The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-14

AND THE bIit SthOO''
The bill which Senator Blackstone has in
troduced. which provides that the schools Of
each race shall be confined for support TO the
taxes which the individuals of each race con-
tribute TO the treasury would have the practical
effect Of closing the greater number Of the
colored schools, as the amount of taxes accru-
ing from the negroes is relatively very small
as compared with the amount a%ccruing from
the whites. The public schools for tho
blacks are now principally sustained at the
expense Of the whites, and TO deprive them
OF the income from this source would be tan
tamount to the permanent abolition Of the
public school system so far as the oyerwhelm-
ing majority Of the negroes are concerned.
Such a result as this would be a cause for
very sincere regret. not only TO all who feel
an interest in tho improvement of the negro
as a citizen, butte all who wish to see the Com
monwealth act with the most impartial JUS
tice in It's relations to its c0lored citizens.
Whatever views may be entertained as 10 the
advantages derived by the negroes from the
very limited education acquired by them in
the public schools there should properly
DO no difference Of opinion as TO the duty Of
the State to offer them this opportunity to
show whether they have the capacity to i'm
prove their moral and mental condition.
To its colored population the State gov
eminent should extend the same adyan-
tages of the common school which it holds
out to the Individuals Of that race whose in
tellectual and moral capacity has never been
a subject of dispute. In the eyes of the
Commonwealth the negroes ought to be as
much entitled to the training Of the common
school as the whites, and if they disclose an
inability TO make very mucn of this training
that is their fault and not the fault of the
Commonwealth. The Commonwealth las at
least performed the duty which it yves to all
Of its citizens.
The difference in the amount Of taxes paid
by tho two races respectively is no Just ground
for the discrimination proposed IN making
the appropriations for the white and colored
schools. The great body Of our laborine
population is composed Of negroes. Upon
them falls the task of performing the greater
part Of the manual work in this State. As
agricultural hands. as employees IN factories.
and as porters in various employments in our
cities they form a most useful factor in our
productive force. The taxes paid by the
whites is IN no small measure the result Of
negro labor directed and controlled by the
superior intelligence Of the whites. If the
burden Of taxation fell upon labor as it falls
upon property the showing that could be
made by the negroes would compare very
fayorably with the showing that would be
made by the whites. Taxation. however,
falls upon property, but upon property in this
State at least which the labor Of negroes is
largely assisting in creating and increasing.
This fact should be carefully considered in
discriminating against the negro in the bene-
fit to be derived from the distribution Of
taxes among the schools. If he is to be ex-
cluded from the full enjoyment Of these taxes
then all white workingmen who have no prop
erty ought legally to be placed upon the same
footing as himself. To admit the large class
OF non-property-h holders among white work
ingmen to the full enjoyment Of a well sup
ported school system and to shut out the
same class of colored workingmen would be
opposed to the general principle, which has
now been universally adopted in the South.
of doing equal and exact justice to the negro
race upon lines parallel with those upon
which the whites are moving.