Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17


" hand, it is con-
tended that the stability and prosperity of
the Republic depends upon the maintenance
of the public schools, in which children
shall be grounded in the principles and
duties of good citizenship without sectarian
bias. On the other, it is maintained that
such schools are immoral, goddess and de-
structive of the highest and best interests
of humanity, the church and the State.
On one side it is claimed that the State
must educate its children, without regard
to religion, to be moral and upright citi-
zens; on the other, it is asserted that with
out religious instruction in the schools that
they fall short of their highest calling and
noblest end. Joseph Cook afirms that if
Americans are loyal to their grand COM
mon school system they are Enthusiastically
at war with the papacy. But while this is
perhaps the great matter in controversy at
the North, the question South is largely as
to whether common schools shall be estab-
lished for the benefit of all its citizens or
whether education shall be left to parents
and individual option or not. Many
thoughtful men in the South claim-and
back their views up with statistics and the
opinions of philosophers-tha a free State
should neither administer religion, educa-
tion nor charity.
SOME OBJECTIONS.
Others base their objections to the educa-
tion of the masses by the State on the ground
that it promotes rascality and does not in
crease morality. This is the view OF
Cardinal Manning, who has no hesitation
In saying that much of the growth of crime
in ho MA Eok &c 1,a - 4ba
teaching of the public schools, and who
strongly maintains that the system of COM
mon schools tends inevitably to the extinc-
tion of religion. 1t is somewhat staggering
to the enthusiastic advocate of free educa-
tion for the masses to have the fact thrust
into his face that the Government reports in
England show that the number of criminals
has been steadily increasing since the insti-
tuition of free schools; that the districts of
England where the status of the population
is very low as to education, they constitute
nevertheless the least criminal sections of
the country, and that as regards the women
of the mining regions of the North, who
work in coal pits and iron works, and
whose Ignorance is absolutely appalling,
yet among none Of the population of Great
Britain is there shown less of wickedness
and crime. And to come to our own coun-
try, says this disciple of Herbert Spencer,
it can be shown that there is less crime in
the southern part of the United States,
where illiteracy so largely prevails, than in
the North, where education has produced
such wide-awake discomfort and dissatisfac-
tion among the lahoring classes, and the re-
suit of which is the inaaming of class
hatred that will end In revolution, and may
hap anarchy.
But the sympathies and affection of the
American people in the North are too closely
connected with the common schools to have
much attention paid to the hard philosophy
or to the specious talk of those whose preiu-
dices fall into consonance with it. Free
education for the masses is what the South
needs, says the North, and to this end money
is poured out like water by Northern re-
formers and philanthropists. More money
has been given by the North for the collegi-
ate education for negroes in Alabama alone
than any six States of the South together
have given to the education of white boys.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION.
The Northern Methodist Church alone, it
is said, Is spending more money in the
South for the higher education of the col
ored race than is given by all the Southern
States combined to their own colleges. The
Baptist and Presbyterian Churches are in
no way behind with their benefactions, so
that as far as education goes the negroes of
the South have not only more than half
chance, but have the best of it all around as
far as education is concerned.
In this State of South Carolina the law
provides for three months free schooling in
the year. This is not SO bad, considering the
poverty o! the people engendered by the
war. The term is supplemented by the
teachers carrying on the schools for pay, ,as is
done in Pennsylvania in the country districts
where the term is short. But the best schools
are those established and supported from
large contributions of money from the
North by societies, churches and individ-
uals. In this little town of Aiken two
such schools are carried on successfully.
One of these is under control of the Pres
byterian church in the North, and the
other, more famous was established soan
after the war by Miss Martha Schofeld,
under the auspices of the Germantown
branch of the Freedman's Commission.
Since the Freedman's Aid Bureau was
abolished this school has been largely sup
ported by voluntary contributions from its
friends, and by some aid from the State
Pennsylvania has given during the past
year 81 ,902 toward its support-the larger
part being from the Philadelphia Associa-
with 81, ,22S other States North and West
are set down for smaller sums, while dona-
tions of books, clothing, barrels and boxes
of everything useful seem to be endless in
quantity and variety.
This institution is known as the Schofeld
Normal and Industrial School and is largely
visited by the winter guests of the town.
Miss Schofeld, the principal, is an ener-
getlc business woman, who superintends
and manages the school in most imposing
manner. She came here. as we are, told,
about "a years ago, and by
NORTHERN THRIFT
and good management has built up a sue
cessful school and her own fortunes as we'll.
By singular want of tact, and by manners
that are aggressive and dictatorial, she
stirred up the prejudices of the white people
in such wise, and rubbed them so decidedly
the wrong way, that she is completely os-
tracised by society in the town and has
found opposition and resistance even AMONG
the colored folks themselves, many
OF whom hesitate not to say that
they greatly prefer the sPresbyter-
ian school. Still the Schofield school
has held its own these many years, and has
done much good work in the way of enlight-
eminent among the colored race 1t is quite
pretentious in its showing forth as compris-
ing normal and industrial school. In the
last, it has reached the long-debated point
In Plttsburg, as combining manual labor
with the training of the mind. Sewing,
gardening, carpenter work and print
ing constitute the prominent feat
ures in this line. "a large frame
building nearby is dignified in
college fashion by the name of Carter Hall.
Here the Northern teachers and the girls