Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-04-12
The Treatment of the COlOred Chill
dren.

The arguments made use of at the
election for member of he Board Of Ed
ucation on Monday, and the proclaimed
meaning of that election, are not credita.
BILE to. the intelligence nor to the sense
of justice of our people.
The Board of Education. it is said by
those who have Investigated and are
competent to judge, as rule has EN-
ployed incompetent teachers for the col
ored school, and to crown the injustice
of that proceeding has given the pupils
of that school but six months of school,
yearly, while the schools which the so
called white children attend are open
nine months, and have the benefit of
skilled and trained teachers. Last au.
tumn, am told, Mr.. Samuel Cochran,
presented to the Board of Education a
paper, signed by all of the colored men
of the town interested in the schools,
asking that the colored school be kept
open the same length of time the schools
in the main school building are. No
attention was paid to this reasonable
request, but at the end of six months
the teacher employed in the colored
school was informed that that school
would close, and it did close. There
upon some persons declared that the
colored children were entitled to the
same length of term enjoyed by those
in the main school building, and that if
they were denied that in their separate
school they should present themselves
at the main school building and demand
admission. At once a howl was set up
that such persons were trying to force
hn sEnio ;,f ha
The question as to who, of proper
age, and free from infectious disease or
other cause that would unfit him or her
to mingle with other children. shall at
tend the public schools, is not matter
within the province of the Board of Ed
ucation. Under our laws the Board
may organize separate school, and may
require colored pupils to attend. that
school; but it can not discriminate
against that school. as to length of time
it shall be open, and it must employ a
teacher who is qualified, mentally and
morally, to take charge of the school.
The law determines this question. not
arbitrary Boards of Education, and in
this connection case recently tried in
tie United States Circuit Court, at Gin
cinnati, is in point. In school district
of Butler county, in which separate
school was maintained, colored man
sent his children to the school provided
for the white race. They were refused
admission by the teacher, and thereupon
an action for civil damages was brought
against the teacher. Judge Baxter in
structed the jury, in substance, that, un-
der the laws of Ohio, it was competent
for the Board of Education to provide
a separate school for the colored youth,
but that such separate school must af-
ford them such facilities for obtaining
an education as like pupils were fur
nished in the other schools of the dis
trict, and that if the jury found from
the proof that this had been done, it
should find for the defendant.
Has this been done here? That it has
not been there can be no controversy,
and if the Board does not at once make
provision for continuing a separate
school, and employ a competent teacher,
parents of colored youth of school age
should send their children to the main
school building. and let the Board of
Education, or the teachers, turn them
away at their peril.
No one, so far as l am advised, wants
to "force the niggers into the white
schools" On the contrary, the colofed
people are content that a separate school
shall be maintained, but they object to
being shut off with six months, while
the other schools enjoy nine; and if
they are forced into the white schools
it will be solely because of the unjust
and arbitrary course of those who deny
them in their separate school the same
privileges enjoyed by the other pupils in
the main school building.
One of the members of the Board
AYERS that funds are not available to
continue this separate school now, be-
cause in making the levy six months
term only was Contemplated, but prom
is that neZt year it will be arranged sat
isfactorily If this was the first occa-
sion complaint had been made to the
Board of Education of this injustice,
perhaps it would be well to submit to
this proposition but in view of the fact
that parents of colored children have
annually protested against this injustice,
and have begged unavailingly that their
children have at least two months more
of school, it should not be accepted. Let
the matter be settled now. And the
way to settle it is, if within reasona-
BILE time, say one week, arrangements
are not made to open the colored school,
let parents send their children to the
main school building. and thus bring the
controversy to head.
The law entities these poor children
to what is asked for them. The good
of society demands it. Let us see that
they get it. ]. B. LoNGLEY.
st. Clairsville, April 10.