Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-16

now ZOE s"enV-~Ao
omittinR eli reference 10 the morals Of
the colorcd people Of this city. - enown
bv the ststistics ofstheirs SCHOOLS 1Dask II
tRe evidence Of virtue be freedom
from VICE and crime, what shall be thought
of . race which, In spite OF sucn tcecnerss
commits about seven or eight times ~
much crime as their white feiioW-citizenss
LIMITED ACQUISITION VI PROPERTY.
Or. IL a test of intelligence be the acqui-
sition Of property. what shall We say or
race which in twcnty-four years OF tree-
dom. Including twenty-one years OF :. edu.
cstion.n has been able to acquire only 21S
per cent. of the property, real and per-
sonai. in the State, and Counting the
POPULATION as 40 colored to go white in
sveyv I'M, soulsl to establish property re-
iation ne q. az colored to 96ll whittier Or,
il business capacity be the test. what shall
be Thought Of only IS per cent, or one
half their proper proportion, being en-
81 the lowest grade? Or, in the higher
walks of life, OF 5 colored TO l25 white
phvsic,ans ?-and such physicians "A COL
ored TO 1853 white lawyers ?-and such law
yers! ,
Where is tho improvement wrought by
these capable. painstaking, careful, and
ambitlousn colored teacherss Not in
morals. or the industrial, or business. or
professional walks of life. And certainly
not in manners. For the opinion Is uni
yersal that both the dress ana deportment
Of the colored people should exclude them
from contract or compromising with the
whites on all our railways. Il say uni.
yersal because the only objection offered
To such a separation is one of policy.)
Without taking the time to hunt up the
exact figures, l think it safe to say that
s,nce the establishment of the schools of
the city of Richmond, now twenty;one
wears ago. the State has contributed to
them of its revenue not less than yoOo.OO0.
and the city, by its own municipal appro-
priatiou. about 81, 250, 900, total OF ~, $780,
0OO. OF this five sixths, or $2,375,0OO, is
contributed by whites, and $4,000 only
by negroes.
AN IvExCUsABLE TAX.
II Il be true, as no doubt they think 1t
is. that the board has an excellent corps
of teachers for these pupils-better than
white teachers, as they belieye-and the
above be the outcome, then does it not
follow that negroes cannot be educated to
virtue and intelligence by the best teach
ers that can be Obtained2 And if that be
true. then does it not follow that 1t Is an
Inexcusable tax upon our impoverished
white people to make them. being three
ffths Of the whole population, contribute
fiye.sixths of the taxes to demoralize the
colored remainder under the notion of
what is called educating them?
We complain, with good reason, OF the
useless and extravagant cost OF the new
CITY Hall. But when 1t is completed there
will be something to show for the 81 $780,
600 expended on it-a convenient, capa-
cious, durable, and imposingpublic edifice.
But what have we to show for the Sl.140
Cor 40 per cent. of S2,s5O, coo of State and
city taxes) expended on negro schoolsr
Not one solitary thing to compen-
safe for encouraging to remain in
our midst about 5000 voters who
act as so many clubs at the disposal OF the
force-bill conspirators: 5000 voters con-
stantly menacing our liberties in that or
some other shape, and clogging our pro-
eress by the necessity of subordinating all
other questions to white supremacy.
NEITHER BLACKS NOR WHITES.
And if this be true, then does it not follow
that we want neither black nor white
teachers for the colored schools except for
the few that may be supported by the ne
groes' own proportion of taxes!
The truth is the board forgets, in its en-
thusiasm for a theory, that:there.are other
forces without which the best schools IN
the WOrlu can % vi no Ictl Ndiucs 1uoSc
forces are the family and the society.
These 1t Is that give the foundation on which
schools are erected. But these are entire
ly absent in the negro, and can no more BIO
created by the school than foundation
can be erected by its own superstructure.
Granted this foundation, and much may DO
done. But in the case of the negro. in
stead of foundation We have quagmire
that can no more be converted into firm
ground by public schools than could Bun
vans slough Of Despond be REQ aimed by
1.-THE twenty thousand cart-loads--nay. mil
lions-of vholeson,e instructions that were
swallowed up in it,"
One thing more to give the above gene
raj and practical application: The one OBJ
lection that has been taken to the settle
ment Of the public debt by the Kiddleber-
ger bill is that such q settlement will ab:
sorb every cent of our current receipts and
leave no margin for contingencies, But If
the State shall refuse any longer to play
the farce Of negro education it will there
by make certain annual saving Of not less
than $40, 900. This will meet every con-
tingency that can be expected and render
the settlement by the Riddleberger bill
as amended entirely prudent.
A MEMBER OF The PowHATAN CLUB.