The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-12-06
NUMBER AZ.
THE NEGROES BECOMING
ALARMED.

are becoming apprehensye about the
proposed change in the school law by
the next Legislature, whereby the
public school fund will be divided and
appOrtoned between the whites and
blacks according to the amount Of tax
paid by each Of the two races, and this
apprehension is considerably augment
cd by the attacks Of ex-Congressmau
Lynch upon the new constitution,
which makes no discrimination along
educational lines between the whites
and blacks, and his threats to have a
Republican Congress nulify its fran
chise clause ThcVicksburg Guardian,
which is opposed to the Lynch faction,
under the caption Of Don't Strike
Us While We Are Down." contains
the following appeal to the members
of the coming Legislature:
"Some issue since we made editorial
mention of our apprehcnsions concern
ing what would likely be the attitude
Of some members Of the next Legisla
turc on the State school law That
we were correct in that position was
borne out by volunteer admissions to
us since by several white citizens,
drawn out by what we then said, as
also by the continued agitation Of the
matter by the press of the State. 1t is
hoped the plan as suggested-of divid-
ing the school money so as the negroes
taxes will go to support the negro
schools, and the white peoples taxes
60 to the white schools-will be dis
couragcd The colored people Of the
State do not deserve this final stroke
from their white fellow-citzens. The
fidelity and answering allegiance
with which the present generation
and their ancestors have cung to and
guarded the white mans every inter-
est deserve better treatment. This
Legislation should be discouraged,
because the cOlored man is no longer a
bone Of contention in the politics Of
the State, having been relieved almost
entirely Of that responsibility by our
constitution. 1t should be discouraged
because not theoretically only, but
practically, the colored man is down;
and the Caucasian race is too mag
unanimous to strike man when he's
down, least Of all one whose only
otfcnse has been to do kindly Office.
1t should be discouraged because, to
throw out Of the benefit Of school the
thousands of negro children who
would suffer from such law is un-
fair: It is unjust. The white people
must hold themselves responsible for
the iliiteracy, the ignorance of the
negro He is only what they permit
ted and allowed him to be, and the
white man is at least morally bound
to help in the negro education. Edu-
Gated, skilled labor even, is better
than if ignorant and unframed. While
| the standard and tone of citizenship
| Of any c0untrv is enhanced and elevat-
ed in proportion to the education Of
| the masses, what harm can come Of
permitting the present law to stand
as it is? On the score Of humanity
the negro should not be taken at such
a disadvantage. We urge, we advise
the c0lored people all over the State
to pay their poll tax that they may
show their inclination to help them
selves. This has been our advice to
them all along. But we are aware that
with so large number of them dis
franchised, without ability to stand
the test of citizenship under the con-
sttution, there is little reason to be-
lieye that If all who are qualified pay
their poll tax that they could alone
support any respectable number of
schools for their children. The next
Legislature will not contain one color
ed man. In their utter helplessncSs
and inability to defend or speak for
themselves the colored people Of the
State record this appeal to their white
ellow-citizens-not to strike them
while they are down."