The Mena weekly star., 1912-03-21
PROF. W.T.. ADAMS ON
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Candidate for County Superintend-
ent Tells About the State High
School Fund and Other
Campaign Matters.

| ~ 'ho tdiiiBdiSIl Will SbOu IlOSt,
take this method to give my
views to the public. | wished to
make this campaign without using
a lot of personalities and invec-
tives, but my opponent insistes on
doing this kind of work by writing
for the paper and sending out
tracts in such way that -every one
knows for whom they are intend
ed. And as some good people
might think for lack of answer that
they were true, | deem it necessary
to reply. And as | am opposed to
this kind of work, | make due
apology to the public in advance.
First. AS to the uniformity of
text books, l have made talk after
talk advocating this, and no one
knows it better than my opponent.
Second. Concerning a course of
study, will say that it has been my
business to write a course of study
and revise it every year for the
last twenty years for large schools,
numbering from five hundred to
one thousand, while | have been
unable to find any work of that
kind done by my opponent.
Third. He says that he is for
lputting in nigh schools under the
recent law enacted by the last leg
islature.
The trainers Of the state consti-
tuition, in their wisdom, saw fit to
make a three-mill tax to be appor-
toned out to the common schools
of the state so the people in the
mountain regions who have very
little or no taxable property would
get some money from the state, as
it was the only way to educate
their children. This money is sent
out to each district according to
the number of children enumerat-
ed. Now the money that keeps up
these high schools comes from this
fund at Little Rock before you get
the money to educate the small de-
pendent children. This is why you
got less out of your apportionment
this year than the year before. In
some of the larger districts there
was shortage sufficient to hire
one teacher for one month. My
idea is that these children must be
we'll educated first, as they cannot
care for themselves, while a large
boy can hustle and get money to
educate himslf.
Ny position is to tell all the peo-
pie about this tax business; don't
hide any of it away, and then if a
majority says use this money for
high schools, then | am for it.
have taught high school work for
twenty years, and know its value.
but | am opposed to the use of this
money for this purpose until the
people consent. If first one and
then another gets the use of this
money the supply would be so re-
duced that very little would be left
to keep up these schools where the
people have very little taxable
property.
Ny opponent in his widely cir
culated circular, says he is for
these high schools.
Fourth. About that boys corn
club. Two or three years ago a
party came along here on a big
salary, telling the people to get up
corn clubs, so list of forty or fif-
ty names was sent in to Fayette-
vile. 1t was a matter that did not
concern me in any way. But this
outfit ran against snag and de-
cided to unload on any one they
could. One day | received a let
ter with this list of names, saying
l would receive a shipment of seed
corn, put up in sacks about the
size of a mans fist, and that |
should mail them out.
1t cost these parties about TWEEN
ty-five cents to pay the freight on
this corn. However, / took one OF
the sacks to the post office and
found the postage to be fifteen
cents per sack. Then the total
postage would be in the neighbor-
hood of seven dollars and fifty
cents. Those high salaried fellows
grating on the government, had in
sly way unloaded on me. About
that time my opponent came along
and | gave him what his boys
wanted and told him | would send
the others out in the same way;
that | was short of funds and
could not afford to pay that tax. In
fact, | told him most too much, as
| find, and will know better next
time.
Now | want every one interested
in this corn episode to ask AL
Wear of Board Camp how toiled
all of two days figuring out the
premiums on cotton and corn, half
the time alone, with no dinner, in
order to keep the boys interested
and do justice to their cause. by
the way, boys, | would suggest that
you find out how the parties that
paid the big premiums on the corn
and cotton stand toward me before
you pass judgment on this matter.
| have visited every neighborhood
in this county from one to three
times during the last eight years,
and talked to the boys in an effort
to help them, always at my own
expense, except in two instances. |
believe / am the only person out
side of the ministry to go over the