The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-09-21

| &c party VIII De SdIeSuarQed ana protected
for with the bitter experiences of the pas
we do not intend to do anything to place tht
political machinery of the State in the
hands of Republicans.
With the infamous Brownlow law still
fresh in memory and the scars which the
dark and troubled days of reconstruction
left still visible, the Democratic party
shall not fail in its duty to the intelligence
and the white men of the State.
The Democratic platform also declares
in favor of representatives of candidates
to witness the count of ballots at the polls,
for regularity and uniformity in all party
nominations and for sworn statements of
expenses incurred by candidates.
These declarations mean much to the
State, and patriotic men of all parties
should join in an effort to purify elections
and preserve the sanctity of the ballot box.
For above and beyond party, elemental in
popular government, without which liberty
and all else must fall, is the free expression
and honest return of the will of the people
In our own State we have not been with
out sin, but no man who voted for the force
BILL and has held prominent position and
been an active adviser in the councils of
party which has so often debauched the
ballot and corrupted the electorate has the
right to cast a stone.
That portion of our platform relating TO
primaries must, after our recent expert
ences, appeal to the voters of the State
as most wise and salutary
With each county acting for itself both
in the time and mode of expressing their
choice as to candidates for State officers,
we will always have charges Of unfalrness,
premature instructions and the factional
differences which invariably follow
| hope the next Legislature will enact
law upon this subject, and | intend to rec
ommend it, in the event of my election
giving every candidate an equal chance
with every other, by requiring that action
be taken by the counties on the same day,
and with full opportunity to meet the peo-
Me and discuss - issues.
j le my oy nrence would be by a
popttffa1 vvff''s u afia
a !lat 44aiiy object to this ndfprefer
some other plan, but no objection worthy
the name can BE urged against fixed time
so that all counties in the State could act
and the patience of the people not worn
out nor their business interests suffer with
constantly recurring elections
EDUCATION.
First in Importance must ever be the
training and education of the children of
the State, and no commonwealth can afford
to be niggardly in affording the means and
~ for the ~ iyrnx,j
edge Morality and good citizenship begin
in the home and by the freside, and grow
and broaden in the schoolhouse.
Every dollar the State spends in educa-
ton is saved in prosecution for crime, be-
sides the enormous contribution it makes to
the intelligence and general store of wealth.
The Democratic party as the friend Of the |
people has done noble duty in Tennessee,
and promises to go further and encourage
still more not only documentary education
of the masses, but to foster industrial, SCI
entifc and technical training in the State
where SO much of good has al
more can be realized by wise and liberal
In 1908 the school population in
tennessee was .77Ioo5
Enrolled attendance was. .484663
school districts numbered. 3287
Teachers employed were. ....... 5000
Schools taught were. .A....... 1884
The white school population was. .58I,II3
The negro school population was. Ioo,852
The white enrolment was. ....... 385,524
The negro enrolment was $500. oo,I3o
In 1903 Tennessee spent on her schools
'2,74I,533, being greater sum than was
expended in the Northern States of Maine,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Della
ware, and larger than the amount expended
n the Southern States of Virginia, North [
,arolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Z
kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana {
nd Arkansas.
With this showing the splendid result Of
Democratic government is not the cause of s
ducation and its future advancement safe
! its keeping? {
/ am not one of those who believe the I
oor of hope should be shut to the negro,
nd until am convinced to the contrary, {
hall think that education will eventually E
.ad him from darkness to the light t
But it is certain that the problem of edu- |,
alton in the South has been made more i
ifficult by the large number of negroes, b
no as class are non-taxpayers and for s
HON separate schools must be established G
i'd maintained O
Impoverished as she was, the South since n
lie war has expended more than one hun s.
red and twenty millions of money in the 81
lucation of the negro. and Tennessee has
attributed her proportionate share with q
II rla11rrn11r though her white childrer, =