The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-04-26
aauoted to g9gifpltura Aoffi D
v0T. fx.-NEw SER1Es.
For the Times
White Teachers Of Colored Schools.

Some evcr-nico people will purse up the cor.
ncrs of their mouths and give shrup of their
shoulders when they simply read the caption
20 TINS article, but such rs they have my leave to
lay 1t down-it is not written for their perusal
at alt-knowing well that such nice people are
generally weak minded and opinionated, and it
would simply be waste of time to try TO con-
vince them that they may possibly be wrong in
anyth'ng L. think people of strong sterling
sense; in other words, people who think, and
who leok beyond the present time, to the
suture, which looms up in the distance before
AIS, sometimes very brightly, and then .again
alternating with light shades; wfl ugree %fth
me in what shall say
1t is q settled fact that there is a large pro-
portion Of our population colored, and out of
this mass quite number of children are grow
ing up in our very midst in ignorance, simply
from the want of efficient teachers. 1t is quite
true that the colored schools have been run
when the other public schools were opened, but
In almost every instance they have been taught
oy colored teachers who were wholly untitled for
the task-being barely able to spell, and could
not read the simplest sentence correctly. Our
beloved Hampton has tried to impress upon the
minds OF tho people the importance of educating
tho colored children, and 1 think and believe
no would express the same opinion, that they
should receive instruction from our own native
whites, who understand the negro nature, and
can give them right ideas of our government
tsssh fnem NV, resp cev aud da1S the laws of
our land-and instl in their young plant minds
sense of their moral obligations to God, and
also teach them, as we do our own little ones, to
love and honor Hampton, the man above oil
others South Carolina should feel proud Of
ANY teacher who feels keen interest in his
or her school, can find ample time for these i'm
piomptu way side lessons, often Of great impor-
tance to the young minds intrusted to their
guidance. Where is the stranger who comes
among us for school would ever care whether
the children loved their country or their coun-
4rys leader. They simply come for the salary.
They, no doubt, do their work we'll SO far as
books go; but think in teaching colored chill
dren, as said before, they sheqld -be sinstruss
ted rightly concerning tho Igovernment of our
ono WIN sss. Wy &pisy .BlJll sllen.
crs to teach the colorcd schools The reason
can be summed up in one word-Incompetency
Not one colorsd teacher in twenty is competent
for the duties devolving upon them, for in every
instance where tho children have been taught by
colored teachers (that has come under my OBJ.
servation) they would have been much better off
at home, at work.
They are often taken from important work at
home, to be sent to school, and the going to
school has simply been farce-a throwing away
Of public money. The white people are taxed
to keep up the colored schools as we'll as the
white, and think it right and proper that
the money should find its way back into
our own pockets, and while benefttipg US also
be lasting benefit to the negro children who
are growing up in our midst in such woful ig-
norance. When our colored population are bet
ter educated, our jails and penitentiaries will
not be so crowded, and crime will not be such
common thing; for we oil know that education
is what makes the man or woman.
Our little children who are lisping so sweet
ly around our fresdes will not have the
trouble and annoyance with free labor, if the
young generation Of colored children are educa-
ted that we are having, for firmly believe were
the colored peoples minds more cultivated, they
would regard their oaths more sacred and solemn
and make better servants for US, in every way.
Now there are great many people who are
really needy and are fully competent to teach,
but because they cannot procure n white sc iool
will not teach at oil. In proef of it, only mark
the squabbling, the fussing and hard feelings
whore three or four apply for q school. The
trustees cannot give white schools to all who ap-
ply, but if they cannot get q white school they
fold their hands in idlencss and suffer ,cant
before they are morally brave enough to do that
whfcTvney Secretly desire to do, and which
their conscience tells them is no wrong.
A great many ladies have to teach O servant
almost every kind of household work after they
hire them. II is either to cook q certain dish
milk, WASH iron, sew, knit, and q thousand other
things too numerous to mention. Where is the
difference, now, il we teach them from books
Only this, in the first instance we have the
trouble of teaching them with the almost certain
probability of their leaving us as soon as We
have fitted them for the work, in addition to
having TO pay them q salary. In the last named
case zoe receive the salary, end Of the two /
would myself much prefer to draw the salary;
but peoples taste differs you know. 1 think q
day is coming when those persons who fail to
recognize one who is willing to faithfully dis
charge duty in this respect. will see their err
rOr-to call 1t no harsher name. Anything new
is generally looked upon by narrow minded
persons with disfavor, and IL is at present little
out Of the common way for white person to
teach o colOred school, but such persons may
A Ii