The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-17
SCHOOL LEGISLATION.
Rev. Mr. Graham Argues i'm support
of the Jones Bill.

| To the Editor OF the indianapolis Journal:
AS pastor of probably the largest and
| most influential congregation OF c~lored
| people in the State, feel ii my duty TO lay
before the public few of the facts which
| have prompted the colored people to de-
mand the abolishing of the separate school
| system and why the amended Jones bill Will
not give satisfaction. Until recently have
| strongly opposed the JONES bill and favored
| the substitute because / believed that, all
| things being equal, the colored children
would prosper better under the colored
teachers, and that the presence of the col
ored teachers in our society was inspiring
and generally helpful to our colored youth.
1 have not changed my mind on this point,
but find my premise very faulty. All things
are not and will not be equal under the
| separate school system. Now. l wish TO
give few facts which have gained from
| the most reliable sources including colored
teachers themselves, concerning the in
| equality of the colored and white schools
of this city.
| The first glazing fact is that while from
one hundred TO two hundred colored chill
| dren pass from the colored grammar schools
| into the High School annually, only from
two to ten graduate annually. The others
4
drop out Why is this true? Some colored
people believe that it is because they are
not given equal opportunity in the High
| School. This cannot be true. and is con-
tradlcted by the colored students who do
go through. The High School teachers do
not hesitate to say that the colored children
from these colored schools are not nearly
| proficient as the white. or colored children
from the white schools. This must be true.
but why is it true? This answer is evident:
They have not had good training. have
not puilt SO good a foundation Again ask
why is this? Mr. Goss says it is because
may be true in some instances. but not in
| all. We have some colored teachers in this
city who are the peers of any white teach
| ers, both intellectually and morally, and
| also from a pedagogical standpoint This
he will admit. But / must admit that there
are Few lncompetents, and ask why are
| they there?
In the Journal OF the 18th inst. in an ed
ltorial, ii is said: These teachers have to
pass the same examination and comply with
the same conditions white teachers. and
therefore are fully as competent. This is
just the way that was deceived and the
honestly, and so did 1, because the law re-
quires it. But | wish to inform the Journal
that Mr.. Goss is law unto himself in col
ored school matters. L have learned from
| the most unquestionable source and can
prove that he has appointed several teach
| ers in the colored schools who have passed
no examination and hold no license TO
| teach. There is a difference between the
white and colored schools. Persons are
| colored schools who have no author
ity under the law to teach OF
the relatives of such incompetent and nom non.
licensed teachers are of the same political
| faith as the superintendent. Competent
teachers could be obtained TO take the place
| sired by Mr. Goss, and these persons are
retained over the protests of the parents of
neither for the efficiency nor moral charac-
ter of a colored teacher; all he requires is
| that they obey his orders
But the few incompetent teachers are not
SO great an evil as the crowded condition
| of the colored schools In many of the
| rooms three four grades are taught and
| that teacher is expected to take each class
| through the same work as is done in the
white schools, where each grade has a sep
arate teacher. Is that giving the colored
| children equal advantages? No matter how
| proficient the teacher she cannot do that
work II she Is conscientious and PAINS
| taking they will not complete the work of
| the grade. If she is careless she will rush
the class along and complete the work. al
Now, it would seem that when examination
| came such pupils would not be promoted
but this is another mistake. They are pro-
| NOTED just the same by order of the super
| lntendent, and woe he to the teacher who
protests against passing her class when she
| knows them not to be proficient. One OF
the best teachers in the city was dropped
| by Mr.. Goss for not promoting her class
when they had done less than two-thirds
of the work allotted to the grade. He or
I
be hoodwinked and made to believe that
| they are getting along all right in the col
| are being promoted until they pass to the
| High School; there they cannot compete
with the white children and drop out.
| think this makes plain why they fail in the
High School. Their education has been de-
hcient all the way from the primary school
! up.
One colored principal has over fifty pupils
| in her room in three grades, which she
teaches half a day. Then these go home
and fifty others come the other half day
| Now, this woman must look after the entire
building and teach these three grades half
day Each grade gets. one-third of half
| a days instruction, provided she is not too
| busy with her duties as principal. But al
| of these classes will be passed at the end
of the year. Now. 1 think that any fair
not having near the facilities for education
| that are given to those of white parentage
and that there is no likelihood of their hav-
| ing the facilities while the separate schools
| exist. / neglected to mention another fact
| !. e., that the German language is taught in
but one of the colored schools, and that in
some of them music is not taught.
Another difference between the two
schools is that they are not districted. All
| the white schools have districts distinctly
| defined. None of the colored schools have
such. Hence colored children are sent as
! far as fifteen blocks, passing two or three
white schools to reach colored school. The
amended law. providing that colored chill
dren shall not be sent out of their district.
| will not help the case in the least. since
| Ii such evils exist here in Indiana polls is it,
not reasonable to suppose that as great or
worse evils are to be found in other parts
of the State? n few years ago over fifteen
hundred colored children were attending the
| white schools of this city. It caused no
| trouble whatever. In many of the counties
| of the State the schools are mixed and the
| children are educated together in perfect
| harmony. We appeal. therefore 10 the
sense Of justice In the Anglo Saxon race ard
ask them 10 give our children an equal
chance 10 be equipped for the race of life.
and then We are willing to abide by the
survival of the fittest. ID. a. GRAHAM
Pastor Bethel A. NJ e. CL'.rch.
| Indianapolis, Feb. Is.