The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-19
A Burst of craftsmanship.

day. The occasion was mass meeting,
reasonably well attended, to appoint dele
gates to the Lynchburg Convention. AT
ter the committee had retired to report
the names of delegates and substitutes,
Col. O'Ferrall was called on to address the
body, which he did in very excited and
rhapsodical style, reaching back to the LOU
isiana purchase and ranging on through the
decades until he touched the admission of
Colorado as a State in the Union. With a
glowing apostrophe to what he called the
history of the Democratic party-nothing
akin to the Bourbon Democracy of the
present day-he proceeded to say what
Modern Democracy, as exemplifed in him
self, was determined to accomplish. First
and foremost was the disenthralment of
Virginia from the rule of ''Mahoneism. !"
This was the central and absorbing
thought AS mere side show the Bour-
bons were opposed to any disturbance of
the debt question. The courts had settled
that and the Bourbons would stand by the
courts. Opposed to mixed schools-as
though anybody. either black or white in
Virginia was in favor of them-and in
favor of white teachers and white trus-
tees for white schools and colored teachers
and colored trustees for colored schools,
with a certain proportion of the school
fund to be set apart for each, and to be
administered by each. This was the climax
of the craftsmanship manifested on this
interesting occasion and was evidently in
tended as bid for the sympathy and sup
port of the colored voter. 1t would be
interesting to know whether Col. OFFER
rail- and the resolutions of the Rocking
ham Democracy spoke by authority for
the party in the State on this subject. 1t
is but short time since that the whole
Bourbon press in Virginia was in fever
of excitement over the appointment of
two colored out of seven trustees for the
public schools of Richmond, tthe object of
which was simply to enable the Board to
learn, through the trustees Of their own
race, the wants of the colored schools, so
that intelligent faction could be taken by
the entire Board, controlled by the white
trustees, in reference to the management
of such schools. But here is a PROPOSE
ton from the Rockingham Democracy,
that the white people of Virginia shall
surrender all interest in and control over
the colored schools. Not only this, but the
common school fund must be divided into
awhlte fund and colored fund, to be ad-
ministered by the representatives on the
school boards of each race, respectively,
in despite of the Constitution which pro-
hibits discrimination on account of race OF
color.
This proposition imports the appoint
ment of colored school trustees in every
locality where there is apublic school for
colored children. 1t implies, if it does not
demand, the division of the school fund
in every town and district where there is a
colored school into fund for the white
schools and fund for the colored schools,
and placing the fund for each under the
control of their respective trustees, wheth-
er they are really qualified or not. What
should be the basis of this division was
not suggested ; but probably it will be that
proposed by the Culpeper Exponent
school tax paddy the white people to go
to the white schools and the school tax paid
by the colored people to go to the colored
schools. If this should be the plan, it
might suggest further enquiry: How
much of the property of the State is the
accumulated labor of the colored people of
the State, while in slavery? And how
much of the labor of the slaves of Vir-
ginia went to educate the white people of
Virginia, when to learn colored person to
read OF write was crime of statutory de-
nunciatiOn?
What we want in this matter of the
public schools isas near exact justice as can
be reached. No one, either white or colored,
wants mixed schools. No one, either
white or colored. ought to want the funds
consumed in the education of the colored
children, exclusively under the control of
cOlored trustees, OF cOlOred management.
What the colored people want, and what
public policy requires, is the most efficient
administration of all the interests Of the
public schools, and not to be made the
football of few malignant politicians
who cannot rise above the petty spites Of
race OF comprehend the necessities and
demands of society as they are met and
conserved by the pnblic schools.
The Rockingham Democracy have not
exactly struck key note' in their reso-
buttons, nor has Col. O'Ferrall commended
himself as Moses to lead his faction out of
he wilderness in which it is now founder
ing and plunging. His ''by the Gods" iter-
ated and reiterated after and before every
impassioned sentence and the shivering of
his knightly lance in every imaginary con-
flict, will not add to his fame as political
leader, OF thrill the world with admira-
ton for his mastery but misguided states
manship.