Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-12-03
LOCAL INTRLLIGEaCR.
THAT CHINESE SCHOOL.
A Concise Review OF the Situation by Rev.
Mr.. Fllben.

a Conclee review OF the situation by Rev.
Mr.. FIlben.
EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN In connection with
the request of Chinese residents of the city
and others, for separate school accommoda-
tions for Chinese pupils, now pending be-
fore the Board of Education of this CITY
permit few words. The spirit to ignore
this request, that seems to obtain, is to me
unaccountable from these facts: The legal
right Of Chinese children to school priv.
leges is unquestioned under our law: and
their further right TO these accommoda.
tons in separate school, whenever a suf-
fcient number of children are found de-
string these accommodations.
The case on both these points is clearly
made out ia this instance. There remains
only the duty of the Board of Education to
provide the school. There is a moral side
to the question equally pressing; side
that deserves to be considered-without bias
OF prejudice, and without demagogism. II
Is the genius OF our system TO provide edu-
cation to our youth as an antidote for the
evils springing abundant from igporance
and to fit the individual for greater service.
ableness to the State. There can be no ex
ceptions thought of in the case of these
Chinese children. They are here and in
all likelihood to stay, especially in view of
the Restriction Act, and TO become a mart
of our body polite. Most of them are in
deed, native born, and by that fact doubt-
less are citizens.
Shall we be blind enough to refuse to pro
tect ourselves from the sure issues of ignor
ance IN them, when they come asking the
helpful influence of our common school
system? Shall we refuse our opportunitv
to mold them into useful members of the
community, when it is ours or turn them
over to their own loose system of morals
and education, system responsible for our
already large crop of adult Chinese Grim
inals?
This the more, since there are in the CITY
conspicuous instances of the value of onr
American education to Chinese, It's power
to lift them away from their traditions and
associations, and to make them useful fac
tors of society.
The case ought not to need this arguing.
Strip the question of prejudice and senti-
ment-and II does not become the guard
lans OF our best heritage, our public
schools, to indulge either of these-strip it
OF these, and it becomes a question of ex-
pediency merely. The law gives Chi
nese children, as well as others, the
right to the Schools and prudence dictates
their encouragement to avail themselves of
tneIn. III snould De question of how best
10 provide them their rightful school privi-
leges. No one would desire that this
should be done by commingling them free
ly with the children of our homes in our
already established classes This would be
an unmixed evil. Who of us that are
parents would ike to have to submit to
this mixing of our children with Chinese
boys, with their races habits and the filth
of Chinatown upon them, even in the
schools2 1t ought to be an occasion of graft
tude with us that the law provides specif-
cally for the alternative of a separate school.
and that this separate school being provid-
ed, their right to entry to the other schools
ceases, right that exists before the estab-
hshment Of this separate school, Our
School Directors ought to be glad that this
request for school accommodations for the
Chinese children of the city is coming TO
them in the form of respectful petition
for separate Chinese school, instead of as
mandamus to compel their entry into the
schools already established.
1t is TO be hoped that this matter will be
treated seriously and wisely by our Board
OF Education, as it ought to be and doubt
less will be, and that this most reasonable
request will be granted.
THOMAS FILBEN.
Sacramento, December l, 1885.