Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-08-17

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THE SEPARATE SCHOOL SYS-
TENS AGAIN.
The plan for separate school systems for
the white and eolored citizens OF Virginia
is one that will not down, and that must
be discussed. Strange to say. the positions
of political parties on the question have
been reversed In the most unexpected
manner. The Democratic party that pays
the bulk Of the taxes Of the State and
thereby bears the heaviest end of the tax
for supporting the schools, favors giving
the colored people the exclusive control of
their own schools and half of the hundreds
of thousands Of dollars spent annually on
education, to run them with. The Coali.
tion party, which has received at the polls
the support of the colored citizens for some
years past. says it does not propose to per-
NIT them to have control of their own
schools. Let US look at the position taken
by the two political organizations as it
affects both the white and the colored man.
The Democrats hold that there must be
no mixed schools, there must be no mixed
school boards, that the colored people of
Virginia are capable of taking charge of
their own schools and that by their taking
charge Of them the last cause of dissension
between the two races in Virginia will be
removed. The Democrats want peace
among all the people of the State.
The Coalitionists want the control of the
schools in their own hands, and in justifca-
ton Of that they plead that the colored
man is not yet fitted to take charge of
them; yet they profess willingness to
give them representation" on the school
boards. They want control of the schools
whether there is peace or not.
1t would be most desirable thing for
the colored citizens if they could look at
the two propositions. with minds Invested
Of political bias and m eye single to the
welfare Of their race and the white
race. In the first place it is their
only mode of getting representation on
school boards. They may argue that the
C0alitionists will have the power and will
give them the denied represe sanitation. That
10 mistake. The Coalitionists are in power
aoD-full and absolute power, and yet
they are not appointing any Negroes
on school boards. Gov. Cameron tried
that once, but it excited such animosity
and outcry that he has never attempted it
since. Though there have been appoint
ed one or more school boards since then,
no black man had place on them. A
board was appointed for Stanton where
four-ffths of the Coalition vote polled is
colored, and yet not colored man g name
appeared among the members of the
Board. The colored man will naturally
inquire why was this oversight? 1t was
not an oversight; 1t was simply because
persistence IN that course would have
been so repugnant to the white element
in the Coalition party that it could net
have carried another election before the
people. So the colored man will see that
he is not likely to get representation on
the School Boards whether the Coalition
party succeeds or fails.
Why should the Negro then be told that
there will Simply to keep up an agi-
tation and hurtful excitement between
tbs races, by which the colored race may
BIZ deceived into holding more closely to
the Coalition. 1t Ia perfectly true that
the Coalition leaders would not hesitate
TO appoint mixed boards if 1t were poll
sy that would win, and quite as true that
they would accept mixed schools if they
were necessary to victory for what do
they care about mixed schools-it is not
their children that 60 to the common
schools but the children of the
people at large. But it is the people at
large that they are afraid of. 1t
is claimed by the Coalition. in opposing
the Democratic plan, that the eolored peo-
pie are not yet ready to take charge of
their own school system. This is strange
argument. A race capable OF furnishing
colored trustees to school boards to vote
according to their judgment in all mat
ters affecting the education of white
children, even to selecting for them the very
books they shall study. and yet not capa-
bio Of furnishing trustees for schools of
their own race! But this plea of not be-
ing ready is sorry plea to enter against an
experiment. Why the sohitc people of Vir-
sinia themselves acre not prepared to take
charge of the public school system when it was
adopted in 1869. In Richmond they secur-
red one of the best public school teachers
from the North to start the machine. Their
lamented Superintendent of Public
Schools, James j. Binford, (who after
wards made one of the best in the whole
country was sent North after be was
elected. to study and adapt himself to the
new system, after it was adopted. Staun-
ton itself under the advice of the distin-
guished DR.. Sears got one of the best
teachers the North could afford to take
charge Of its schools-the whole new sys.
tenn inaugurated with the advice of man
who had never oven been resident of the
State-Dr. Sears. Nobody suggested then
that at all times and in all places the
cause of education could not rally friends
enough to start new beginners in the right
path. Nor will the colored people of vir-
ginia find less willing and competent aid.
We are glad to see this matter attract
ing the attention of the colored people.
whether for or against the separate system.
We are glad to see them expressing their
opinions. We have great confidence in
their thinking the matter over. Some of
them find it hard to believe that any prop |