The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1895-02-09
TooB FOB THOUGHT.
The Picsyune's Bureau. !
jackson, Aiss., Jan. rs. 1895. I

Iion OF members Of the Legislature.
Several newspapers OF the ststs ins,st
That money collected from white tar.
payers should be used for the mainteu-
ancs OF white public schools only. s,d
mat mouey collected from colored
taxpayers alcne should 60 to the
maintesee OF eolored public schools.
Appended is the report made by
Superintendent Wade of Jefferson
county. to State Superintendent Pres
ton:
Thu people Of Jefferson county are
nuch divided ia sentiment on the pub
Tic school system. The eastern nor
tion OF the county favor II, while in
'ne western part where there are few
whlte children, the people are very
much opposed 10 it, because there are
not enough white children in one acc
'ion, under the law, 10 make up a
school, and the negroes reap all the
oesefits. If the whites could be ex-
siusiyely taxed to support the whits
schools aud the negroes taxed in the
same way to support the colsred
school, then We would not have the
least trouble iu the world to keep up
white schools for eight or nine months
annually. The negroes are totally un-
~ for self-governmeut. l SEQ this
yearly In tho selection OF thor trustees
and teachers Ono of their preachers
who feathers his own nest by their
ignorance, can get them to elect any
set OF trustees or teacher he pleases.
| III 1t Is within the constitutions of
the United States and the State to have
separate cars, separate depois, separate
schools and separate days for exami
nation Of the whites aud negroes,
which Is done, Why canuot Mississippi
allow her white citizens to run their
own schools at their own expense, and
the negroes do the samel Illinois
ala this up to 1870. SO says The COM
missioner's report, aud why had she
any more liberty to do this than Mis-
sissippif | cannot see IT.
The Clsrion-Ledger of Fob. 6. 1894
discussed this natter editorislly a. fsl-
lows:
"The amendment submitted to The
constitution by Mr. Jackson, of Attala
county, providing for the division oil
the school taxes collected by the DIFF.
ferent counties among She white aud
colored schools in proportion 10 thu
amount paid by each race lacked only
Is votes OF the necessary two-thirds In
the house, and motion was therefore
made to reconsider the vote. While
1t has never been deemed advisable ID
separate the school fund, there IL nc
questien but that four-Rfths of the
taxpayers Of Mississippi stand with
Mr. Jackson. An effort was made II
the constitutional convention to incor
porate sn article TO the effect that th,
money raised from white peopl,
should 20 to the education of whit,
children, and that the taxes paid II
| by negroes should be appropriated Il
that race for educational purposes.
"The proposition, after lengthy die
cussiop, was rejected, not that tn,
members Of thai body did not fsvol
II, but because they doubted the polio,
OF the movement. The depsrtur'
would be radical one, but the just
uess Of II no one can doubt, and II Il
safe to say that if the legislature cub
units the taxation amendment to Ii,
people, 1t will DO carried by q lsrg,
majority"
From q distinct memory OF th,
counsels upon the proposition for sep
arate race education In the Constitu
tional Convention, we would qualif.
what IS said above by adding sftcl
"they doubted tho policy of the move
menr'-at that time, In that connec
tlon.]
[Souihern Rcporter.l
For nearly thirty years-at least |
quarter OF century-the white peo
pie of the State have borne taxation
TO educate the negro children Of tn,
, State. Many o. these children wer,
unborn when this commenced, aud |
has been going on ill two or thre,
generations of negroes have been th,
beneficiarIes of,his taxation. Now, tn,
white people have como to tho con
clusion that the negroes can afford Il
3, do their educating If they desire it, q
nearly all, If not all, teachers Of th
colored schools of to-day, have beel
educated at the expense OF the whites
q and but few Of them appreciate II
or recognize any obligation what evel
But, obligation or no obligation, th
white tax payers would have les
cause of complaint, aud would CON
plain less, and be less dissatified,
, they could see evidence Of any sui
stsntial good resulting to the negroe
themselves.
i The white Taxpayers, with the kind
est feelings III the world, have rsgre
ted 10 see these things, but. havin
70 seen them, they are not at all encoul
aged to go on educating the negr'
when so many whom they have edit
Gated, cherish anything but feelings {
y appreciation, kindoss, or gratitud
From the present outlook, we believ
, the question of a change OF the basis {
distribution OF the School fund, wi
be the main question this year in th
70 election of members of the LegislI