The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-16

and stand by our own beliefs. The
two spirits of local independence and.
national unity should live together.
''As in the past, so In the future. the
political mission of the South should
be to stand for the right OF local self
government. To maintain this faith
of the fathers. this testimony of the
Anglo Saxon race since the beginning
of Its history to the freedom OF the
individual 10 govern himself. his fam
lily. his town. and his State-thIs Is
the mission or the South in the ma
ton.
Forgetting the gid economic the
ories of past years, forgetting seces-
sion and slavery. too. but cherishing
the memories of those who fought for
these principles. let our young mon go
into national politics for the purpose
OF extending these benefits to all our
people. In the face of these new
propositions for government admins
ration. II not government ownership
of everything: In the face of this
Capitalization in Washington: and this
threatening socialism. there is surely
need of this ancient testimony of the
South for the individual rights OF men
and a government restricted to the
business OF governing.
AT the same time. it is evident that
the South has now passed from the
discussion of State rights and consti-
tutional powers to the consideration
OF State needs and State duties. Edu-
cation and sanitation are now the
chief subjects OF consideration in our
legislatures and the color line and the
bloody shirt are being forgotten. The
time when every lawyer was a poll
tican. every preacher and expert in
creeds. and every doctor a cure ALI
specialist is passed, and now we have
'ednca tional statesmen and clerical
educators, and our doctors are teach
Ing us through sanitation TO prevent
typhoid and hook-worm and the
school master is the leader of them
all.
The full recognition by all the peo-
pie OF the doctrine that the chief
business of a democratic State Is to
educate all its children at the common
cost, that the Common wealth should
be devoted first OF all. to the train
Ing of the children-this has been the
great lesson OF these years This
doctrine is now sincerely believed. and
VIII. before another ten years are
passed. be fully lived up to by all
Southern States. These people have
now decided that the benefits OF the
public schools shall De freely given to
all, regardless OF rnce or class pro-
vided. OF course. that the children OF
the white and OF the black race shall
be taught in seperate schools That
II Is our moral. as we'll as our econ
omic. duty to educate all the children
to the limit on their possibilities, that
education Is the natural right OF every
child and not a thing of benevolence or
"a bat no 81
is not merely an instrument of social
safety. but an agency OF social pro-
gress. is now universally held by all
Southerners.
Much has been accomplished also
in these ten years in the South to
embody these ideals In law and sys-
tenn. Tennessee and Virginia have
led the way in enacting model school
laws and systems OF taxation Great
advance has been made. In providing
both State and county support for the
schools with the result that for the
year 1911 the current expenditures for
public education In the Southern
States were three times as much as
they were in 1901; the value OF school
property Is three and half times as
much: and the appropriations for
State universities and other State in.
stitutions of higher learning Is twice
as much.
High school facilities in the citie.
and towns have more than doubled in
value; In villages and rural districts
they have quadruplca The average
length of school terms. which was
only ninety days in tho rural dis
tricts in 1901. has increased to $50 and
In some States to 40 days. The aver
age monthly salaries of teachers in the
rural districts have increased from
30 to rs per cent. and the salaries of
county superintendents from so TO 100
per cent. Half of the States have
organized. for the first time. courses
of study for the elementary schools
Georgia has established eleven asri-
cultural schools; Alabama. nine. AR
kansas. four: and Virginia, twelve,
county industries and agricultural
schools. and North Carolina Is start.