Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-10-16


vile, Hopkins County, on October 4th,
and listened attentively to the opening
Of the campaign by Barksdale Hamlet,
aresent 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 1t is quite evident that the solid
Democracy is behind him. He an
swered every charge made against him
by the Republican nominee for Gov
ernor, Edwin p. Morrow, and showed
of gross extragavance in The last Re-
publican administration.
A verbatim account of his address
follows:
Fellow Citizens:
In this campaign, as the Democratic
nominee for Secretary Of State, and
the present Superintendent of Public
Instruction, / am addressing myself
particularly to what Democracy has
S2pe for education in Kentucky, and
!. >N<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
trations in the history of the State, or
would be done by any that might come
Ain the future.
There is a natural hostility on the
part of Republican leaders to popular
education and progressive movements
lfending to the building of great Com
monwealth. Thomas Jefferson. aside
from being the author Of the Declare
ton of Independence, counted 1t 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
Il 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
AdhOol system in Kentucky all prog
ress and Improvement in the system
has been accomplished when the af-
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
Lewis, who, l am informed, has han
died school funds in times past, and
others OF this Tx whom l have neither
space nor time to mention, system OF
public education commensurate in its
efficiency to that of any commonwealth
In America. l exclaim, as Cicero did,
20 tempora. 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
ress-who would attempt to deny to
the children OF this Commonwealth
their rightful heritage which they
should enjoy. literally. through an
equitable distribution of the States
equipment.
l am glad to state to the people of
Kentucky that know. from written
Maid verbal evidence. that even the
lfrhinking. sober citizenship of the Re-
publican Party Of Kentucky today con-
damns such men and their insidious
a&5erslons, directed at the bedrock
I'D foundation OF the existence. main
tenance. and progress Of a great Com
smonwealth.
From Forty-thlrd 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 illiteracy
close to the top. and today stands In
the vanguard OF Commonwealth 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 45qo.
We have not only increased the at
tendance in our public schools forty
five per cent within three years. but
we have added to the revenues for
school purposes, directly and indirect
Iy. 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
Une ums In the aggregate all teach