The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-25
LOCAL MATTERS.
COLORED EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION
SECOND DAYS SESSION,

The Convention resumed lLs seSslOn at 1U
O'Clock yesterday morning %. NJ. Steward,
president Of the Virginia Educational Asso-
ciatien, in the chair. Prayer By Rev. A.
Bfnga, of Manchester.
j. w. Cromwell, from the Committee on
Organization, presented report, and con.
stitution for State Society, the preamble OF
which sets forth the necessity for State Ed
ucationsl Association for colored people,
the Association to have two prominent fea-
tures-yiz: Statistical and historical. The
Society to be called the Virginia Educa-
ional, Historical, and Statistical Association.
2. Il. voolfolk moved that the Society be
called the Virginia Educational and Histori-
cal Association, because the name suggested
by the committee would be too long. Agreed
to. ..-~
The object of the Association will he to
promote the cause of education and to aid in
the higher instruction Of such meritorious
youths who, by their perseverance,, their
talents, and general worth, give promise OF
usefulness to the State and country; shall
aim to encourage-the growth and develop.
ment of mechanical and scientific ideas BY
the dissemination of useful knowledge and
by the collection Of statistics relative to the
material interests Of the c0lered race In this
State, and incite 1t to higher and higher
achievements.
Any person may be member by paying
the sum of 81 annually, or life-member by
paying $40. The Society shall meet annually
in August. The officers shall be president,
FIVE vice. presidents, recording secretary, trea-
surer. corresponding secretary, and an ex-
ecutive committee Of eleven. The CORE.
spending secretary and treasurer shall be er'
nso ohose of ha q
Two auditors shall be appointed at each an.
nual meeting to examine the treasurers
account. The officers shall serve one year.
The constitution was then adopted.
On molten Of j. W. Cromwell the mem
bers OF the Association.
P. 81. Voolfolk moved that a committee OF
seven be appointed to nominate officers for
the Association. Agreed to.
The Chair appointed the following com.
mittee: W.. Watkins, o. N. Steward, A.
Binga, Jr., j. NJ. Dawson, E. A. Boiling, j.
L. Adams, J. H. Holmes.
A motion to reconsider the vote by which
the Constitution was adopted was put and
rejected.
W. R. Watkins, OF Wytbeyille, presented
the following:
Resolued, That the Committee on Busi.
ness be instructed to report what legislation
if any, is necessary TO secure to the colored
youth of this State efficient, thorough, com.
prehensive, normalschool and academic
training.
Rev. W. B. Derrick laid before the Con
vention the report of the chairman Of the
Committee on Business (Landon Boyd)
which, in the absence Of the chairman. was
laid on the table.
On motion, the Convention met and heard
j. w. CromWell's address on the difficulties
under which the colored youth labor in OBJ
tanning an education in the Virginias.
The speaker, after introducing bis subject
stated that the difficulties which the colored
children encountered were two first, hnan
cial and second, moral. The moral and The
intellectual education which the State give:
to youth should be such as TO harmoniZe
their moral and intellectual qualities with the
physical growth of healthy human crea.
ture, so that upon reaching the years of ma
turity We would have men and women in
the healthy exercise and full development o
their moral and intellectual powers, worthy
accessions to society, and illustrating in their
persons the noblest, loftiest attributes ol
manhood and womanbood.
By examining the report Of the Hon. W
Fl. Ruffner for the year ending September
80, 1874, it will be found that duling the
school year there were 177,317 colored chill
dren of school age in the State. There were
in operation 994 schools for c. lored children
and in these there were enrolled 52,OS6 pu'
pills, or 80 10 a teacher; but the average at
tendance was only 2S 92S- fifty five per cent
of the enrolment. Out of every Is chill
dren of school age in the State less than
three are in regular attendance upon the
school sessions; and as these are open less
than half Of the year the appalling picture
presented is that at the highest estimate but
| one-tenth of the work necessary to be
| done has yet been in progress to
guarantee the education Of the colored youth
| of the State. Instead of provision for o.,
900 there should he ample opportunity fol
every one Of the 177,00O who can attend
SCHOOL. Instead OF an average attendance
Of fifty per cent. on the enrolment of sixteen
per cent. in the whole school population
there should at least be seventy live per cent.
| not of the enrolment merely, but seventy
| five per cent. of the whole school popula
| ton. Instead Of a school term Of $40 months
there should be one Of an average Of ter
| months in the the cities and eight months ir
the rural districts.
The financial difficulties such as the
/! inadequacy Of the State aud local sup
port, the delinquency of the capi
tatioH tax, and the poverty of the
plrents-were discussed at length. The
| moral difficulties, the speaker stated, relate
| to the supply. and character of teacher:
who instruct the coored schools. the condi
| ton of public opinion on the object OF the
education of these youths, and the spirit
with which the teachers of these schools
enter upon their work.
He contended that the State had not done
all she could to provide for additional
schools. The cry of poverty will not do
The farmer points to the drought, the del
| uge, the bad crops generally, the poor mar
kets generally, the high tariffs of railroads.
as reasons why they are not able to improve
| the system.
Under our system of government, con
tipued the speaker, individuals and classes
are but factors in the State. 1t is therefore
| idle presumption for a class, though it be
dominant in numbers, wealth, and energy, to
speak of itself us magnanimously aud gra
ciously educating another class, though in
| numbers, wealth, and energy it be inferior,
80 long as that class contributes its proper.
| tion to the SUM total of wealth produced.
| The landed proprietor Is indeed the one
in whose name property is assessed, and who
makes direct payment !; but the taxes he pays
are deducted from the earnings of the labor
er, when they are added to the rent OF his
lands or the commodities he sells. The Gene.
rsl Government has source OF Eve
nue. from her public lands wnlcr
used in behalf of our education, would quick
en- into life the system in the remolest NOOK
and corner of our southern country. But
this Government aid must not be urged as
any indirect damages to which the South /;
entitled for slave property liberated In the
policy ofthe late war. II is the duty OF The
state enpernment. in furtherance OF the ne.