The right to collect taxes for
| that purpose Is based on the duty of
the State to educate its citizens The care
9. me insane IS no more the duty of the
state than education. We are proba b!y
| not much wiser now. If any. than the
! men who framed our Constitution in 1873
and declared that there should be no
| discrimination In favor of, or to- the
| prejudice OF either race. It must be, that
the learned lawyers in that convention
| believed that any discrimination In fa-
Sor OF either race, would be violative Of
the Fourteenth Amendment of the United
States Constitution. In this view they are
sustained by all the Courts that have
| ever passed upon the question, and by AL
the text writer's as well. 1t seems to be
clear that this opinion is right, and. If
| so. the proposed amendment would be
declared unconstitutional and the suff-
rage amendment which we have adopted
would undoubtedly follow in its wake.
The strength in our present amendment
lies in the fact that after 1908 it provides
an educational qualification, and the
courts will go far towards sustaining a
provision Of this nature, when the State
| is endeavoring to educat tie all her children.
But if it should be made to appear to the
court that In connection with our dis
franchisement of the negro. we had taken
pains for providing to keep him in ig-
| norance. then both appointments would
fall together. The amendment proposed
Is unjust. sunWiSe. and. unconstitutional:
would wrong both races; would bring our
State into the condemnation of a just
| public opinion elsewhere. and would
| mark US, as a people who have turned
backwards This State has heretofore en-.
joyed the distinction In being first in
those things which look to a larger lib
erty and a consequent higher development
OF her people.
AGAINST THE AMENDMENT.
Let US not seek to be the first State
In the Union to make the weak men
helpless. as this would be leadership
which could bring us no honor. but
shame. earnestly hope no effort will
tie made to secure the adoption Of the
proposed amendment. To secure the edu-
cation Of all our people is great task
and we have no time to waste in dis.
cussing Impossible changes In our Con-
stitution. When it is finally admitted.
as it must be, that such an amendment
cannot stand before the courts. we will
have gone long way towards solving
our educational problems.
I'm my judgment, our Constitution
does not contemplate division of the
school fund per capita but it is required
that equal facilities shall be accorded
both races Within the limits of this in
depreciation both races can reasonably
be educated without excessive cost to the
white people; and within this provision,
we are, in no danger of having our edu-.
cational system upset by decree OF the
courts. Education is matter belonging
10 tote
it are raised by the State, and until it.
appears affirmatively and clearly that one
race or the other is denied the equal pro-
lection OF the law, the courts Will never
interfere with the conduct OF our schools
If there are districts In the state III
which school terms for the negroes ex-,
coed those for the whites, this comes
about by unwise local management. Ihls
can and must be ,remedied. Care should
he taken by those charged with the ex-
ecu1Ion Of the law to provide equal la
cilities for the white race, rs well as Tor
the colored race, and It any leslsiation
is needed to secure this end the Legisla-
ture will have no difficulty in framing
it,
THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT..
The Insurance department is commend
ed. Up to the time 1t was estabilsneo5
the largest amount collected from insur-
ance companies and agents in any one
wear was sS4,S79. The collections for 1901
were s132, Os4, and for 1892. $4,000 VAL
uab1e work has been done by the commits
sioner in investigating incendiary fires
and having criminals prosecuted tnefe-
for.
rhe Board Of Agriculture has extend
cd the scope of it's usefulness as the
states need becomes manifest. The Cor
noration Commission is doing work OF
far more value than 1t Is generally I'M
derstood.
A feature or the message is the portion
concerning child labor in factories. He
saws: The time appears to be ripe IN
this State for some legislation In behair8
of the children who are working IN tex
tile and furniture factories Most states
have .lorg since passed laws pronlpltlng
the working of children unoer certain
ages in factories of this chara cter. Here
tofore It has been deemed inadvisable
to legislate upon this subject here. but
the State owes duty to her children
and the controversy, II there De any.
between capital and labor. has no1hlng
to do with this question, for In h1gii
sense the state is guardian 10 ne!
children This right of the State. is round
ed on its duty to perpetuate itsei1 os
the care of those who are hereafter 70
constitute its citizenship. This right being
conceded. it becomes the duty OF the
STATE to protect small children against
labor which tends to dwarf them. ply
sically. mentally. and morally. 1t cannot
be denied that work In such factories
by young children is. to say the least
of 1t. dangerous to their health, and cal
culated to make Of them weak men ano
women. l therefore earnestly recommend
the passage of a law absolutely prohib-
iting the employment in such factories
of any child under the age of y years.
This law ought also to provide that mo;
child under the age of Il shall work, IN
any such factory at night: and. after lsos,
no child who cannot read and write
should be permitted to work in any such
factory under the age Of III do not
think any exception. should be made.
No community should suffer any child
under u to be required to support its
parents. There is no such imperative ne
cessity for the creation and accumuTs
lation of wealth as to justify US In the
sacrifice Of child life to secure It me
state VIII grow richer by preserving the
health and developing the minds ana
hearts of these children than It can pos
sibly grow by the creation of any values llI