The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09

the state, there seems no valid reason why the general government should not spend it's money to make him intelligent. However, I am strong in my belief that the state or the individual who looks to the national government for its rescue will sink deeper into the ouagmire of ignorance and despair. As in the past 1t has beer. SC in the future it will like ly continue to be, that this topic of fed eral aid to state education will furnish an effective appeal whereby the aspiring politician may gain and hold seat in. Congress, while Alabama will work out Ter educational salvation upon conditions fraught with less of uncertainty and of peril. The state through the automatic operation of its excellent constitutional provision as well as through the generous patriotism of its legislature has risen no- bly, to the demands Of almost a decade [, of phenomenal educational growth, 50 that the most exacting of her citizens must acknowledge with admiration that she has done her best. Through another wise provision of the constitution, the va rious counties have the privilege to levy a small tax by their electors, and 1t Is matter of great pride and congratulation that a very high percentage of the coun-
 
 provision have manifested their patriotism by casting aside motives of selhshness and greed and taking their stand for in telligence and local pride.
 From these facts it seems evident that the remarkable educational progress of our state in recent years has encountered a serious obstacle to it's further advance ment unless relief shall come from yet another source. After exhausting every constitutional prerogatve and all legisla- tive generosity, we must now make our appeal to those powers that are over us to strike from our limbs the encumbering shacsles of legal prohibition that the grant of local self-government may wield free scepter in every corner of our beautiful state.
 The principle involved in the privilege for which we contend in making the smallest unit of government the chief con- tributor to the fund for the education of it's people is one that is recognized as the democratic ideal In matters in which the two higher units of government. the state and county, have a direct or vital inter est 1t seems the wiser course to resort to is the modified or representative democ- racy; but when the issue pertains purely to local affairs, we approach more nearly the American spirit of untrammeled privi- lege when the electors of the local unit determine their policy by their direct bal lots.
 Furthermore, 1t seems scarcely less than calumnious pessimism to urge against di- rect local taxation the dread that pover- ty and ignorance will vote an undue bur den upon the property of the more pros porous. For this possible abuse, we urge the purified Alabama electorate as an effi- cient remedy. Moreover rather than re- gard the intent of such a ballot as envious or sociallstic, may we not read in it the mute appeal of those who grope in the darkness of ignorant unrest, and who by the aid of their more fortunate neighbors would emerge into the clear light of in- teligent content? Again, it would seem that wealth could claim no loftter privi- .lege and perform no higher duty than by a reasonable tax for that purpose to sur round itself by a moral and intelligent citizenship. If we hearken to the cry of greed to be exempt from it's just burden of taxation for the lofty purpose of dis polling the black clouds of ignorance which gather about it, we shall but hasten the breaking of the storm which shall leave the covetous man stranded amid the wreck, of depreciating property and hope less in the memory of his folly. Whoso- ever would withhold a reasonable tax on his property from the fund for the educa- tion of the masses on the ground that each man should educate his own chill dren loses hght of that law of heritage which seems to fix three generations as the time for squandering an inheritance.
 He who today would plead for a release from the burden of taxation on the basis that each man should attend to the intel 1ectual needs of his own household. may, in the second generation of his progeny beg for the crumbs which fall from the table of the public providence.
 So often have we said that the true scheme of education is of tripartite character, having due regard for the high est development of the physical. mental and moral natures of the learner, that 1t will seem almost inexcusably "bromidic' in me to restate the proposition in the presence of such a company as this: yet I cannot refrain from asserting that while our educational creed thus stated Is an ideal one, in our practice we have not lived up to our possibility or even our duty in the matter of giving moral stami- na to the young of our tutelage. Along with the decadenoe of the influence of the school as moral force and back of 1t as its primal cause has gone the elimination its inspired teachings. In our zeal for the complete separation of church and state, in our anxiety for liber- ality toward all kinds of free thought and higher criticism" and in toleration of ein