The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-04-07

MOBILES EE8' RARY IDEA.
South Carolina Must adopt His Construc-
ton ,f a Statute.

ton :,f a ;s!atuto.
WASuINGTON. March 24.-Secrctary
Noble has submitted 10 Congress a re-
port of his action under tho law to apply
Il portion Of tho proceeds Of the public
lands to tho support OF agricultural col
lcges, with particular reference to the
case of South Carolina, lie says:
"FrOm the State of South Carolina |
have withheld my certificates for the
first and subsequent mstalments of the
grant made by this Act under the iol-
lowing circumstances and for the follow
ing reasons, viz: In Section of the Act
proylsion is made for the division of the
lund received by a State in which the
races arc educated separately.
"rhc Legislature of the State of South
Carolina, by an Act approved Deem
Der q, 1890, provided ior the division
of the share Of that State in the said ap-
preparation into two equal parts, and
designated Clemson College, an insttu-
ton for white students, AID Clatlin Cot
lcgc, an institution for colorcd students,
as the recipients thereof.
''SIbsequcnt to this action by the
Legislature of South Carolina cUrrcspOn-
deuce between this department aud a
number Of other States le | to full con-
s!dcratiOn OF basis upon which this
fund could be divided between the two
races, my desire being to adopt IA basis
which would be in all cases Just and
equitable ard, at the same time, entire
~ free from objection rs arbitrary or
artificial. After considerable delibcra-
ton and inquiry | decided that tho only
basis OF division meeting these require
ments was the ratio which the number
OF each race of legal school age bears to
the total population OF school aye i'll any
State, as determined by the State school
census When available, otherwise by the
Federal census. Where no school cen
sus was available TIC ratio OF the pOpu-
lat"n OF each race of all ages, as shown
ny the Federal census, was permitted to
be used.
"This basis of division has been SUI.
GcStcd to all of the States wherein Sc
paratc institutions have been established ID
tor the education Of the races, and it has
met with general approval and been
adopted by all except South Carolina.
either in legislative cnactmcnts, or i'm
the Official assent Of the Governors.
'Whcn the subject Of a uniform basis
OF division was brought to the attenti ~
Of the Governor of South Carolina he
informed me that the Act of the Lcyis-
lalurc OF his State was, in his opinion.
on"Iusivc, leaving him no discretion in
| the matter.
"According to the recent Federal cen-
Sus the white population Of South Caro-
INA is 40 and the colorcd population GO
per cent OF the whole; therefore, the
equal division Of the tund proposed by
the Legislature would give to the col0red
people some 10 per cent less of the to-
1 tai lund than tho amount they would be
emitted to by a division pro rata accord
| lnG To the census 1t caunOt be con-
ccdCd that the terms OF the law which
permit the Legislature to propose Just
and equitable division OF the fund arc
cnmphCt with, either by nn abstract
equal DIVISION between the two races
Hhlch would work 4 hardship to the
white students in all Lhc States of the
Union III tho South. except ,wo, and
would work n hardship against the col
orcd students i'll Mississippi and South
Carolina, or by an arbitrary concession
ol larger pro rata sum to white stu
dents than to c0lOred students, on the
ground that the white population is
weather. and pays the bulk of the taxes.
The Legislatures of these States IN the
South III recent years, In the division OF
lcir respective schoO. funds, have
shown clearly the prevalence of deter
min ,tion on the part OF the Southern
people to adopt as n basis Of division
Ielthcr wealth nor race, but simply Il
statistical examination"
| Shcrnan'S Brutal Charucter