The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-27

not common in the colonies. Franklin did not go so far as John Adams in pro- vidng schools for the masses, supported by taxation. Franklin encouraged edu- cational intellectual development and lent his influence in that direction. Adams. however, was very pronounced for general education and wrote in 1775:
 |" The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people, and must be willing to bear the expense of 1t. There should not be a district a mile square without a school in it-not founded by a charitable indi- vidual, but maintained at the expense of the people themselves
 Duty to the State.
 Thus we will see that the education of the masses becomes a care and duty of the state It will not do in this time and generation to depend upon self edu- cation We find some splendid speci- mems of self education in the lives of men like Horace Greeley Abraham Lin coin, Robert Fulton, Thomas A. Edison and others, but conventional education is the safest, as against the plan of self education. Dr. J. l.. M. Curry said, in an address on education:
 Let me affirm with emphasis, as an educator, as a patriot as an American. that on universal education, or free schools, depends the prosperity of the country and the safety and perpetuity of the republic
 "These views are against the idea that individual donations must be relied upon. We have varied instances of generous, broad minded men, who have been favor ed with wealth, giving in a most poten- tial way to the establishment of great education institutions. These have been conspicuous in the past but that class is becoming more impressed now with the fact that they hold their great wealth in trust and many of them are willing to use 1t for the good of their fellow men, We have just been remind ed since Andrew Carnegie began to seri- ously consider the question of using his great wealth for the help of others that he has spent so far $100,000000. Prominent rich men like John D. Rockefeller and others have given and are still giving their millions for educational purposes, showing they realize that the best devel- cpment of our people must come along educational lines. This kind of help is necessary for establishing and sustain ing great educational institutions. In the Decades.
 "It is not my purpose to discuss this important subject other than to refer to the great stride which has been made in the education of the children of this country in the last two decades. It is in- teresting, however. to note that as shown by the school statistics of the United Staes, in 1902 there were enrolled 16, 100000 of pupils as against 6'S00,0O0 In 1870. The percentage of persons five to eighteen years of age enrolled was 7l.54 per cent in 1902 as against 57 per cent in 1870
 Tt is particularly noticeable that the rf tha schools has arisen from 100000 in 1870 to 100000 in 1902 A great increase has been noted in the length of the school term In 1870 the average term of all schools was 132 days; for the year 1902, 145 days It will also be noticed from the statictics that twenty-two years ago the percentage of male teachers was 43 per cent, while the past year 1t had fal- len below 2S per cent. Those who know something of the influence of woman ~------~~--~---~-~----- (continued on Seventh Paael