The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-01-15
governor AYC0CK'S MESSAGE.

d1ctlOn OF the court the bonds held b.
the said brokers. This Is the first case
of this character ever brought by oni
State against another and it Is conf
IDENTITY contended by North Caroline
that no court has jurisdiction to en-
force public obligations In the hands
Of At, assignee which could not bt
enforced by the assignor. The prin
ciple involved is of serious import
ance, not only to this. hut to all the
States Of the Union and II the suit
can be maintained 1t Will be a dan
gerOus departure and one seriously
infringing upon the sovereignty OF
the States. 1 have employed counsel
for the State who in conjunction with
our able Attorney General are repre-
senting.
STATE TAX COMMISSION
The report OF the State Tax Com
mission Is a very interesting docu-
ment and well worthy of your serious
| study. Some of the recommendations
contained therein are new to our PEG
pie and may not meet with ready
acceptance. 1t is certain, however,
that the commission he's given dill
| gent study tr the problems presented
to them for consideration under the
act creating the commission. ] trust
that the views presented will ti6t only
arouse interest on the part OF the
General Asse mbly. but will cause d
general study of the subject OF tax
alton by all our people. Much revenue
! is undoubtedly lost to the State,
counties. and towns by refusal 10
| properly list personal property Ill
| these communities where the com
hined tax rate is SO high as to become
fined tax rate is SO high as to become
v;sed which this can be remedied and
thereby cause full listing OF property
at its true value. a long step will be
taken towards the adjustment on an
equitable basis Of the burdens of tax
alton. The recommendation Of the
commission that a tax should be
levied for State purposes on distil-
leries, rectifyihg establishments and
saloons seems to be well founded. The
State has heretofore levied a tax on
saloons for the use Of the school fund
only. 1t would seem that an additional
tax should be levied for State p,lr-
poses There is no reason apparent
why distilleries and rectifyiag estab-
lishments should not also contribute
to the support of the State Govern
1uent,
EDUCATION.
l commend to your careful con
sideration the very full and able re-
port of our Superintendent of Public
instruction. | concur in the main IN
the accommodating which he has
SO thoughtfully made But for the fact
that some Of your Honorable Body
have come tn the Legislature in
strGctet. by the conventions which
nominated; you 10 secure the adoption
CT an amendment TO the Constilu-
ton by which the taxes paid by the
whites shall go to the education OF
the white children and the taxes paid
by the negroes shall go to the educa-
ton OF the negro children. l should
make no mention Of any race ques-
ton. ! HAD confidently hoped that this
matter would not he before you. We
have just eliminated by our Constitu-
ticnal Amendment the negro from any
large participation in the government
OF the State. 1t was my fortune to be
the candidate at tie time when it was
adopted OF that party which supported
the amendment. In my speech CT &C
ceptance made to the convention
which unanimously nominated me foi
tiie Office OF Cover; y. [ used this
language, while universal suffrage
is q failure. universal justice is the
perpetual decree OF Almighty God
and we are entrusted with power not
for our good alone, but for the negro
as well. We hold our title to power.
by the tenure Of service to God, and
ii we fail to administer equal and
exact justice to the negro whom We
deprive OF suffrage. We shall in the
fuIness of time lose power ourselves.
for we must know that the God who
is love trusts no people with au-
tnOrity for the purpose of enabling
them to do injustice to the weak The
reception which this statement met
at the hands of that great conven-
ton will ever be to me a pleasant
memory. This declaration with me
was not mere sentiment It was the
expression of deep conviction In lny
inaugural address i substantially re
iterated this statement. I said to the
last General Assembly, You will not
have aught to fear when you make
ample provision for the education OF
the whole people. Rich and poor alike
are bound by promise and necessity
to approve your utmost efforts in this
direction. The platforms of all the
parties declare in favor OF a liberal
policy towards the education of the
masses The platform ON which |
ran for Office contained this pro-
vision, I'VE heartily commend the &C
lion of the General Assembly of 1890
for appropriating one hundred thou
sand 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
q four months term in each year in
every school district in the State.
There Is in that platform declaration
10 suggestion Of any purpose to take
from the negro any part of the school
fund which he was then enjoying. AL
most from the time OF my entering
upon the Office of Governor to the
present | have gone through the State
making speeches advocating uniyer-
sal education. When the Democratic
convention assembled in Green's
horo they endorsed this educa-
tional policy in the follow
ing language: I'VE renew our
pledges for the extension and improve
.nent Of the public school system of the
state. so that it may keep pace with
the needs and conditions of our peo
pie. We point with pride to the grea.
impetus and progress in this great
work during the last two years. and
can attention to the fact that this year