The interior journal., 1873-01-31
NEGRO EDUCATION.


! been obtained by DIR. Standiford, Of the
Louisville Senatorial District. tointroduce
bill providing for the establishment Of
: common schools for the education Of ne
groes. In the main the bill is well guar
ded, and we have no serious objections to
any part Of the bill except the Third Sec.
tion. The common schools, proposed to
be established by the bill, are to be sup
J ported by the "African School Fund,
which shall consist:
First-Ofs . sum to he raised by taxa
tion Of negro real and personal property
at the rate Of fifteen cents on the one
hundred dollars. Sccond-Of one.hslf
of all sums 10 be received by the State
by virtue of any resolution Of Congress
providing for the distribution Of the pro
ceeds Of the public lands. Thridly-Of
any donation gift, or devise to cid in the
education Of the blacks. Fourthly--Of
Tie resour0s Of the Siats~g Fund, arising
from The Tar imposed an bonk s,cct. and on
1s capitol dividend, or income of oil other
moneyed Interpretations or institutions, The
tar upon brokers, The tar upon 1S agents
Of any insrance company, hs mel divi-
dends upon the stock Ouned by The State in
any bank, or other installations, de diri-
dends on the States stock in any turnpite,
or other public ,rOrt, all rerenue arising
from he States interest IN any railroad
company, proceeds from the lease Of The
peniteniiary, or from any other souee ex-
cept the amount arising from the Eve
cents on the one hundred dollars.
The fund arising from the various
sources set forth in this fourth section,
by the provision of the bill, is not to be
touched unless the provision made in the
first, second and third sections shall prove
inadequate to carry on and defrsy the ex-
pense of the school. 1t is to this coutin-
gency that we object, because We are sa..
isfed that it will happen. The act Of
Mach 9th, 1867. provided that all money
arising from the taxation of negroes
should be disbursed, in the counties re-
spectively, first for the support Of ne.
gro paupers, and secondly, if surplus
be left, for educational purposes. 1t was,
however, soon made manifest that the
fund thus arising was totally inadequate
to prevent negro paupers from actual
suffering and, indeed, had the county
court of Lincoln-we know not how true
the same is with respect to other coun- |
ties-not really appropriated part Of the
whitelevy to their support, many Of them
would have died Of absolute starvation
and nakedness. We note in this connec-
ton that negroes have but little more
feeling for their own race than q set of
brutes. They will give freely to support
brass band, or lazy, thieving preach
er, but in nine cases out of ten, they will
permit one of their own number to rot |
on the bed where he had died, rather
than contribute ten cents to dig his
grave; and this ue knop 10 be true. This,
by the way. The Legislature, finding that
the act of March 9th 1867, Was fruitless
in its results, repealed the same in Feb
ruary, 1871. The experience Of the
State therefore is, that negroes can neither
be educated or supported by means of
taxation limited to their own race; and
we think, in all conscience, it isenough for
the white people to do when they take
care Of their paupers. These various re-
sources mentioned in the third section
arise from indirect taxation of the prop
erty of white people, and We desire to
put it down in black and white, as strong
as we can, that We are unutterably and
unalterably opposed to any measure
which proposes to tax white people,
whether directly or indirectly, to educate
negroes. While we urge no opposition
to the bill, leaving out this third section,
we yet say nothing in favor of it. No
very limited observation has proven to
US, that negroes grow worthless in any
community in proportion to the number
of schools taught in it. When they go
to school, they refuse to work, and when
they refuse to work they steal; and this
is the truth and nothing but the truth.
That our readers may see the bill for it.
self we append hereto, the leading and
most important sections
An act to establish, in this Commonwealth,
uniform system of common schools for the
education of children Of African descent;
Be IL enacted BY the General Assembly Of the
Commonwealth Of Keatueky: SECTION l. There
is hereby established, in this Commonwealth,
a uniform system Of common schools for the
purpose Of assuring tuition and education 10
the citizens of African descent.
SIC. 2. The school fund for the purpose
aforesaid, to be called 'The African School
Fund" shall consist Of: First-The amount
to be raised annually by collection OF fifteen
(l5) cents on the one hundred dollars in value
of all property and chooses in action, owned or
held in this Commonwealth by persons Of AZ
rican descent, fDr the proper collection and
payment of which provision shall be made by
law. Secondly-Of one-half Of any and all
sums Of money hereafter received by this Com
nonwealih under or by virtue Of any act or
resolution Of Congress providingfo for the distri-
button Of public lands or proceeds Of the sale
thereof Thirdly-Of any donation, gift, grant
or devise from any person whatsoever, where
in the intent is expressed, that the same is de-
signed to aid in the tuition or education Of the
colored children Of this Commonwealth, or Of
any county or school district therein. Fourth
ly-Of such additional funds as Is dedicated
to that purpose by the next section Of this
act.
SEC. 3. II shall be the duty Of the Superin-