The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-10-01
cox FAVORS q. S. AID FOR STATE
EDUCATION

Writes Letter To Maryland Assistant
Superintendent And others on
Committee. Believes Removal OF
HIiteracy Proper Pay o. Teachers
And Other Problems Should Be
Taken Up BY Federal Government
Governor Cox, of Chic, Democratic
nominee, for president has made plain
/ his stand on education
In letter to George H. Reavis, AS
sistant State Superintendent OF Educa-
tion, he uneauivocally indorses Fed
eral aid in all lines Of education, the
Americanization of immigrants, suf-
ficent pay for teachers, and the equal
ization of educational opportunities
so that every boy and girl IN the coun-
i try shall be guaranteed the chance of
a complete and practical education
He also maintains that the Federal
Government can provide the aid so
much needed, especially by the poorer
/ States, without interfering with or de-
strcying tie effectiveness of local
/ provision.
The letter was written by the Gov
ernor to carry out a promise to issue
public declaration on education
made to Mr. Reavis and four other
members CT the committee of the ma
tional education, which called on him
two weeks ago at Dayton with a pro-
gram which they hoped to have him
indorse. He asked time to consider the
subject and promised d statement in
about 10 days. The statement fellows:
fIao
necessary reorganization of the ex-
ecutiye departments in the Federal
Government. shall certainly favor
the effective administration of affairs
relating directly to al matters of hu-
man welfare, including education.
1t should be the province of the
FEDERAL Government to- extend aid in
all lines of education, looking paFtie-
uIarly TO the removal ofiilliteFacy,
the Americanization of immigrants.
the preparation and proper compen-
sation of teachers, physical education
health and sanitation and the equal
izing of educational opportunities to
the end that every boy and girl in the
United States shall be guaranteed the
chance of obtaining complete and /
practical education
+ We should extend the advantages of (
education by national policy with
out destroying the effectiveness of I
local provision, maintaining that de-
mocracy in education which will de-
yelop the healthy and reasonable in
dividualism in American national lite
which enables the citizens of this re-
public to think for themselves and
Inv r hay, cca1xr l4o
luton of their most serious problems
I Mr.. Reavis said that this deelara
tion from Governor Cox was pleasing
to the committee, as it briefly and sue
cinctly aIigns him in favor of the pro-
gram of the National Education As
sociation on practically all points but
one, that of the establishment of a
Federal Department of Education with
a Secretary of Education at its head
as a member of the Presidents Cab /
met.
Governor Cox probably thought it
better not to go that far just at this
time said Reavis. "But the other
points of the associations program
are all given direct and unqualified
All these matters are
cared for in the Smith-ToWnef bill
now before Congress, which provides
an appropriation of $100,000,000 a
year for these purposes and also for
the establishment of Federal De-
partment of Education. Governor Cox
did not indorse this bill, of course. We
did not expect him to do so, nor did
we wish him to commit himself to any
particular measure.
B fsXNo did Y1t him fo ird0rcn fho
principle of Federal aid for education
in general, and various points of the
associations program specifically.
our program in detail, he has gone
further than we expected he would go.
He has done all we could possibly i
hope for, and has made the strongest
prediction declaration of an educa-
tional policy that has been made by
any Presidential candidate in recent
years. We are all delighted with the
result OF our visit to Marion
Il am particularly pleased with his
Endorsement of the princi-
pie of equalizing the educational OPP
portunities of children in the various
States. My argument to him was de-
voted to that point. / argued that it
was the business of the Federal Gov
eminent to see to it that a child in
poor State, such as Kentucky, for in
stance, should have educational adj
vantages equal to those of rich
State, like Ohio; that State line
ought not to be allowed to become
barrier beyond which the fullest edu
cational opportunities could not flow.
Governor Cox seemed particularly in
terested, when we talked to him, of
doing nationally what he had already
done in his own State, for through
his influence the Ohio Legislature
has passed bill making an approp-
ration for equalizing educational OPP
portunities of the children of the
poorer counties with those of the rich
er ones.
"a committee Of the association
called on Senator Harding, the Repub-
lican nominee, the same day our COM
mittee called ON Governor Cox, but j
thus far 1 have heard of no announce
ment coming from Senator Harding a
~, od,.oatiopal Ynatforc -