The Osceola times., 1884-11-08

colored people are now educated to
that extent, with great advantage
to the better understanding between
employer and employee. 1T the
latter can comprehend simple ae-
counts, there will be little difficulty
in the settlement of his wages; but
it is difficult to explain figures to the
ignorant man, who, in most cases,
imagines himself defrauded, SIMPLY
because he can no. comprehend.
Persons who haye to do with work
ing-men, white or black, will readi-
ly agree that there is tenfold more
trouble in adjusting accounts with
those who are illiterote than with
those who have eren rudimental
education.
The opportunities of the blacks
for obtaining education in the South
are abundant, greater, indeed, in
many places than those il reach of
the whites. In the State wherein
the writer resides, each county is
divided into school districts of con-
venient size, each with self-contain-
ed power of subdivision, under GER
tain conditions: these districts are
autonomous under general State
laws; they decide themselves, by
popular vote, the amount of tax
they are willing to pay respectively
for the purpose Of education, which
tax is collected by the revenue col
lector as other taxes are; they elect
each three directors to manage the
scholastic affairs and funds, selec-
tion of teachers, etc. In vast num-
bers of these districts the blacks
largely outnumber the whites, and
not elect only magistrates,
constahles, etc, but also school d.
rectors, and in school matters the
white element is utterly disregarded,
except in the matter of taxes. In
the sparsely settled districts the
amount Of annual tax Qimited to
five mills) will permit of but one
school, and that with session of
not more than four or five months
each year, and heiein lies the
trouble. The black director, know.
ing that but one school can be
maintained, are willing to employ
a white teacher and call it white
school provided their children are
allowed to attend, or they will make
it a black school, and white children
may share the advantages. White
prejudices, which none but South
erner can understand or appreciate,
render each of these offers unaccept-
able and repulsive, and it is difficult
to blame the freedman that they
avail themselves of the power which
the law has given them, and employ
colored teachers. Things may be
better regulated after a while; in
the mean time the negroes are grad
ually acquiring education, while in
many places the whites remain
without schooling, or with but little.
If the African brain were as large
and as active as that Of the Cau-
casian, the result of this condition
Of affairs could be easily calculated,
for, notwithstanding the prepon-
dcrance of authority which centuries
of domination has given to the white
race, it is much to be doubted If
the conditions would not be re, ers-
ed if, with equal natural capacity,
an educated colored race should
oppose illitcrate whites; but, fortu-
nately for the latter, two things
stand in the way of such absolute
subversion of positions: First, it is
indisputablc that. as a race, the
African is inferior TO the Caucasian
in intelligent comprehensive reason
ing and constructive power, and it
would require something besides
mere intellectual Improvement to
bring the former up 20 the level of
the latter. Second, the colored
man has to-day strong desire that
his children shall be educated,
though he is willing to make but
few personal sacrifices for that OBJ
jcct. To be sure, he votes taxes for
the purpose, but, as he pays his pro-
portion indirectly, he does not feel
them. The desire is entirely pre-
dominated by his determination that
they shall, at as early an age as pos
sible, become workers, and thereby
relieve his shoulders of large part
of his necessary labor. Consequent
ly he is unwilling to allow much
time to schools. So soon as the child
is able t. WELD hoe he is regarded
a fractional feld-hand, and during
the cotton-picking season quite IA
large fraction. He knows nothing,
it is not in his nature to know any
thing, Of that vigorous Anglo-Saxon
determination which, under the cir
described, cheerfully
pays the school-tax, and then makes
personal sacrifice in order that the chill
dren may be sent to some pay-school.
The desire of the African parent
that his child shall work is so strong
that it is safe to say that, with few
exceptions, the young negroes of to.
day, especially those on farms, live
under more severe rules AS to labor
than their fathers did while children