The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-10

Reynolds and Moody held the attention
Of the floor until adjournment at 6
o'clock.
Senator Reynolds said in part:
"Germany. England. Japan and other
countries considered far inferior in In
tellectuality to America, have such a
law. and statistics show that the per
centage Of illiteracy is far less in
these countries than in other coun-
tries. In Germany child IL required
to attend school for ten months of the
year, while In other countries they are
compelled to go for a greater length
of time than the bill proposes. One
of our own States, Connecticut, has
had the law on her statute books for
more than zoo years, and It has worked
satisfactorily.
Negroes Have Good Law.
II will hear the argument that tho
negroes of Alabama will not ger the
benefit of this law. The negro don't
need this law. They already have AN
automatic education law. But nven
with this they have made far greater
advance proportionately along educa-
tional lines than have the whites OF
Alabama. This law Is therefore nee
essary for the supremacy of the white
race.
II have heard the objection that we
are not ready for this law. / wish
for this law than any other law now
pending In this Legislature. The Of
fetal organ. of the Farmers Union
heartily endorses the plan OF compul-
sorry education. Accepting this paper
as the official organ. and its thoughts
expressive of the great majority of
the Union, I may well state that rs
per cent. of the farmers of Alabama
favor this compulsory education that
the bill PROPOSES,
THE Federation Of Women's Clubs
| have declared time after time for such
| q law.
The bill Is not unconstitutional as
has been suggested. There is nothing
said in 1t about division or different
qualifications for the children. This
same division between the whites and
| blacks, although 1t does not appear on
the statute books, is apparent in the
operation Of the jury law, of the quail
hcations for voting. and In the appro-
priations made TOR the schools of the
State.
II have been In many districts of the
State and find that only one-third of
the school room space Is occupied by
the school children of the State. This
| fact shows that such a law will not
| crowd our schools. as has been sug-
| gested. And II this should be the case.
| II the schools are crowded. certainly no
person IL going to assess penalty
against a father for not sending his
children to school when such Is a phys
zeal impossibillty.
1.-The law Is a good law. and In my
opinion should meet with no serious
objection by the Senator's here present"
Senator Moody then gained attention
of the chair, and debated the question
for almost two hours, or until the time
for adjournment at o'clock. He said
in part:
Inyolxes Democratic Government.
The Senator from Bib has said
that the measure Is an important one,
and that the Governor has made II a
part of his call Of the special session.
l agree with him that the bill 10 one
OF the most important which the Gov
ernor has included In his call. because
| 1t involves a great question. a great
| principle OF Democratic government.
MIR. President. have heard only one
man in my county say that he was for
| this bill, and have been IL many of
| the districts I know that several
| leading newspapers have declared in
| favor of this bill, but / do not think
| that the people of Alabama want 1t. or
| are ready for IT at this time.
ION this proposition understand
| that the women OF Alabama are not in
| favor OF 1t. I think that at caucus
/ held by them not long ago. two of the
| committee were opposed to the meas
ure, and two were in favor OF 1t. but
| thought that Alabama was not ready
| to accept the idea" Senator Reynolds
| endeavored to correct Senator Moody
on this point, but Senator Moody re-
NAMED arm that the advisory commit
| tee of the Women'S Federation had SO
| decided.
Gentlemen. the only great body back
| OF this movement are the teachers OF
| Alabama. When that body met not
| long ago at Bessemer. they asked their
executive committee to take the mat
ter and consider 1t carefully. This
| committee did consider the matter. and
| reported that Alabama was not ready
| to have such law.
1.-THE president of the State Uni
versity. with his magnetic personal
| ity, made that body of teachers refuse
| to accept the decision of their execu-
tive committee, by a statement that
to keep up with the educational pro-,
gress of sister states. But ! submit
that this Is not the sentiment general
ly over the State of Alabama.
"It Is the business of the school
teacher to <teach. School teachers
think and dream of teaching. OF
course they are for the bill. The
There is hardly a single district that
has one or moro good school teachers.
Education is on a greater boom in
Alabama than anything else. but /
don't see the necessity of getting be-
hind our people with prod.
Bill q Dangerous One.
'One section of the bill is peculiar
ly dangerous. The Senator from Bib
says that 1t does not invade our lib
critics very much. That's like the
spiders invitation to the ny. It's an
insidious. a dangerous bill.
"rhe Senator says let me make a
little hole In this bulwark OF liberty.
just little hole. He is like the man
on the levees of the Mississippi.
Sometimes that river rises to within a
few feet of the top OF the banks, and
1t looks like there's going to be a
break and a great devastation OF
farms and crops. A farmer on one
side of the river rows across the rlv-
err and makes Just a little hole
through one of the dykes on the 9TH
er side. knowing we'll that the break
will widen and that his lands will be
saved through the ruination OF the
other mans The Senator's bill is Just
like that little hole.
1--WE started out in this Legislature
regulating everything. We regulated
the railroads and now we are regulat-
ing the size of the trees that a man
may cut from his own farm. Even
with this the Senator from Bibb
wishes to regulate the family circle.
II think that there Is no way for
the Senator from Bibb to attain his