The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-06-13
The Mixed School Feature Of the Civil
Rights Bill.


There seems to be good deal Of appre-
hension among the friends Of education,
without regard to party lines, that the
mixed school feature Of the civil rights
bill viii, If adopted, practically destroy the
public school system in large portion Of
the Union.
The Baptist Home Missionary Society
in It's yesterday session in this city, took
up the question. and Rev DR.. Jeter, of
Virginia, while urging the necessity Of
prompt action being taken for the religious
improvement Of the colored people of the
South, expressed the opinion that if that
provision Of the bill became law the ed
vocational interests Of the South would be
totally ruined DR.. Sears also gave it as
his belief that the passage of the bill would
destroy the iree-school system Of the
South, because the people would not
endure taxation for the support Of mixed
schools, and many of the best workers in
the cause Of education at the South will
resign their positions, in despair Of sue
cescful issue Of their efforts, however siren
uous He had arrived at this fact from
conversation with men of all parties in the
South. While be did not deny that all
men are equal before the law, and that in
the abstract the passage Of this bill might
be right, yet il is not expedient The re-
lation Of the general government to the
State governments is one Of expedieney,
and Is II expedient for the general govern.
ment b destroy an excellent free-school
system in the States? After further de-
bate, the society deemed the matter Of so
much importance that special committee
was appointed to take it into earnest con
sideration.
In the same line we quote that Senator
Brownlow has recently declared that ifthe
civil rights bill should pass without the
mixed school feature being stricken out,
the whole school fabric in Tennessee viii
at once fall to the ground, as it will de-
serve to do. Then the expenses Of the
education Of their children, if they are
educated at all, viii be borne by them
selves, and not By the white people, as they
now are.
II is worthy Of consideration also, that
the opinions Of teachers Of experience and
Judgment are all adverse TO the change.
One Of these teachers, Of northern birth,
residing in Nashville, Tennessee, writes
thus upon this subject in a recent commu-
nicatioe TO the press
aTsthe people Of the South the ques-
ton Of mixed schools is one of vital i'm
portance. After years Of earnest effort
the friends Of popular education in Tcnnes-
see succeeded in securing the passage Of
law providing for the establishment Of
system Of free public schools. The only
distinction that is made between the white
and colored children is that they are
educated IN separate schools. Il is diff
cult to see how any one is wronged BY
this arrangement, or that any great moral
principle Is violated.
That the establishment Of mixed
schools would prove a fatal blow to our
present excellent system, is almost univer-
sally believed BY those who are best ac-
quainted with the subject, and the colored
people would be the ones who would suffer
the more severely BY il. A majority Of
the white population would be able 10 send
tteir children 70 private schools, but the
colored are too poor to thus provide for
theirs, and they would grow up in igno-
rance
Col John Fleming. Superintendent Of
Puhiir Tuntr1,ctior, IN Tanuasaa a,.l a;