The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-21

her courage through fair weather and foul, through prosperity and diversity even through the travail of civil war n defense of her constitutional rights bearing with fortitude the bitterness of defeat and solving in fairness and jus | tice the most perplexing problems that
 had ever confronted a people, thriving and prospering and growing greater and greater as the years go by.
 While remembering with gratitude and manifold blessings of Providence which have aided and attended the people of Alabama all these years, it is yet per missible to think that no small part of the splendid result is due to the good citizenship which has ever characterized those who have contributed to the up- building of the state But there is much yet to be done before all our blessings are unfoIded.
 STATE AMONG RICHEST
 No state in the union is richer in po- tential resources than Alabama. Nature was lavish with the legacy she left
 us in a fertile soil and unsurpassed eli mate, combination affording truly wonderful possibilities for diversification and rotation of crops, timber and min eral wealth untold, and rivers and water powers of enormous value Our harbor at Mobile, which is the natural gate
 way to the Panama canal has direct
 water connection with the mineral dis
 trict where the ingredients for the manu- facture of iron and steel lie in closer
 position than in any district in the world. Not only must these wonderful material possibilities be realized. but we must de- velop the power that lies dormant In the untrained and uneducated brains of thousands of our people. Illteracy must
 be wiped out of Alabama. It has no county bounds. It is statewide, the ap- proach of it is statewide. Let us prate not too loudly of our virtues as a peo- pie lest the finger of ridicule point out this disgrace to our shame and con fusion. It should be pointed out. We should look the facts squarely in the face and meet the situation as men.
 While training the minds of our boys and girls we must train their hands as well. That education is most useful to the individual and consequently most valuable to the state which equips the in- dividual to earn an honest living and l become a self-supporting, useful and worthy member of society. I shall, there fore, urge the legislature, to make pro- vision for the extension of facilities for vocational training with the ultimate purpose of placing a practical education within the reach of every boy and girl in Alabama. If we but earnestly devote
 our brains and energies to the develop
 ment of our natural resources and to the
 moral and intellectual elevation of our people, Alabama will soon take and
 maintain her place ia the very forefront of the conmnnwealths of the nation. ENTERING NEW, ERA
 We are entering upon d new era of the worlds history. The world has passed through the baptism of fire and is fpurihed. clean and safe for democracy and civilization, a process in which Ala ! bamians have borne an important part We will never tire of doing honor to the brave boys who offered their lives in defense of the principles of democracy and civilization and justice. The memory of their heroic deeds will live forever
 and while we pay tribute to those who crossed the waters, many never to re- turn. let us not forget the men who, in service here, suffered the bangs of dis appointment because they were not per | nitted to join their brothers over there Let no thoughtless tongue utter one word l of reproach of these. for they also were heroes, nor let grateful people fail tC l honor the noble army of men and womer
 who in countless ways stood firmly back | of the boys at the front. There is glot enough to go around.
 | For America and for Alabama the days | that are dawning will be days of exceed l ing brightness. Let us put our house in
 order and be prepared to claim and enjoy
 our share of the blessings prepared by a Providence for the peoples who deserve | them. A splendid start was made last Tuesday when the legislature voted te
 ratify the national prohibition amend
 ment Since that sufficient states have ! acted to write prohibition into the fun
 damental law of the nation, contributing
 to the happiness and welfare of the peo- 1 pie of our common country throughout all generations. l am proud that Ala bama is one of the 36 states to exercise
 their sovereign power to inflict the death penalty on the arch enemy of mankind 1 I believe in AmericaIfor Americans and
 for those who sincerely desire to, become l Americans without any hyphenation
 whatsoever. We should guard our demo-
 cratic institutions with watchful, zealous
 care. When foreign propaganda raises l it's head we should be swift to strike il
 down. The bolsheveki, the I. w. w. have ] no proper place among us. They can never
 understand and appreciate the blessings | of American liberty and American insti- 1 tutions. Whatever other states may do | let Alabama destroy promptly and swift.
 ly and utterdy every influence that threat i ems to poison the pure stream of democ
 racy and Americanism.
 DISEASE PREVENTION
 We must do more for the conservation
 of the health and lives of our people. Wt
 are not fully alive to the obligations tt
 care properly for the physical and men tai derelicts of the state. who should have our tenderest sympathy and care
 and we spend scarcely anything to elim mate the causes. of their unfortunat, condition. We do not seem to fully realiz' what can be done for the prevention O disease and the preservation of human life. for we have failed to make proper use of the discoveries of medical scienc, along these lines Funds should be pro
 vided and facilities afforded. the depart ment off public health to extend tn, scope of it's work far beyond what ha ever beeu attefnDted before