The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-30
Education Theme
 Of SermOn-Dr. billiard

Before a large congregation yesterday morning at the Southside Baptist church, Dr. James E. billiard preached an inter esting and instructive sermon on "Edu- cation." taking as his text: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hosea. ivS.
 "Alabamas greatest need is an awak- ened conscience on the subject of edu- cation. I have been surprised and ap- palled at the conditions as have found them. When I first came to the state I thought that 1t was the Baptists who were asleep on their job, but have come to the conclusion that we are not the only sinners in this regard. The schools o: other denominations that l have vis- tied are no better equipped or manned than ours and even our state scnoois have little of which to boast.
 Since acting as temporary secretary of the Baptist education board l have been looking into conditions existing in the small towns and rural districts as well as the larger centers. l find con dition existing all over the state wherever I have been that calls for serious consid- eration and speedy remedy. several counties have less than five months school terms; every boy and girl should have the advantage of nine months school year. am informed that less than half our pupils go beyond the fourth grade This Is to be not only
 depIored but remedied, and 1t can pc. Dr. A. J. Dickinson recently told me that he had attended B high school com mencements this year and that there
 were only % boys In the entire 23 grad uating classes Certainly this has been httt xEa theless Justified in expecting better showing than that.
 What are the reasons for these con- ditions? We may answer that we have many negroes in the state and this IS the
 reason. But as a matter of fact the H. literacy among the whites is In some sec
 tions about as great as that among tne negroes in some other sections We need to educate them all There is money value to the state in educating her con- stitucncy. The fact Is that we have been more interested in making money than in educating our children, and We need a
 conviction of the rights of the child. We need to realize that an education in-
 creases ones earning capacity. but what
 is of infinitely more importance, 1t in
 creaaes his happiness and his value te
 society. 's
 eve need to strengthen both our state schools and our Christian schools. We must not make the mistake of thinking these two classes of institutions are an ta sonistic; they must be mutually help fui There Is big work for them all | would equally oppose either exclusively | state schools or exclusively denomina tional schools. We do not want mon, opoly In education; that has been trtet In Germany and America will not forge | the lesson. i..s
 There is brighter day ahead. Oul people are waking up. Our laws are go | ing to be so revised that ample provision l can be made, for our state schools, ant | the denominations are already at wor' l to endow and equip their institutions | Tho Judson- Howard campaign for hal | million endowment is succeeding, hal of 1t is already in sight. Our members 1 at Eouthsidc have subscribed more thai | $25, 600 and. have only just begun. Tn | future of our two Baptist colleges Is nov as bright as the promises of God.'