Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-10-30
From Pioneer Press.
AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
NEEDED In WEST VA.

Mr.. Editor:-You will allow me
space in your very liberal, independ.
emit and able paper to say word
about education, and the need oil
more and higher educational facilities
in our State. The Negro does not
occupy his present advantageous
position in the industrial, political
and social arena so much because his
skin is black, but it is chiefly because
he, as a mass, is uneducated and a
non-property owner. His becoming
a property owner is very greatly dc
pendent upon his first becoming ed
ucated.
Schools are no longer established
among the Negroes for the mere pur
pose of either establishing their capac-
ity to be educated, or dissipating
such a claim That they are by ma
ture susceptible to the higher branch
es and departments of learning is con.
coded by avowed enemies. We pos
sess the elements essential to success;
we have Inherent genius which need
only to be developed in order to prove
us the complete equals OF the more
favored race. by which we are sur
rounded. We must forever compare
very unfavorably unless our powers
are drawn out and expanded. The
difference between an educated and
an uneducated man may be compared
to that between a jar of churned and
unchurned milk. Both contain the
same amount Of butter. In the one
case, the scattered batter has been
drawn out and collected in one lump
so that it may be had and used to adj
vantage in the other, 1t is so min
utely diffused that IL can not be gras
ped or handled as such. Intellectual
powers belong to all men in common.
One man knows as much about God,
himself, nature, and their relations
as another, only some men have not
the secret Of their knowledge they
do not possess it in the form of
thought. Now what is to be done,
that our people, and especially those of
West Virginia, may possess their
knowledge in that peculiar form of
thought? The one thing that comes
to my mind just now is the establish
ment, in this State, school OF higher
training for the Negro, embracing as
we'll the agricultural, industrial and
normal departments. Negotiations
are now being completed through
which valuable property at st. Adams,
w. Va, will be transferred to thocol
ored people. This property, as it
stands, is worth twenty thousand dol
lars, including seven acres of land,
and handsome, substantial and spa
cious brick building. st. Adams is
beautiful town, situated ten miles
west Of Charleston, on the Kanawha
river, accessible by both tho G. g 0.
and @ Il r.. railroads.
What / want to ascertain through
your valuable paper is, could we not
in the upper part Of the State, have
something like an educational mass
meeting. and fall upon some plan of
establishing school? The constant
influx of people into the State, the
growing intelligence and increasing
aspirations of the young people, our
unequivocal obligations as people
to attain the highest and purest pos
sible intellectual manhood and wor-
thiness, demand such school, and
we must have it.
From reading your paper, l am
convinced that it keeps in the van
guard of the advocates of progress,
and feel sure that it will lend it's
great influence to such an enterprise.
Then let us have an educational con-
vention, at such time and place as
will be convenient to all interested
representatives of, at least, all the up
per end of the State. ! would sug
gest Wheeling, Grafton, Clarksburg
or Parkersburg. / have consulted
several representative men, and all
express themselves as anxious for
such a meeting. The people OF many
other States can point with just pride
and honor to their several schools.
How many have we into whose halls
our young men may go and fit them
selves to meet the stern realities of
life? Echo answers.
With sincere hopes for success,
am, respectfully,
A. w. PEaUEs.
T.