The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-10

Inat We coutd get tt III quaukiiicS sun ! cient to be of any service to us is i'm
 possible. That we should ask 1t Is un
 thinkaible.
 The second is aid from the Nationa
 Treasury. This might have been obtained
 at one time if the South had been united
 h asking for it. but they refused anc
 now, whether desirable or not, the op
 pcrtunity is gone and probably forever
 The mill will never grind with the wa 1 ter that has passed
 The last method Is by local taxation
 as supplement to State aid. The prob
 lem of local taxation is simply to allow
 each community which wants 1t to levy
 a reasonable tax. under reasonable re-
 strictions, upon it's own property to edu- cate It's own people. This Is the ap- proved method in all the State. It has | been tried with success in every State
 in the Union. North and South, excet
 in the State of Alabama, and 1t has
 failed in none. In our own State alone, arc the people fordbiden by our organic law to exercise this high function of a free people. the right to levy taxes upon their own property for their own bene-
 it Who shall say that the people can
 not be trusted with this right? It Is their own property. Can the right be justly taken fror. them? It is their children Can they not decide for them selves what they will do about it7 I know | there are some people who question the | wisdom and policy of public education | It has always been so, but We are today witnessing the spectacle Of public school system which is just sufficient in rural communities to destroy the private I schools and not sufficient to reach the standard of those private schools or sixty years ago. We ought either to provide l sufficient money for the operation of free pubic schools in the rural communities of our State or we ought to go out of | the business altogether and leave it to | the private schools. I am not in favor of the latter nor will the people listen | to 1t for single moment We could not recall the private schools of the past, if we would-we would not if we could.
 When recall the fact that our native I white illiteracy Is greater now than it was in 1860: that the actual number or our illiterates, both white and black, is greater than In 1870, or 1880 or 1890: that i the Increase of our school fund has not kept pace with the increase of our school children, am reminded of the old story of the little boy who was late at school one day The morning was very cold drizzling rain of the night before had
 been frozen over. so that the ground was covered with a coat of Ice. The teacher indignantly demanded an explanation
 of his tardiness. We'll" said the boy. 'I started early enough, but every
 time I took a step forward I slipped two backwards" How, then, did you get here3" thundered the teacher. "I turned around and went the other
 way" It seems to me that the time
 has come in Alabama to turn around and go the other way. Under a recent act of our Legisla- ture, every school in the State. receiv- ing public aid. Is required to be taught free at least five months in every year. This statute is impossible of literal | enforcement in a few localities, but 1t has been generally observed and in | the main has had a wholesome and beneficial effect upon our public school system. But 1t is not enough. The true idea Is to permit, under fair res l trictions and reasonable limitations, each local community in the State, needing and desiring it, the privilege of taxing its own property a sufficient sum. as a supplement to the State fund.- to increase this free term from five to nine months In the year.
 The value of local aid as thing to- be desired in itself. has never been better stated than in the words of the
 
 last conference in Richmond. in April, 1903. Said he: My work and speeches have been along the line of stimulat- ing the people to self reliance and to the local support of their schools. look ing ultimately to free public schools supported by local taxation. with the district as a unit. In my opinion every dollar, the giving of which Is felt and is to some extent q sacrifice upon the "a Vf Nf he
 trjbution, whether voluntary or under form of law. consecrated to the cause of public education. is worth more to the contributor and to the growth of genuine patriotism than a hundred dol lars which may come from unmerited, or unappreciated or from mis-directed philanthropy"
 These inspiring words of this noble young Lycidas. called "ere his time" state the whole case. Let them be cherished in our memories and trans lated into our deeds. Let us receive the mission as a high trust. bequeath- ed to us by our young and fallen lead CT. and here pledge ourselves to his mo- ble spirit, looking down upon us from his mansion above. that the banner which he so proudly bore shall be waved aloft and the cause for which he so gallantly fought shall be carried Io lTluAupHdnL victory
 The argument then in favor of To- cal taxation Is two-foId. First 1t Is a necessity. Second. no truly good re- suits can come to pupil or community without 1t. It stimulates self help, that | key stone of character. that never fail | Ing avenue to success. when all else | falls. It creates interest. It builds up | It accomplishes results.
 Moreover. I have just referred you | to the diverse conditions prevailing In | different sections of our State. have | pointed you to eight counties which | have over 1S,0o0 white illiterates over ten years old to about 5000 negroes. I have also mentioned eight other coun- ties where there are 2,071 white Hit crates against 112,794 negroes. Now some of the counties having a large white nliteracy may want to press forward and relieve it. Others having B different state of affairs and contri- being annually from three to five dol lars per anum to negro education to one which they can lawfully contrib ute to white education, may feel that they have done enough or at least are not yet ready to increase their appro- for this purpose. Shall the counties or communities which are ready and anxious to go forward be compelled to wait upon the pleasure of those who are satisfied with exist Ing conditions. Shall we make of our avs and policy a Procrustean bed, which stretched the men who were too short to the required length and cut off the legs of those who were too ong?
 The sneed of fleet is saId to ha .ku4