San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-10
OUR AUSTIN LETTER.
Educational Progress Among the
Colored People-A Bright
Outlook for the Future.


outlook for the Future.
Daily LIGHT;
Iwish to express the feeling of a
grateful people for what has been,
and is being done for the betterment
of the colored youth. For the greater
part of three weeks we have attended
closing exercises of our public free
schools; these exercises show ina
good work has been done by the
teachers under the directions of the
efficient officers of the schools of Irav-
is county and the city of Austin.
Both patrons, and fIiends of our mag
uificent free school system of Texas
have reason to be grateful to the wise
management of our noble school OIL
GERS and faithful teachers. Every
wear the schools are operated on =
! more liberal scale, which may be
largely due to wise, judicious leglsia-
| ton. We have watched with all the
ability we possess, and can report as
results, that wherever any
attempts have been made by
| any legislator to legislate against the
/ interest of our public free schools, that
member of that august body has been
met by his colleague with better
heart if not with superior ability.
Thus the living present betokens a
glorious future. Its brilliant light
flashes upon our vision. Some men
in high position have used their noble
talent to advance the interest OF the
country by narrow legislation, or
race legislation, but the thoughtful,
far seeing statesman knows, ana
labOrs to that end, that the happiness
and prosperity of the country de-
ponds upon the elevation of the whole
people, regardless of race or birth
place, or previous condition. Every
man, woman and child is the more
happy when they make others happy.
If this be true, resulting from lndl-
vidual action, how much greater the
result, when the collective people act
in concert to accomplish this given
end? Regardless of religious creeds
or political affiliations, men
ought 90 do their work so well that
they can submit their action and con-
illusions to candid people, without
hesitation, or fear of condemnation.
We witnessed the oral examination of
TillotsOn Institute, under manage
ment of the American Missionary AS
ISOLATION. The colored and white
friends who witnessed these eXamin-
ations, especially in English gram
mar, physical geography, algebra and
geometry, went away highly elated.
lLThis school had over two hundred
students during the year and closed
with nearly as large number. They
| teach our boys how to handle tC DIS,
and the girls how to do handsome
needle-craft. This association is a
| powerful agent backed up by thous-
ands of benevolent Christian people
throughout the length and breadth of
our glorious country. Aside from the
thousands Of noble young men and
women in the institutions under man.
| agement of that powerful association,
as denomination, the NJ. E. church
has over seven thousand of pupils in
her schools, of high: grade this
year. These are paying their way
in the schools for the most part. Last
| year they paid for room rent, books
and tuition nearly S37, 900. This mag
nificent sum shows that our people are
making strenuous efforts to help
| themselves. AL of this shows conclu-
sively the high appreciation of my
| people of the SIS, 066, 900 expended for
| their religious, moral and intellectual
development. The above figures are
simply those at hand, and do not in
| clude the handsome sums donated by
John F. Slater and Daniel Hand, one
million dollars each. All of this large
Christian benevolence wipes out all
hopes of a war between the negro and
white races of America. Men who
seem to delight in shooting, cutting
and hanging negroes till they die,
will lose their CORY employment by
and by. The rich christian women
and men intend to remove the cause,
and we know the effect will disap-
pear. There is no country where
negroes have been made to feel
worse, and there is none where he
will be made to feel better and hap
pier. Mr.. Editor, L am pleased with
the healthy tone of the LIGHT; its
fair discussion ofpublic questions and
pacific policy between the races COM
mends it, on its merits, to fair minded
persons at home and abroad. see
from the columns of the LIGHT that
this (l9th) of June will be celebrated
ON a large scale. AS San Antonio,
the Switzerland of Texas, never does
things by halves, am sure your cell
ebration will be delightful affair.
NJ. HENSON.