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

y
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 win, II adopted. practically destroy the
public school system in large portion Of
the Union
The Baptist Home Missionary Society
in its yesterday session ia this city, took
up the question. and Rev. DR.. Jeter, Of
Virginia, while urging the necessity 81
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 a 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, aud many Of the best workers in
the cause Of education at the South viii
resign their positions, in despair Of suc-
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 he did not deny that all
men are equal before the law, and that IN
the abstract the passage Of this bin might
be right yet il j. not expedient The re-
lation Of the general government to the
State governments Is one Of expediency,.
and is Il expedient for the general govern
ment to destroy an excellent ffee-school
system in the States2 After further de-
bate, the society deemed the matter Of so
much Importance that special committee
was appointed 10 take il into earnest con
sideration.
In the same line we quote that Senator
Brounlow has recently declared that ifthe
civil rights bin should pass without the
mixed school feature being stricken out,
the whole school fabric III Tennessee will
at once fall to the ground, as il win de-
serve to do Then the expenses Of the
education Of their children, II they are
educated at al, win 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
thps upon this subject in recent commu-
nicafion TO the press
= 70 the people Of tho South the qaes-
ton Of mixed schools Is one Of vital i'm
portance. After years Of earnest effort
the friends Of popular education 10 Tcnnes-
zee succeeded ii securing the passage Of q
law providing for the establishments Of
system Of free public schools The only
distinction that is made between the white
and colored children Is that tlley are
educated in separate schools II i din
cult to SEE how any one u wronged By
this arrangement, or that any great moral
principle Is violated
= That the establishment Of mixed
schools would prove d fatal blow to our
present excellent system, Is almost uuiyer-
sally believed b. those who are best ac-
quainted with the subject, and the colored
people would b. the ones who would suffer
the more severely BY IL a majority Of
the white population would be able 10 send
tleir ehildren % private schools, but the
eoi5red are too poor to thus provide for
theirs, and they wonld grow up IN igno-
@'sl. John FIsninr, Superintendent of
Public Instruction ii Tennessee, and edi-
Tar of ne T<auess<< ,S>toH J1a,rssal, says,
mo liltlo uneasiness has Very reaaona
~ been created among the friends Of pop
mig qducAfiou 10 Tennessee By the propo-
sifion lo include public schools within the
n lhc civil riehls bin now pan.
ding before Congress. sl, as d require the
c5tlneation Of The white aid colored
eHI|dren- Tho public school zx Of Ten
nez6ee II iuportia| III its provisions, giving
~ fzqifreoeo a N their common rights %
o1s o<@r }hc 9ther Provision ii made
81 separate sehooIs iur white and coIored
eHlIIren. and Tie |a4 IG,s been enforced by
IN school o||'c<Iz With strict regard to lie
lielts w boih races Indeed, aItdr ha7
III rarcEnIIy allldiod ihe fea|In&a * ia
so|orc1 fe.ri1 ds.ifous a. educating fhe;f
{eIia<ssIa 1> 81 ss Nc whites, prefer lie
1I&zoa AEsa1 1u<nf ior every IutelIieenf
1|14 81 x'aos1, Nhcihe< Qhi1e " co|orcd
i III ~. @ix1n u11k.rnt 4 46011.<I{ ii tia