The Donaldsonville chief., 1879-09-20
4o'raloso1lbiue Gbief.
Two Dollars Year.
Public EducatiOn---The Old and
New Constitutions Compared
BY EMERSON BENTLEY.

New Constitutions Compared.
BY EMERSON BENTLEY.
The constitution of 1863 require
the General Assembly to establish a
least Que free public school il ever,
parish and provide for its support b,
taxation or otherwise. It says, Cart
1861:
stAll children between the ages Of {
and 81 shall be admitted to the publ.
schools or other institutions of learning
sustained or established by the State, il
common, without distinction of race, col
or, or previous condition. There shal
be no separate schools or institutions o.
learning established exclusively for any
race by the State of Louisiana"
The specifications Of this article are
in accord with the constitution Of the
United States, the principles on
which republican form Of govern
ment is founded, and tho practice Of
all civilized and semi i-civilized gov
elr,ments of the world. The intent is
to foster concord among the people
by removing from the domain of the
State the perpet,ation ofclass or race
prejudice, injurious to its welfare. In
the administration of Article 1876. as
general rule, the colored citizens Of
Louisiana, i'll Difference to the sincere
convictions of their white fellow citi
zens on the subject Of mixed schools,
were content to yield to the desire for
separate schools. The right Of COM
mon attendance being acknowledged
in the fundamental law, the conces-
sion was not regarded as the surren-
der Of q principle, but holding it il
allegiance until time, obliteratiug pref
ndice, made way for it's undisputed
rule. Star cars had disappeared from
city railroads, citizen rights had been
conceded, and there was reason to
believe that all Louisianans would, at
some future day, exercise harmoni-
onsly all public relations in common
in the school room, the Jury box, at
the polls, in the militia, aud in civil
offices. The educational reports and
testimony Of school officials show that
mixed schools have existed without
opposition or detriment at several
poiuts id the State. The mixing of
schools should not be considered as
strictly race question it is an emf
nently practical one, involving the
existence of schools in thinly settled
parts of"the State. For example.
1where twenty children or less, Of both
races, reside so remotely as to make
attendance an impossibility at separ-
ate schools in an adjoining neighbor-
hood, where numbers may justify
their establishment, the union of
these children would secure a school
for all'aud the plan Of separation de-
featit. The citizens Of the neigbbor-
hood would be deprived Of the bene-
fits Of a system they arc taxed to sup
port, and the children often allowed
to grow.up in ignorance and become
"a burden instead of a blessing to the
State. Impartial men should view
this side of the question, and know
chat herein lies the greatest inredi
ment to public instruction in Louisi-
ana.
The proposed constitution does not
guaranteed common attendance in
schools. It contains one mandatory
provision in that regard. Article 22s |
reads. s's
"The General Assembly shall also es
tablish in the city of New Orleans q |
university for the education of persons of
color, provide for it's proper govern
ment, and shall make an annual appro
priation of not less than five thousand
nor more than ten thousand dollars for
its maintenance and support"
This is sufficient to indicate the
purpose Of the trainers of the new
constitution, and is the forerunner Of
the separation of the races in the
schools by subsequent legislation,
against which no appeal to the con
shtution will avail, at least while its
friends are in power. 1t will be re-
versal Of over ten years of progress
towards tie pacidcation Of the races,
it the Democratic party carries the
new constitution, aud installs an Ex-
ecutive and Legislature Hereunder.
Republicans can not consistently vote
to that end. The school age ,s re-
strictcd to eighteen years, or three
less than the age of citizenship.
The constitution of 1868, Art. l3s.
says:
The general exercises in the public
schools shall be conducted in the Eng
lish language"
;The new constitution retains these
words and proceeds
."And the elementary branches taught
therein |; prorided, that these elementary
branches may also be taught in the
French language in those parts of the
State where the French language pre-
dominates, if no additional expense is
incurred thereby
This article may be interpreted to
DO away with public high schools, By