The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-14
ALABAMA DAY WILL BE DULY OBSERVED Programmes to be Carried Out
 in All Schools
  EXERCISES TO BE PATRIOTIC  The Act Admitting Alabama to the Union as Ssa.e Signed By Presi-
 dent Monroe Elghty-four
 Years Ago Today.
EXERCISES TO BE PATRIOTIC

Elghty-four years ago today President James Monroe signed the resolutions passed by congress admitting Alabama to the union as a state, and since that time, December II has appropriately been called Alabama day"
 The day will be observed throughout the state and the schools will all have suitable exercises, consisting of recita- tions and songs which will most fttingy arouse a spirit of patriotism in the minds and hearts of the pupils.
 In the Birmingham public schools par ticuar attention will be given to having the day suitably celebrated. Several weeks ago Superintendent J. H. Phillips issued instructions to the principals of all the schools. calling upon them to prepare programmes for Alabama day and in all of them exercises will be carried out.
 To Arouse Patriotism.
 The programmes have been prepared with the view of increasing the love of the pupils for Alabama and their native land. In many of the schools talks will  wonderful progress Alabama has made politically and economically since her ad- mission to the union as a state.
 The most important events of the states varied history will be explained The pupils will be told of the important part Alabama has taken in the affairs of the nation The state will be lauded fo- the prominent part 1t took in the confed- eracy and attention will be called to the stormy civil war period. Pupils will be told of the important battles that have been fought within the states borders both during the Indian wars and in the conflict of the secession, and the promi- nent part taken in them by the states citizens.
 The act providing for the admission of Alabama as a state was approved March 2, 1919, and one of the provisions of the act was that forty-four delegates should be elected to form a constitution for the new commonwealth.
 Met at Huntsville.
 The forty-four delegates selected under the provisions of this act assembled at Huntsville, July 5, 1819 and organized with John w. Walker of Madison as president, and John Campbell as secretary. The la bors of the convention which terminated on August 2, resulted in the production of a constitution which was duly forwarded for the approval of congress.
 In the meantime, In order to prepare for the organization of the new government, an election was held for the choice of members of the general assembly, a gov ernor and representatives in congress. The first general assembly thus chosen, consisting of forty-five representatives and twenty-two senators, was convened at Huntsville, on October 25, and on No- vember g. William Wyatt Bibb, the only governor of the Alabama territory, who had been chosen the first governor or the new state, was duly inaugurated.
 On December 14. President Monroe ap- proved the four resolutions of congress, admitting Alabama into the Union.
 In 1920, the state had a population or 127 ,901. in 1S3) this had grown to 3O9,521, while at the beginning of the civil war Alabama contained 964,2Ol persons. Ac- cordng to the census of 1900 the state had population of 1,S2s,697.
 The growth of the past three years has been almost unparalled, so that the fig ures of 1900 are not fair showing of the population at the present time.