The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-10-21

Hundreds Of Democrats from West
ern Kentucky gathered in Madison
willie, 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
tion on Tuesday. November 2. 1915.
Mr.. Hamlet was literally applauded
and II 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
done for education in Kentucky, and
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.
trations in the history Of the State. or
would be done by any that might come
in the future.
There is a 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.
tion of Independence. counted II 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
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. am informed, has han.
died school funds in times past. and
others Of this ilk whom have neither
space nor time to mention. a system of
public education commensurate in Its
to that of any commonwealth |
In America. | exclaim, as Cicero did, !
20 tempora, o mores;" and with the !
Bard of Avon. "Alack the day" when
such men. clothes In Catilinarian hab- :
should parade themselves be-
fore an intelligent public and dare to
stand in the way of educational prog. I
would attempt to deny to
The children Of this Commonwealth }
heir 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
md verbal evidence, that even the
linking, sober citizenship of the Re-
publican Party Of Kentucky today con.
iemns such men and their insidious
Ispefsi6ns, directed at the bedrock
md foundation of the existence, main
enance. and progress OF a great Com.
From Forty.thlrd TO Near Top.
Since 1911, when the Republican
'arty was dethroned by an oyerwhelm-
ng majority. on account of promises
made by Democrats in a platform OF
Principles, Kentucky has moved from
he forty-third In the scale Of illiteracy
lose TO the top. and today stands in
he vanguard Of Commonwealth OF
america. In fact, the eyes of the
ghole nation are upon her. and she
5 pronounced by the leaders OF every
tate as the one State that is leading
oday In education and the dissemina.
ion of knowledge.
Schools Increased 49,.
We have not only increased the at.
enhance in our public schools forty.
I've per cent within three years. but
re have added to the revenues for
chool purposes. dirG--ly and Indirect
,. more than three 2ions of dollars.
We have increased tbs school term in
very rural district .ram six months
o seven months. increasing at the
anne time In the aggregate all teach.