Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-07
Address BY Mrs. PeytOn.
Worthy Master and Members OF the
Stats Grange:

rotary I am permitted no address this
to your honorable
body.
| desire briefly to thank the Patrons
Of Mississippi for their continued adj.
vocacy of education. and especially
for their co. operation in the work Of
securing State College for white girls
in Mississippi.
II had occurred to me In the year of
1876 that the State should make pro-
vision beyond the common schools for
the education Of her white daughters.
In 1879 hoped TO utilize that idea and
at the same time build up and equip
my loved and lionorcd Alma Mater
Whitliworth College. With some as
sistance from my brother y. Il. Cole
man ESD, Of Lcllorc county, | drew
up n petition to the Legislature Of
Mississippi. asking the State to adopt
WhitwOrth College rs 4 State institu.
ton, aud foster IL by an annual APP
preparation such rs was given to the
Tugaloo University AMI the Normal
School at Holly Springs, where color
cd girls are educated.
This petition was read publicly at
this anniversary Of thc Alumnac Assoc
citation Of WhitwOrth College, In June
1879, and several gentlemen who
were called upon, made short adj
dresses endorsing the suggestion.
The petition MAS also read 10 our dis
tinguishcd statesman Hon. l.. q. G..
Lamar who heartily approved is OBJ.
jcct.
Whi,worth College being n dcnomi-
tional school could not be- adopted by
the State. | therefore prepared an
address which was rea, To the Mctho-
dist Conference at Meridian in Dee,
1879, requesting that body to convey
the Whitworth College property to the
State in case the State would en,low
the institution rs u State College for
white females. Even IL the Confer
cncc had been willing to make this do
nation Of the property to the State (,
there were legal barriers which rem
dcrcd such an alteration impossible.
Believing there was abundant room
in Mississippi for the employment OF
Church, State, and individual enter
prise and capital, in the matter Of fe-
male education, prepared bill for a
State College for white females, which
Senator Reynolds Of Monroe county
kindly introduced in the Senate Of
1880.
The State Grange at it, meeting in
Durant, IN December. 1881, declared
in favor of State College for white
girls. This was very encouraging
and ] addressed n letter to your
worthy Mas;cr-Captain Dar,lcn, ask
ing him il the Grange at u subsequent
meeting would .e-aiIirm its uttcrancc
in regard To Il State Female College.
lie kindly assured me that the Grange
would not relax it, efforts until n State
Institution for white girls was an AS
,ured fact.
Patrons Of Mississippi! | rejoice
with YOU to-day. that State College
for our daughters has been establish
cd.
feel, more than ] can express. the
deep obligation the people Of Missis-
sippi owe to her intelligent and patri-
otto farmers, for two such valuable
and magnificent institutions rs the Az
ricultural College, and the Industrial
College. Now, that these institutions
are established, you will not cease to
foster them, and will doubtless give
to them your unanimous support.
The trustees have placed at the head
Of the Industrial College man emf
ncn,ly qualified for the responsible and
delicate duties incident to the inaugu-
ration Of this great enterprise. The
management of the school can safely
be entrusted to so worthy and emf
ncnt u christian gentleman and edu-
Gator as DR.. X. w. Jones. And
now, IL might dctain You n moment
longer, would ask your attention IL
another important educational pro-
blem: Our common schools.
How can We incrcasc their efficiency
Without discussing this question, II
would seem that our greatest need ai
this time is more money. The Blair
Education Bill which will come before
the next Congress, proposes to dis
tribute 81 200, 000,0 600 among the
States OH the basis Of illitcracy. On
this basis the share Of Mississippi
would be 81 800, 900. This amount
distributed among our common school.
for q time would double the length Ol
the public school term and give q
mighty impetus to all our educational
Institutions. | would therefore ash
your honorable body to give tina,
measure your favorable consideration.
On the subject Of National aid to Eln.
cation: DR.. Mayo Of Boston says:
81 ask tho nation to help the south.
ern people because no people, under
similar disadvantages, has done sc
big n job Of helping itself. ask Il
because IL Is constitutional and in I'll,
direct limo OF public policy from the
foundation Of the Confederation thu
preceded the Union. Every Amcri.
can State has received and used ma.
tional money, the northwestern. and
south western States, millions or
millions In land grants for education,
Every State has indorscd the policy Of
national aid to education over ant
over, by receiving and using such ap.
preparations. The common schoo
fund M Kontucly was foundcd nm th,