Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-18
MARCH IL, 1886.
Educating the Negroes.

II there is a way to twist fact the
ST. Louis Globe Democrat will find. that
way. 1t says that in spite of efforts to
shake off prejudice it is obvious that
there is still in the South a strong OPP
position to educating the negroes. The
reason for this, it declares, is the belief
amorg the whites that education would
"giye the negroes the ability to
think and act for themselves ~
quality in them (which is least desired
BY the southern planters" When it is
remembered that just in proportion as
the negroes have been able to think and
act for themselves the South has been
emancipa,ed from the curse of Radical
ism it would appear that the Globe
Democrat had made supreme effort to
get out Of its reckoning. And in this
connection the Boston Herald makes
good point and singing reply to the
Globe Democrat. The Herald says;
"The southern white men do not
fear the effects Of education upon the
blacks with any reference to its result
upon their political action. An edu-
Gated colored voter would more natu-
rally take his place, now that the old
issues have died out, in the party of
intelligence and property, which the
Democratic party of the South I'M
doubtedly is, than would one who is
ignorantly guided by his prejudices or
fears. If the ignorance of the blacks
had not been bulwark Of Republican
strength at the South, it is fair to pre-
sumo that the leaders Of that party
would have done something to enlighten
it during the many years in which they
had full control of the Government"
There is only one fault in the Her
AIDS answer-the fault Of Incomplete
ness. 1t should have stated that there
is in the South no opposition worth
speaking Of to educating the negro.
All the facts 60 to show that if there is
one thing the South does appreciate it
is the necessity Of placing the negroes
where they can think and act for
themselves. To accomplish this the
whites of every State in the South are
spending hundreds Of thousands of
dollars annually. The majority of our
people earnestly demand the passage of
the BLAIR bill, not only that we may
be enabled to raise the standard Of
citizenship among the negroes by edu-
eating them, but that we may be
enabled to keep them from retrogressing
in certain respects. Senator BLAIR,
the patron Of the bill, said in a speech
recently;
cit is well known to those who have
taken pains to be informed by evidence
coming to them, though they may never
have been in the southern States them
selves, and l have some personal OBJ
seryation that has instructed Inc so
that | am convinced Of the fact, that
the general condition Of the colored
population in very much the larger
geographic proportion Of the South is
growing worse rather than better. The
colored population when disciplined
by their former legal status were
much more industriously inclined than
the youthful colored population that is
now growing up. The colored youths
now are not SO quiet and good-natured
and easily managed and tractable a
race Of men as the northern people are
inclined to think. | believe that they
are rapidly becoming demoralized, an
idle, thriftless population, with ten
dency to violence, and likely to become
a source of as much danger to the
United States as population like this
described in Jamaica can be-"
That picture is not too strongly COL
ored, and apart from all other conside-
rations, should afford ample guarantee
Of the good faith of the southern peo-
pie in the matter Of educating the ne.
groes. We cannot afford to allow the
negroes to grow up in ignorance. Even
were ignorance not menace to good
government, another powerful level
Of sell.intereSt would interpose to re
move prejudice against educating tn
negro IL any existed. Commissioners
of.Education EATON says that educate
labor is worth Is per cent. more to tn
employer than uneducated labor.