The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-10

Tss- This resolution was adopted by the LeEislature as will appear by the pprcceedings of that body Generai Congress who possessed the moral courage to insist upon the return of this .unlawfully imposed burden on the South.
 MT. Hefiin deserves the thanks of the people of tn. cotton growing coun- uty for his b.1l, and especially for the provision opportunity to Thousands Of persons can establish their right to. have refunded the amounts. paid by them, through the and other evidence slill in their pos- session. D. P. Mo"rissett.
 Mfr. Reynolds Compulsory Education
 Bill.
 Editor The Advertiser:
 It is with great reluctance that l ask small space in your columns to reply briefly to some of the criticisms; {; introduced rs @ by r myseif saeiH'O in the he Senate called a Compulsory Education Bill
 I will say in the aegininng that the bill is so framed as in{a perfectly legal least violation of his conscience or his duty by any officer or teacher, 1t will probably be effective and in force as to the white children between the ages of eight and fourteen years inclusive. It will compel thehe children unless excused for some reason by the teach- CT or by the school trustee to attend two months in each scholastic year, unless they receive the equivalent training at home or in a private school. ST spends nc '"SISWt si,56o, ,OO6 per n annnm on her public schools and also gives liberally towards building and equipping school houses, it is nothing but right that at least a part of the white children or the State should De required to attend the schools It seems clear that if the State has the right to hang much more Both are justified largely on the theory of the good of society. All are agreed that no. parent has the right to fail to provide food for the child as well laws which compel if necessary the fulfilling of this duty by the parent Much more, 1t seems to me, is there Justification for requirements that the parent may not, when the proper fla; cilities are provided by the State, fail and refuse to give his child the men. tai f3od cod so necessary 'e;i f9r 6niet 1ne goou or
 The fact that some thirty seven States and territories have compulsory laws as well as almost every civi- lized and some semi i-civllized countries affords ample precedent for such laws. Twenty two States and territories re- quire that the child between certain ages attend the school the entire school session, in some case as long as nine months and provide rigid system of truant officers to see that the child attends. The bill passed by the Sen aye is a very mild law and will im- pose no hardship on any one unduly.
 The bill applies by counties and not by districts and this is necessary Tn order that 1t may not operate as 10 the negro race. shall not argue with the reverend gentleman as to the wisdom or unwisdom of education of the ne- gro but l accept the situation as l find 1t to be by the sentiment of the vast majority of the people Of the State, which is daily growing stronger against the literary education of the negro However, I can not agree with MT Shackelford that if education is good thino for the white child, then IL IS a good thing for ,.e the nsgr9', ,'S as enl 1ne,i tai capacities, their opportunities and circumstances as well as many other conditions are so different that I have great respect for the opinion or those who object to the literary education of the negro and it's apparent results on his morality.
 right to interfere with personal liberty as this bill is claimed to do, has long i ago been recognized as obsolete Thls Is the same cry that has been urged against the prohibition movement ir l our State and against other move ments in the line of progress. The author of the bin is also a DemGera era | and while not old enough to be Con l federate soldier. he has the prouC heritage of being the son of Confed ! crate soldier which answers almost al 1 well. Having studied the principles O constitutional liberty under the shad ow of the tomb of Thomas Jefferson 1 he does not aeree that we ought tt l quibble over trifles where so large ; i subject as that of lifting Alabam; ] higher in the scale Of lnteillSence II concerned. The subject of the regula i tlon of railroads, the question of th liquor traffic and it's proper regulation our duty of taking care of the. galian remnant of old Gonfedera5ss eradt dn in tne ! but the subject of education is afte all the overshadowing question and i | one that swallows up every other ques l tion with which the Legislature ha to deal and makes them by compari l son pale into insignificance l~ belieV | but echo the sentiment Of the larg | majority of true friends Of education when I say that it will be tremen dous step forward which Alabama wil 1 take when this bill becomes n law.
 Herbert F. Reynolds.
 Montgomery, Feb. 9.