The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-10-20
Hopkins County Voters
Hear Every Charge
Explained
EDUCATION ADVANCED
Kentucky Climbs from Forty-third to
Near the Top Within Three Years
Under HamIett's administration
Shows How Economy Has Been
Practiced.

Hundreds of Democrats from West
ern Kentucky gathered in Madison
vile, Hopkins County. on October 4th,
and listened attentively to the opening
of the campaign by Barksdale Hamlet.
present Superintendent of Public In
struction and Democratic nominee for
Secretary OF State at the general cleo
ton on Tuesday, November 2, 1915.
Mr.. Hamlet was literally applauded
and it is quite evident that the solid
Democracy is behind him. He an
Bwered every charge made against him
by the Republican nominee for Gov
= ernor, Edwin p. Morrow, and showed
INof gross extragavance in the last Re-
publican administration.
A verbatim account of his address
follows:
Fellow Citizens:
~ In this campaign, as the Democratic
snominee for Secretary of State, and
the present Superintendent of Public
Instruction, l am addressing myself
particularly to what Democracy has
done for education in Kentucky, and
n to an offensive reply to the Honorable
" Edwin p Morrow, who has viciously
attacked an Administration that has
done more for the cause Of popular
education and the Improvement of the
public schools of Kentucky than has
been done by all Republican admins
u trations in the history of the State, or
would be done by any that might come
in the future.
There is natural hostility on the
part of Republican leaders to popular
education and progressive movements
tending to the building of great Com
monwealth. Thomas Jefferson. aside
from being the author of the Declare
ton of Independence, counted it his
next greatest achievement that he used
the remaining best efforts of his life
in building a public school system for
Virginia and in planning a model for
America and we honor Jefferson in
his posthumous glory as much for this
as for any of his other great achieve.
ments.
Progress Under Democracy.
From the beginning of our public
school system in Kentucky all prog
ress and improvement in the system
fairs of State were in the hands OF
Democrats and Democratic Legisla-
lures
We have modelled our system after
the plan of Jefferson, the founder OF
Democracy and the Democratic Party
of America We have developed in
spite OF the opposition of such small
politicians as Morrow, r. pea" Green
the illiterate "Broncho Franks" the
intrepid "Bank-failure' Bruner, the
wise and austere one-time Democrat
Walker, the millionaire mountaineer
Lewi~ who. | am informed, has han
\ died school funds in times past, and
others of this ilk whom l have neither
space nor time to mention. a system OF
public education commensurate in its
efficiency to that of any commonwealth
in America. / exclaim, as Cicero did
20 Temporal, o mores;" and with the
Bard of Avon. "Alack the day" when
such men, clothes in Catilinarian hab
iliments, should parade themselves be
fore an intelligent public and dare to
stand in the way of educational prog
4 ress-who would attempt to deny Ia
the children of this Commonwealth
their rightful heritage which they
should enjoy, literally, through an
equitable distribution OF the States
equipment.
| am glad to state to the people OF
Kentucky that / know. from written
and verbal evidence. that even the
thinking. sober citizenship OF the Re.
publican Party of Kentucky today con.
dennis such men and their insidious
aspersions, directed at the bedrock
and foundation of the existence, main
tenance. and progress OF great Cont
monwealtb.
From Forty-third to Near Top.
Since 1911, when the Republican
Party was dethroned by an overwhelm
ing majority, on account OF promises
made by Democrats In a platform OF
principles, Kentucky has moved from
the forty-third In the scale of illiteraey
close to the top. and today stands in
the vanguard OF Commonwealths OF
America. In fact, the eyes Of the
whole nation are upon her. and she
is pronounced by the leaders OF every
State as the one State that is leading
today in education and the dissemina-
tion OF knowledge.
Schools Increased 45e5.
We have not only increased the at
tendance In our public schools forty
I'VE per cent within three years. but
we have added 10 the revenues for
school purposes. directly and Indirect
ly, more than three millions Of dollars.
We have increased the school term In
every rural district from six months
20 seven months, increasing at the
same time In the aggregate AL teach