The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-04
ALABAMA's EDUCATIONAL INTER-
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 But one story comes from the educa- tional institutions of Alabama, story of strength and of prosperity As great as has been the advance of Alabama. no interest has shown the progress of education.
 The most gratifying news reflected from the columns of The Advertiser has been the news which came from the educational institutions of Alabama.
 Not one branch of education has fall ed to show this advance. The move ment for a greater University has been launched in spirited enthusiasm at Tus- caIoosa. The Alabama Girls Industrial School at Montevallo Is taxed beyond Its capacity. The Alabama Polytechnic Institute, with the largest enrollments ir its history. with the largest enroll ment any white institution ever had in Alabama Is crowded until the limit of accommodation has been reached.
 Nor Is Alabama's educational pros perlty confined to It's State institutions. The same gratifying news comes from the denominational institutions of Ala bama. Those institutions loyalty sup ported by the religious denominations have not only the largest enrolment but are doing perhaps the best work in their history. There are no educa- tional institutions. State or denomina- tional. which are not sharers of pro- gress and prosperity. The same can be said of institutions conducted by pri- vate interests.
 The Common School system of Ala bama has perhaps shown a wider de- velopment than even the institutions of higher learning. Their proportionate growth has been even larger their per cent of development has been even greater. than that of the institutions for higher learning. To the Common Schools far more than it's colleges. the State has been generous in recent years. The State appropriations to the Com mon Schools have been greatly in- creased since the new Constitution was adopted. The interest of the people in the schools and the efficiency of the teachers have shown the same increase. Nor should it be ignored as one of the most hopeful signs of the time that more than one half of the counties of Alabama have voluntarily voted to pay an additional tax of one mill for school purposes And of these counties nearly forty in number, only two. where the question has come to a vote, have failed to vote the special tax, and in these counties more than a majority voted the tax. but the constitutional prepond- erence was lacking.
 Alabama is supporting its common schools. as they were never supported before in the history of the State. Excellent work has been done by the nine districts Agricultural Schools of the State in supplying the needed link between the common schools and the State colleges. This work has won its own success ant It's own re- wards The agricultural schools are getting their own share of patronage and of prosperity.
 The Alabama man may well feel proud of the educational advance of his State. The Alabama man may no long CT feel ashamed of educational condi- tions in his native State. Educational advance in Alabama has been rapid and certain and few States can show so proud a record. Most hopeful of all Is | the general sentiment that this ad- vance should and will be continued. The news which reflects this advance | has been gathered and published by The Advertiser with peculiar pleasure. By local correspondents this gratifying ed- ucational information has been gather ed and the news has been uniformly of the same nature. one that inspires hope and confidence.
 Educational conditions as they exist now give splendid promise of the fu- ture. They are the States best proph- ecy of future greatness There is but little fear of a backward step.
 The people of Alabama should see that no backward step is taken. A new Legislature is being selected this summer, and upon the members of this Legislature the future of the States edcational system will largely depend. However men may differ upon the is- sues of the present campaign. there is no room for difference upon it's prop CT educational policy--a policy which should be generous and helpful to its common schools. to its agricultural schools and to it's colleges. Alabama