The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-07
Accedes to the Request.

Accedes to the Request.
 Although not on the afternoon pro- gramme President Saunders called upon Superintendent H. F. Todd of Ellisville for an address. The gentleman was schedule to speak at the night session, but willingly delivered his address as requested by the president Superintend- ent Todd chose for his subject Means of Establishing and Maintaining Rural High Schools" In opening his address the speaker said:
 The extension and enrichment of the rural school course in Mississippi wait
 mainly upon the removal of legal ob-
 structions. Our ideal for the state school
 system can never be realized until the
 laws recognize fully the right of local
 taxation for school purposes. Under the
 exercise Of this power the towns of the state have developed and maintained
 satisfactory schools, there seems to be no | reason why the same power, local taxa
 ton. should not now be conferred upon
 the large rural communities
 Local taxation for schools is the doc Urine of democracy and education. While 1t Is sound political wisdom that the ba- l sis of the shcool fund be supplied by the state appropriation. 1t Is equally as sound | principle that local rural communities as well as town communities, desiring | to improve the instruction offered their children should be empowered to levy an additional local tax"
 The paper was one of the best so far read.
 | The convention adjourned at ( o'clock
 and repaired to the Meridian Female col | lege where a musical was given in honor | of the association. Before adjournment | President Saunders announced the fol-
 lowing committee on resolutions: Su- | perintendent Kemper, Miss Lowe. Profess | sor Lowerey. Professor Barron and Pro- | lessor Hester. A pleasant feature of the | programme was the presentation of mag
 nlficent leather bound chair to State Su- perintendent Whitfield by the state asso- | citation.
 Evening Session at Opera House. | The evening session of the association 1 at the opera house was opened with
 prayer by the Rev. R. A. Cody of Meri-
 dian. President Saunders announced the receipt of a handsome gavel made of
 wood grown In the historic battlefield of Vicksburg and presented by the boys of
 the A. and NJ college. After the singing
 of America" by the high school chorus,
 F esident Saunders introduced the first
 speaker of the evening, President A. A.
 Ysintanron of the Industrial institute ex-
 pl' ming its importance In training the
 teachers of Mississippi
 | Dr. Kincannon presented salient facts
 regarding the work of the l., I. and c.
 in a concise and forcible manner and 1, his address was received with great ap- preciation. At the conclusion of pr. Kin
 cannons address the exrcises were varied | by vocal selections rendered by high
 school boys and violin solos by Pallas
 Brown of Kentucky. President J. C. | Hardy of the A. and M. college at Stark vile was next introduced. He discuss
 ed the relation of the A. and M. college
 to the other schools of the state and It's
 value as an educational institution His
 address was broad and instructive em-
 bracing history of the beginning of the
 institution and It's development Into a great force in the educational work of | the state.
 | In conclusion he paid a tribute to the rural school teachers, and praised the methods used by progressive ones as | benefitting the citizenship of the state. A council of twenty-five members of the as sociation, who were appointed at the con- vention in vicksburg last year, met this afternoon at the Southern hotel, and after hearing an address by Superintendent | Whitfield on the educational work in the state during the past year. passed the | following resolutions:
 Resolved by the conference of the Mis- sissippi State Teachers association, in
 session at Meridian. May 6, 1904, That the principals of high schools, city superintendents, teachers and the friends of education generally in the
 state be requested to join the state super intendent in the work of agitating public sentiment in Mississippi for better schools.
 "That the president of this conference be requested to issue an address to the
 people and teachers of the state, express ing the sentiment of this conference as regards the educational work in the