The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-09-24
GEN. RYE OUTLINES
HIS PLATFORM.
Continued from Page one.)
Free Textbooks.

10 De the most valuable asset in tn
development of our citizenship. w
believe, as we have always believed
in public education, ana commend
liberal appropriation by the state I,
the different departments of our pub
bic school system, and we pledge tn,
people that the same policy shall OBJ
tain, to the end that every boy and cir
in Tennessee shall have the opportun
ity of securing the advantage of al
education. We also favor Legislation
to empower the boards of education
to furnish free textbooks to the child
rem.
am heartily in favor of cheaper
textbooks, but not cheap textbooks
l want good textbooks for the low
est price possible, but / do not
want to be the controlling factor
in the selection of books, and l am
afraid the manner in which we are
administering and have administer
ed, this good law is fast making
Tennessee the dumping ground for
inferior and worthless textbooks,
and that our children are not getting
advantage of the best textbooks pub
lished.
| do not think the governor ought
to be the head or a member of this
textbook commission, clothed with the
power to make and enter in contracts
for books. In fact, this educational
department of the state ought not to
be part and parcel of the political
machine of any governor or other
state officer depending upon the vote
of the people for election.
If my information is correct, in 1910
the average school term of the coun-
ty school was 100 days, and the school
expenditures were $4,402,574.40. In
1911 the average school expended S.
083, 46856. In 1912 the term was ia
days and the amount expended S5,-
37031.90. In 1918 the term was ia
days and the fund was S66,S70.33
The revenues of each year have in
creased handsomely, but the average
time given to these schools has re-
manned the same. There should be at
least six-months term for every ru-
raj school, and in addition to this we
should establish good agricultural
and industrial high school in every
county in the state. We should en-
courage the building of better school
houses and also the training of bet
ter teachers to preside over these
schools, and we should expect to pay
these teachers better salaries. We
have in round numbers, ten thousand
school teachers in Tennessee. l as
sumo they are competent teachers,
because they have met the require
ments of the law, and have received
certificates of qualification. These
people give more in exchange for the
amount they receive than any other
class of people. They are not paid |
enough. A young lady teacher went
into the bank to have her school war
rant cashed, but the young man be-
hind the counter apologized to her for |
being compelled to pay her in soiled, |
worn bills, to which she replied: |
THAT is perfectly all right; l am
not afraid to handle the bills, for no
self-respecting microbe could live on
my salary" This young lady must
have been Tennessee school teacher
The Farm Train
There has been something said |
in the press by way of criticism
with reference to the agricultural
train and the purpose of the ex-
tended tour it has been making over
the state. I am one of those who
believe that this trip is solely and
alone for political purposes, but up
on the other hand think that the
object and purposes of the itinerancy
of Colonel Peck and his train is all
right and that he and those associat-
ed with him are doing good and rend-
ering the farmers in the country
some education. And this being
true it occurs to me that this train
ought to be run annually instead OF
bi-annually and its schedule ought
to be arranged so as not to get in
front of political professions that
are about to move toward the capt
tai of the state.
Back and Current Taxes.
On this question l shall for the
merely quoting the declaration OF
our platform, which in clear and
concise manner, states the position
of the party upon that important
question, and / shall not now at
tempt to discuss further for the rea-
SON that both parties declares their
opposition to existing conditions on
this, question and all agree that the
present systemg is radically wron
in many respects, and that it is man
ifested to the interest of the state
and her citizens that something be
done to correct that wrong.
Pensions for Confederate Soldiers
1t has become customary for us
to think and say much of of the Con-
federate soldiers just about election
times, and we exhaust our vocabu-