The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-15

office they hold, and for which they are
well paid Especially does this apply TO
the taxing system of the state Any sys-
tenn which is maintained solely upon the
fees taken from the delinquent taxpayers
Is too great an inducement to unserupu-
lous men to use their offices for pur-
poses OF personal gain rather than for
the public good. And the experiences Of
the citizens of many of the counties of
this state will justify me as your gov
ernor In demanding immediate relief from
this pernicious system.
The Public Schools
Every boy and every girl in the state
of Alabama is entitled to a common
school education, and an opportunity to
receive that education furnished by the
state. The policy of the state in de-
veloping the public school system cam
not be too strongly commended, but the
expenditure of money In the develop
ment of this system should be SO ar
ranged that the children shall get the
full benefit of it. Increased appropria-
tions for public schools should go to the
extension of the school term And it is
my purpose to aid in the future devel-
opment of the school system so that it
will become more efficient as the years
go by and that the increased appropria-
tons which come to us by reason Of
the enhanced value of the taxable prop
erty, as guarded by the constitution, and
such other appropriations as can be made
from the general funds of the state, shall
be expended in such way a that the COM
mon masses of the people in the rural
districts of this state shall be protected,
and their school system brought to a
perfection greater than it has ever had
The High Schools
The building and development of high
schools, the universities of the masses,
In every county, not for the purpose OF
teaching reading, writing and arithmetic
alone, but for the teaching of the funda-
mentals In agriculture and mechanics,
so that the young men and young women
coming on in the next generation will
be better equipped scientifically to till
the soil and to earn a livelihood and
be able to be companion of nature
rather than slaves of toll. The expendi-
ture of more than 100000 in the pub
lie school system of this state which fails
to give to the pupils the fundamentals
of an agricultural education is falling
In its duty and in its purposes. The
education which draws child away from
the farm and into the city is doing an
injustice to the child and an injury 10
the state
"In ancient times a knight was one,
who, clothed in armor. with shield and
spear, astride a noble charger, fought
with his king in battle and aided in
conquering nations who developed mon
arches. The true knight of the twen-
tieth century is that man who has learned
the dignity of labor, who. clothed In over
alls, with mind frightened by educa-
tion, and with intelligence and science,
and in his hands the tools of his call
ing, aids the state in the development
of the great material resources that have
been given to him as a heritage from
his fathers. q.
The Old Soldiers
"The policy of the state in granting
pensions to disabled Confederate veterans
meets my hearty approval. During the
war between the states. history tells
us that 14400O boys went to the battle Z
field and fought under the stars and
bars of the Southern Confederacy. Forty
thousand of these never returned and
their bones lie bleaching ON the noun
tains of Virginia, in the valleys of Ten
nessee, or on the plains of the west,
or rest in unknown graves in foreign
states. Thousands more of them hav0
returned to us with impaired bodies and
broken by disease. Thousands of them
since that time have crossed over the
river and have gone to join the ranks
across the silent river of death The
remaining gray haired veterans, bent with
age, and tottering towards the brink OF
the grave are the golden links of the
chain that binds us to a glorious past
These should be fostered by us, and every
worthy son who needs aid should be grant
ed his pension regularly by a grateful
people
About Local Option
Perhaps / have said as much as is
necessary to place my ideas before you
plainly and before the people of Alabama;
but, in view of the recent campaigns in
this. state affecting the liquor traffic. I
would not feel that l had been true to
myself or fair to you If | did not at
this time express myself plainly and unl
equvocally upon this great and burning
question, which many people place above
any other issue in this campaign.
II would not, If / could mislead you
into casting your vote for me for gov
ernor by trimming upon this question. MY
whole life has been an open book to those
who know me- and If / should now make
a misstatement with reference to 1t. 1t
could not only be disproven here in Pike
county, but ! would do such violence to
my own self-respect that I would prefer
not to have the office, IT, In so doing
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