The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-07-20
THE STATES on THE EDUCATION OF
THE NEGRO.

j
The New Orleans States calls the
to establish an educational
qualification for suffrage piece CT
political quackery. AS no reason or
argument is assigned for this broad
statement sufficient reply would be to
point to the numerous examples where
restricted suffrage has produced bene-
fetal results. If the statement is made
on the ground that Intelligence and
education are not necessary for the
proper exercise Of suffrage, II the States
assumes the position that ignorance is
the best support Of. free government
and that education is curse 10 Rep
ublics, then 40 reply is possible. You
cannot argue with the avowed cham
pion of ignorance. On him logic,
reason, truth, sense and sentiment are
as completely thrown away as the
singing of psalms to dead horse. Ose
who does not believe that popular en-
lightenment improves citizenship ought
not to be journalist. His occupation
bellies his principles. For what is the
aim and object of all journalism but to
enlighten the people and thereby make
them better men and better citizens
Aud how can journalism effect its
highest aims unless the people can
read and understand what they read ?
But it seems that the States and others
who advance the same tenets, while
freely admitting that education bene-
fits white men, proclaim that it has
different effect on negroes, and the
astounding idea is announced that
ignorant field darkeys can better be
trusted with suffrage than educated
aud enlightened negroes. OF course,
II it Is intended that ignorant field
hands will more readily vote as their
intelligent employers direct and thus
save trouble, we concede that position
and endorse it under present condi-
tiona. We have never hesitated to
maintain that the large mass Of the
negroes are now and have always
been utterly incapable of voting and
that their only safety lies in voting ac-
cording to the instructions Of their
en- ployers. But we maintain that this
rule does not apply to all negroes, and
we call every man of observation who
has lived the past 20 years 10 the South
to bear witness to the truth of our
assertion. We solemnly and earnestly
| maintain that education does Improve
the negro and does mske better cit
izen of him as rule. In the very
nature of things it cannot be other
wise. A truly educated negro knows
something about his relationship to
the government aud to the white race.
He is bound to better understand his
rights and interests. 1t he does not he
is not educated. We agree that he
ought to have better teachers; that he
ought to be taught morality as well as
book learning.
But we are not discussing that ques-
ton now. The question which. we
wish settled is whether or not educa-
ton benefits the negro race? II it
does not, If the position of the States
be correct then let US stop wasting
public money on negro schools. Let
US discuss the question fully, examine
all its sides and determine whether or
not education improves these people
and if ii does not then it il our duty
to black and white alike to stop trying
to educate them. II education Is no
advantage, then 1t is a curse. If it
does not better fit them for life, it
units them for their true place in
society. Now we have no hesi,ancy in
saying that we believe in educating
the negroes and that he will be i'm
proved and made better citizsn there
by, if he has the right sort of teachers
and gets the right sort of education.
We hold that education benefits the
negro in the same way and for the
same reasons that il benefits the white
race, though not in tho same degree.
Ii it benefits the negro at all, educa
ton, Intelligence, mental enlighten.
ment better fit him for the duties OF
citizenship.