The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-22
he HONOR OF THE PARTY IS
PLEDGED TO THE FOUR
MONTHS SCHOOL TERM.

met in Raleigh on the 18th day of April,
1900, and appealed in it's platform for the
support of the people in the pending cleo
tion, it made this important declaration:
we heartily commend the action of
the General Assembly of 1899 for appro-
priating one hundred thousand dollars
for the benefit Of the public schools Of the
State, and pledge ourselves to increase
the school fund so as TO make at least
four months term in each year in every
school district in the State
On every stump in the State during
that campaign through its present Gov
ernor. both its new United States Sena-
tors, its ten members of Congress. its
eleven electors, every candidate for State
office, every candidate for county Of
flee and every man who was sent out
to appeal for the votes of the people for
the Democratic party, pledged the honor
of the party that efficient public schools
Of at least four months terms should be
guaranteed every year in every school dis
trict in North Carolina. AS proof of the
sincerity of the party they cited the fact
that the Democratic Legislature of 1899
had appropriated from the State Treas
ury one hundred thousand dollars for
the public schools, something that had
never before been heard of in this State.
They pledged the wealth of the State,
the honor Of the State and the character
policy. When the General Assembly of
1901 was in session at Raleigh after that
solemn declaration, which guaranteed to
the party victory in the preceding cleo
tion the one hundred thousand dollar ap-
preparation was increased to two hun
dred thousand and for the first time in
the history of the State every school dis
trict had a four months term of school
last year by reason of such approprla-
ton.
When the Democratic State Convention
met at Greensboro in 1902 it put in its
platform the following plank:
''We renew our pledges for the ex-
tension and Improvement of the public
school system of the State, so that it
may keep pace with the needs and con,
ditions of our people. We point with
pride to the great impetus and progress
in this great work during the last two
years, and call attention to the fact that
this year, for the first time in the his
tory of the State. every school district
has been able TO maintain a public free
school for four months, as required by
the Constitution"
1t did not stop here, but it passed the
following resolution:
1--WE heartily commend and endorse the
administration of Governor Charles B.
Aycock and other State officials for their
faithful execution of the party's
promises"
The marked characteristic of the adj
ministration of Governor Chas. B. Aycoclz
has been the advance in the betterment
of public schools of the State, and the
above resolution. therefore, in addition
to the resolution renewing the pledges
of the party for the extension and i'm
provement of the public school system 1T
the State, specifically approved the poll
cios that Governor Aycock and the other
State officers had pursued with reference
to our public school system. There was
another pledge in the last paragraph of
this Democratic platform of 1902 which
promises, that if the people would con-
tinue the Democratic party in power,
there would be continuance" of the
good government that had characterized
the first two years of Governor Aycocks
administration.
In 1900 the people gave Governor Ay-
cock and all the Democratic ticket sixty
thousand majority on the basis of the
1900 pledge and the appropriation of one
hundred thousand dollars from the State
Treasury for common schools In 1902
practically the same majority was given
the Democratic party on the basis of the
Democratic pledge of 1902 for a contin-
uance of the public school policy of Gov
ernor Aycock's administration, and the
appropriation of two hundred thousand
dollars to guarantee four months school
in every school district in North Caro-
lima. Whatever else the people may ex-
pect Of this General Assembly one thing
is true: it is pledged in the most solemn
manner to pay the one hundred thousand
dollars appropriated by the last Lagisla-
ture and to appropriate a sufficient sum
for the next two years to make it GER
tain beyond peradventure that there shall
be no school district in this State that
does not enjoy every year at least a four
months school term. Though it may do
every other good thing that has been
suggested, if it were to neglect this, the
greatest thing, it would violate the most
solemn pledge it has ever made to the
people OF North Carolina.