The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-02
THE EDUCATION
OF WOMEN.
THE STATE HAS NOT DONE
ITS DUTY BY IT'S
DAUGHTERS.
AN EARNEST, VIGOROUS AND ABLE
PLEA, SUPPORTED BY FACTS, FOR
THE EDUCATION OF OUR
WOMEN.


THE EDUCATION OF OUR
WOMEN.
| State Chroniclc)
1t is not long before the next leg
islature will assemble. No question
will come before that body more i'm
portant thaG the one about which
wish to offer q few suggestions in
this communication. | want to speak
to tL9 people Of the State and es-
peciallY to those who will represent
them in the General Assembly which
convenes in January on the subject
of the education of women.
l don't believe that it is generally
known that the State and most of
our churches discriminate against
white girls in the matter of educa-
ton.
But we have system which gen
orally makes education in onr best
colleges and universities in North
Carolina possible on the following
conditions:
TO white boys, if they can pay
ger mOnth) )....................s6.O 100
To negro 4oys, if they can pay
(per mOnth) )............ ........ 600
To neg 20 girls. if they can pay
per month). ................... 800
10 "hite girls, if they can pay
(pcr month"; )................... $500
The white boy can go to any of
the colleges without being required
to pay anything but his board, and
IN some cases he can borrow money
to pay that. He can pay his tuition
after he leaves college. [ have
known boys at Chapel Hill to spend
less than 81 moth for board, and
hear that the same thiag is true Of
all the colleges in the State. Tue
The average price of board paid by
male college students Ill this State is
little, if any, over SO per month.
But the price of board in our leading
female colleges is from SIS to $50
per month, which alone prevents an
ordinary girl from entering them,
even il the tuition should be free. A
negro boy goes to Shaw University,
which, by the generosity of the
Northern Bapti8ts and philanthropy
, lists has an income almost equal to
that of our State University. and
pays only Sc month for board and
tuition. His sister can GO with him,
if she desires and pay only about S.
per month. The same thing is true
of other colleges for colored people.
But when the white girl goes to our
leading boarding. schools or colleges
sac must, as a rule, paw from $40 to
! $50 every month, and music and art
viii be extra.
But the strange part Of it is that
the white girls faculty does not cost
half so much as the faculty employ
ed to teach the white boy, the negro
boy or the negro girl, Why is this
so?
In the first place l want to emph-
asizs the fact that it is not the fault
of the female colleges. They have
done and are doing 4 great work for
the State. They are obliged to charge
high rates or they cannot run at all
They are totally dependent on the
board and tuition paid by their
pupils. None Of our leading col
leg1s or universities for boys are
a. all dependent on these. The run
ming expenses of q female college.
including salaries, rent (Which col
leges for boys DO not have to paw
and other numerous items, must
come from tuition and board money.
Therefore these rates must be high
and therefore ouly rich mems daugA.
ters, as a rule, can go to these
schools; and therefore the courses OF
work are. and rightly SO, arranged
to suit the class OF patronage: that
is a fashionable patronage; and
therefore it would not be the best
couTac for the ordinary girl to take
even if she could enter the schools
There will always be demand, how
ever, for the best OF these schools St
long as there are fashionable people
who want their daughters Thoroughly
educated in The accomplishments re
quired by fashionable society. But
this is not what the average man in
our present condition wants for hi.
daughter and if it was, lie would
not be able to pay for it. The aver,
age white girl whose father is moi
wealthy does not stand the ghost 0
l