The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-09
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Compulsory Educational Bul.


 notice in y9ur issue of the Sth inst
 that Senator Reynoldss compulsory Tuesday the 5th. From the explana- tions given In your paper of the .ro- visions of the bill and from what was author and it's advocates, I arrive at the conclusion that 1t Is queer and most ridiculous measure to be enacted intos law by intelligent legislators; bill when its author in advocating Its passage says: 'It Is an advisory bill. not mandatory bill. It is a recon. rather snaa ssk a1 WsY 1ass such a bill then and call 1t a law? Why not call 1t resolution rscon- mendins everybody that has children @ prineipie is " of ' the bill is That every child in the state between the ages of eigh. and fourteen shall attend ,ously in each year" Then 1t gives the authority to the teacher. to any district trustee or member of the any child from the provisions of the bill. What does this mean? The idea. as I gather it from the statement in The Advertiser, made by its advocates. Is to eliminate the negro children, aud apply 1t to the white children: Force the white children to attend school. but do not force the, negro to br ao the further fS of the bill that says Tt shall not ap- ply to any race in any district where four months school absolutely free of tuition is not taught, and that it shall not apply to the negro race in any district where there isJ'not taught four months school for that race. and that 1t shall not apply to the white race when there Is not an abso- lute free school of four months taught. We are told that the friends of the bill. in order to secure votes for 1t. ..claimed that the above provision not compel the attendance of negro children at school" Why would 1t not compel the negro children. to at- tend school And why should they have schools for them7 They answer the first question by saying very few school districts in Alabama have a themselves acquainted with the con- ditions of the public schools in Ala bama. by consulting the last report of the State Superintendent, before they make such. assertions as this. There were taught in Alabama during the last scholastic year about 1850 negro schools, according to that re- towns and cities: There were only five counties in the State, where the average length of the schools tausht was less than four months. These shaw. Franklin and Lawrence. The average length of the sessions in all the other counties was from four to five months. one or two as much as six months
 When we remember that the teachers of the negro schools will be negroes, 1t is not probable that they will be ssE of to sxsusns any Shd sn9 tS child will be left to the district trus- tees and members of the county board. If this bill becomes a law do the ad- tees to whom is committed inc duty of seeing that the laws for the gov ernment of the public schools in their counties will be so indifferent to the their sworn oblieations as school of- f1cers as 10 connive at the violation of a law which our wise legislators have said by enaetire # Is for. the ad-
 Aeain as to the question. Why should not the negro children be forced to attend school as well as what answer the advocates of this bill strikes me that it indicates fear that the negro children will surpass an opportunity. I have no such fear Our legislators are bound by their oaths to make no discrimination as to class in the making of laws. Neither should they enact law which Is in- tended to accomplish indirectly. what is forbidden to be done. under the constitution. directly. If education is good for the white child it Is good for the negro child. These people are amongst us. and they are here to stay. They are citizens SO recognized hv the constitution and the laws of the land: It Is the duty of the white people of the State. both to themselves and to the negro, to try and make good citizens of them. If education will help to do this. then we ought to give them such an education as will make them good moral citizens If we let the masses Of them remain in ignorance and encourage them to so remain, then we will have among us an ever increasing number of be- sotted beasts which their ignorant children will become if we discour- age in them all means of improvement and hermit the liquor shops to exist.
 The advocates of this bill ought to know. that under the constitution, which every school officer Is sworn to observe. The county board of educa- tion must apportion the money ap- propriated to the counties for public schools in the various districts, so "as to provide as nearly as practical ble. school terms of equal duration in such school districts" Now under the constitution and the law, this Board must give to the negro schools enough money to run their schools for tns Same lAn1th of time as fha r,bgfa