New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-29
Education In el<Dalisiapa.

Professor W. C. Brown, Superinfende,
, Of Public instruction in th. rate Of Lonis
! ana, lectsred few evenings ago on educ,
ton in the South ID general. and educatio
] IN Louis ina in particular. Previous TO Ri
, | war there was established system of pul
lie instruction in nine or ten of the soutl
, I ern States. What schools there were wer
! conducted exclusively for white children
| 1t was only after recsnstructien, when th
| Republican party had assumed contro
that there was such q thing az genera
| schools. Tn sc0nsummation was the produ
OF Republican rule The Democratic part,
there. as elsewhere, we're in deadly oppos
tion to the spreading OF intelligence through
the cOlored race.
The schools in the. South had been opened
! with but scanty means for their support
ana under the most tremendous opposition
A. large portion Ut the taxpayers would
have nothing to do with mixed schools
The native whites in many sections were
bitterly opposed to them. The conseouencf
was that the schools came into the control
largely, of Northern men, and we've thur
still further alienated from native popula
ton. In several Of the Southern States the
constitutions prohibited 'he establishment
OF separate schools. In Texas the public
school system was abolished immediately
4 upon the accession OF the Democratic party
to power. In Alabama and Arkansas We
| find. substantially the same t hing. In Lou
lsians, Mississippi, FlOri5a aad South Caro-.
| lima, where the educational interests were
| under the control of the Republican party,
progress was being made, not withstanding
sil discouragements. In North Carolina,
virginia and Kentucky, on the other hand
Whera the schools were made separate bH
the law and constitution; there was but
little progress.
The speaker then proceeded to give some
statistics showing the progress Of education
in Louisiana since reconstruction. In 1861
the educ a ole pOrtitn of the populstio n
l~hite) was 96.522; in 1874 (mixed) it was
So,3S1. In 1861 there were Isl schools 10
the State; in 1874 there were 1889. In 1861
there were 39, $50 children enrolled for At
tendance; in 1874 there were "A ,3O9 In 1861
the rev. n ae tor school purposes was &647,-
600; in 1874 it was $78900O There are now
IN louisiana 79 male teachers and co.
female teachers in the schools. Their
salaries we're determined not by their sex
but by the grade they occupied. Tho
average pay throughout the State was $40
mouth: the high tesr lin New Orleans,
$lS5 per month. Ia Nov Orle ns th.
schools were maintained ten months IN the
year; in others parishes an average of four
and half months There we're 743 school
districts, but only eighty school buildings.
AS conse qht n;e the State was compelled |
to pay $50, 900 rent.
Besides these means OF public instruc- |
tion there were numerous private institu
tlons IN the State, conducted by Roman |
Ca iholics. Presbyterians, Methodists aud |
other denominations. They were educating
. bout 10000 children. This, aided to the
4,00J in the public schools, made a total
Of l3l.00O now receiving instruction But
there was much larger number of chill.
aren VINO went to no school at all; and
how to bring them under the influence of
education was one of the problems to be
Kings. the speaker said, was the bitter
ostllity OF portion of the population to
he spread of general intelligence. This
vas not 80 much the case in New Orleans
70 in certain sections of the State where
Whole communities. embittered by the re.
1lts Of the war, have kept themselves SO.
iuded from the rest of the world, never
,isiting the cities and towns. In some of
hese parishes there has never been school
Established since the war. The people sui
only choose to NOPE and grope in 'igno.
ance. They draw their money for school
imposes regularly, but equander it in
ONE other way: The speaker could see no ,
emedy for this state of things but to wait
ntil death had taken these people away.
Another difficulty which the schools en-. ,
puntered was that they had to be intrusted
othing for progress, and ole the money E
: diverted it 10 other uses. Thousands I
dollars We re- lost in this manner. The Y
irsef had in the present year !
verteo 1925 400 from the school fund, and I
IT the wbo' cause OF education crippled
hat could b. done? More taxes could not
levied. The sheriffs have already more
an 5000 tax sales on their hands, and
operty is bnrdened with all the taxes it Z
i'll bear. 1..ese questions interested col.
ed people 20 well az white. In many of T
Q parishes The colored children in the | y
hools outnurr Oered the whites. A strong i,
sire Is exhibited on the part Of tine colored o
Ople to acI lire an education. The lee y,
rer believed that if 200 more schools could M
opened au.l equipped at. once, the num- b
r of children IN attendance could be in a,
BASED 50 OOO Many gratifying results a.
the work y ere already to I've seen. The 81
upg people IT the colOred race were grow &C
: up to fill their places in life with credit. "
hundreds Of excellent teachers were | VI,
ing fitted for future work Of
The speaker proceeded. to enumerate sev-.l ~
u important needs af the cause of educa- n,
n in the South. The first was a higher e.
probation of the value OF education on at
part of those engaged in the work of or
ching, and also on the part of parents dc
o have children to send. 1t is necessary tn
it the latter should realize how impor- ca
It 1t is that children should use eyery fin
vllege that is offered. They must un- an
stand that it is wise economy for them St
make sacrifices and hire help on their M
ms rather than keep their children from ga
SCHOOLS. 1t is important too, tina. the II,
todians of the school funds, aud officers vi
the education generally, should have sc
her appreciation of the importa nee OF bo
ir trust ~
mother heed was the more determined tin
pose on the part of the young to acquire me
education. Many of them not accus- DC
led to battle with hindrances. were in. ba
ed to bent before the storm of oppos; tn,
which they met. If violence was re. by
,ed to, thousands of colored people ma
Nd keep their children away from "a
DOL rather than subject them to danger, un
lsk hurting the feeling of anyone. These CT;
ded their courage brought up. set
here was also another important heed. for
that was cooperation on the part of bal
'e engaged In the work of educating att
tn The people of the State interested DO,
ducation were unfortunately too much ant
ded IN that respect as in many Others ant
'as highly important that they should be- do,
ed in purpose and in aston, because if acr
: were not there was no one to push for spr
the work for them. The country at the
Q is now beginning to think that the hot
req race have been dong enough in pos in
ION OF liberty, and have received assast- be
enough from the North to be abs now tina
ook after themselves. The speaker sup
lght that when all these needs had been Ga
the work of education in the South rOa
d be carried forward in the face of ali not
,sition. And, to convey some idea of two
this opposition really was, he related hor
raj instances OF prosecutions of She
hers. burning of achOOlhOuses. etc.. | and