New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
EDUCATION ~ THE SOUTH.

President Julius d. Dreher Of Roanoke Col
lege Virginia, has done we'll to issue in PAM
phlet form his excellent address on Education
In the South" recently delivered before the
American Social Science Association. For 1t not
only throws much light on the question, but 1t
appears mt time when the subject is engaging
the attention Of allintelligentpeople in the South
1t Is coming more and more TO be recognized by
them that education Is the only solvent for the
complex and correlated problems that constitute
what Is known as the Southern question. While
II Is true that most Of the great men in the
South have been highly educated, education has
never been so general in the South rs it has been
and Is in the North. The population Of the South
has always been sparse and largely agricultural.
The institution OF slavery doubtless. also, had
tendency to promote Indifference to the need Of
general education The shareholders were easily
able to have their children educated at private
schools. and the two remaining elements OF the
population the poor whites and the negroes,
were Of course, unworthy Of consideration. In
fact. It was. we believe legal crime in some
States TO educate Il negro.
Since the War that state Of affairs has hap
PLY, passed away. and among all classes in
the South to-day there Is a keen appreciation
Of the importance Of education President
Dreher shows by comparative statistics how
much more easy II Is TO support good schools
for ten months in the year in the North than 1t
is to support the same grade Of schools for
much shorter period in the South. This Is not
only because Of the comparative poverty OF the
South but because Of its vast territory, its sparse
population. and the necessity Of maintaining
separate schools for the two races. And yet In
spite Of these handicaps. President Dreher
agrees with Dr. Mayo in saying that Southern
communities. as Il rule pay for school purposes
nearly as much as they can afford, and quite
as much as the North in proportion to popula-
ton. Moreover, though the c0lOrcd people pay
only small percentage OF the taxes. they share
In proportion 10 population equally with the
whites in appropriations for school purposes
fact which, under the circumstances, is highly
crediablc to the South.
A serious defect in the educational system Of
the South Is a superabundance Of universities
and a paucity Of preparatory schools While
there Is no university in New-England owned
by the State there have been several such in
the Southern States. or the 40 universities
now in this country AZ are credited to the South,
1G OF them being for colored people. II colleges
are included, the topheavy character of the
Southern educational system becomes still more
apparent The New England and Middle States,
with n population greater than the Southern
States By only 92S,530. have more than three
times the wealth Of the Southern States; and yet
they have altogether only 81 colleges and uni
versites. while the South has 10. President
Drehcr rightly concludes that the South needs
today. more than anything else, efficient and
general system Of preparatory schools. But the
existence Of so many worthless and ''hfalutln'"
colleges and universities" and normal col
leges' that have sprung up throughout the South
Is doing more than anything else TO retard their
establishment. For these mushroom institutions
are constantly declaring that they can give
thorough education in a few months Even In
Virginia. the home OF that sterling institution,
the University OF Virginia, there Is normal
college" that undertakes to mpart in one year
broad culture that could not be gained in
other Institutions In less than four or five years.
Unfortunately this sort Of thing Is by no means
peculiar to the South. But 1t Is largely prevalent
there and so long that Is the the adj
vance Of true education in the South must be
slow There are many signs, however. that the
people ~ the South are coming TO see this weak
spot IN their educational system. There IL Il
widespread desire for education throughout the
South. and In the era Of Industrial prosperity
that IL now opening before 1t. II viii not be long
before that desire will lead to the adoption OF II
better system Of public education.
The law OF compensations still holds true