Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-09-24

in the United States per annum, for educational purposes is now rated at $100, 0,0OO,000,-this includes tax es of all kinds, donations, contribu- proud to say that Pine Bluff, by her spirit of progress and patriotic pride and individual benevolence has placed herself in the front for ward of educational improvements, by laying today the corner stone of one of the most splendid specimens of school architecture and equip ment that graces and adorns any city of like character in the South.
 The sentiment that groups here this hour is blended with the songs and hopes of childhood and youth and with the hozannas and bene- dictions of age..
 There is also fulfilled in every house erected to education as we'll as to religion, the idea of fraternity which a modern philosopher has pronounced as ''the holiest of all words, the essence of all gospels and the fulfillment of all relations
 It proves that the people are deep ly in accord with what is fundamen- tai in life, virtue and intelligence, and in harmony with the advanced conditions of natural growth, con- munity expansion and high individ ual worth.
 No community that values it's prid and it's social, religious and com mercial standing, can afford to drag on in the paths that are obsolete. in the worlds grand march to the acme of a refined and superb civil Ration, and it is an inspiring thought that while large expendi- lures are annually laid upon the property of the citizen for internal improvements, still the popular sen timent for higher and better school facilities warns the hearts of the people and re-tones the bounteous privileges to taxes for higher and more powerful conditions for the benefit of the ever coming genera tlons.
 In the building of the great city of Alexandria, by the "Conquerer of the world,' the ideal that was prom inent in his mind, was not that of material conquests not that of en- pires that he knew would be frag- ments soon, but the empire of thought of ethical triumph, when by virtue of the teachings in the University, the time would come when the world would need to con- vert swords into ploughshares and spars into pruning hooks and uni versal peace should be earth's chief benediction and mans noblest and holiest Hozanna.
 This inspiring spirit crossed into Greece and lit the fires of thought and unuer the supervision of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, the great 0T firmly and logically established, that they are the foundation of our mod ern. mental and moral educational progress.
 The Acropolis, the Parthenon, the temples of the Gods are no more but the Lyceum and the Academy are still standing in the indestruct- ible. fabrics of human thought and human institutions.
 It has been said that the first great temple of educations erected bv Constantine, was dedicated to liberty, and we find this sentiment working out the legitimate fruits
 :, it's establishment, in the gradual loo sening of the bonds of monarch l ial power in the great empire ot Europe. and the triumphs of indus trial and religious thought.
 The enfranchisement of the mind comes at last, drought the long cen turies of educational progress and
 now the age is honoring the triumph
 (Cor,tinned on Page Four