The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-25
Education in the South.

Education in the South.
The Endorsement of the Blair educational
bill by the republican state convention OF
/ Virgin is being made the text by northern
republican journals of articles on iuca-
ton in the South" These journals insist
that if the whites of the southern sta IS are
depended upon to pr vide educat.ola!
| facili les for the blaczs, several generations
Of blacks will pass away in ignorance.
T ere is undoubtedly a great deal OF
illteracy in the south, and it exists among
the W ties as well as the blacks, but those
who are acquainted with the public schools
! of the southern states know that the schools
are being improved, and their num1er 50
increased that the children Of both the
whites and the blacks have an opportunity
10 joy the advau ages which they offer.
In every sjutherL state more i lterest Is
now being taken in the public schools than
ever before. The appropriations for school
purposes are being COZ tinuaily increased,
and the people are showing a greater will
ingneSs to be taxed for school purposes.
Although the blacks contribute very little
to support Of the public schools, their
children have the same school advantages
as those Of the whites. The whites real
ize the necessity for an improvement in the
intellectual and moral condi ion of the
blacks, and they e imposin upon them
selves additional burdens in order that the
blacks may have opportunities for such i'm
provement.
When the Blair bill was first introduced
into congress there was qui a strong senti-
ment in the south in favor of it. 1t is
doubtful if such is the case now. Opposi-
ton to it began to crop out when IL was
understo d that it was the intention Of tue
Republican party keep the fund for
which the bill provided under the control
of federal officials. 1t looked like a scheme
to give that party foothold in tho south.
Within the / st year or two some of the
most objectionable features of tue bill have
been greatly changed. but it is still OBJ
Jectlonabie to the great majority of the
whites of the south.
During the years that the bill has been
under dlscussi IN the whites of the south
have considered it in all its hearings, and
have reac led the conc uson it would do the
south more harm than good. 1t costs them
great deal to support their SC FOOLS, but
the more the schools cost the more they will
be appreciated. The self-denit Il which must
be pracuced in their behalf draws attention
to them, aud the greater the ate ton that
is given them the better will be- the
dersta ding of their advantages If the
federal government were to appropriate
money for public schools, the probability is
at the people would, to a certain exteAt.
lose interest in them. At least they would
feel less like taking money out of their
p ckets to support them. They would be
inclined to let the federal governmelt sup
port them altogether If this feeling
should prevail the public schools would
suffer.
Since the close of the war Of secession the
Southern people have been depending upon
themselves. They have learned to be self
reliant. For years after the close of the
war they had a bard struggle. They were
courageous and industrious, however, and
they ale beginning to have their reward
Notwithstanding the fact that their veterans
have no pensions, except the few who draw
small sums from the treasures of the states,
wy Ae'O oNeai SoAg Guy p1upoLS Ut bFLInpS.
The confederate soldiers, knowing that
they must rely upon them selves, went to
work, and Lave continued 10 work, a id
t ely have become comparatively prosper
GUS. Although more than $S0,O00,0JO is
distributed in the north annually in pen
slons, there is distressing amount of p0v-
erty there. The cover lment's bounty has
removed to great exte t the ince ltive to
labor, and pauperism is steadily increasing.
If the federal COVER Ament should supply
funds for pubic schools the people might
abandon their efforts in behalf of tnes
SEQ Is. The Blair bill might not be a
blessing. The southern people do not be-
lieve it would be. They have stud ed 1t
carefully and the conclusion they appear to
have reached is that they would be better
off without 1t.