New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-12
NEGRO EDUCATION.


The North Carolina proposition for restrict
ing the education Of the negro race Is worthy
of the Colonial Governor of Virginia who
thanked God that there was not printing
press in his province The dispatch from
Raleigh which we published yesterday shows
that The no negro domination movement is
well grounded in the old theory of society
which made il a crime in many States to teach
a negro to read and write. OF course. the Old
arguments are not now brought forward II
does not do to oppose negro education on the
ground that intelligence makes slave discon-
tented and potential leader of instruction.
But the same truth is applied TO the present
situation, and We are told that education units
the negro for the work required OF him ana
makes him press himself forward into callings
reserved for the whites. Therefore il Is planned
10 deprive him Of education and keep him in
ignorance by amending the Constitution so
that the school taxes paid by whites shall be
devoted exclusively to the teaching of white
children. and the negroes shall have only the
education that the poor negroes themselves are
able to pay for.
If ever there was scheme devised to put
premium on ignorance this is one. IT is frank
" founded on r,ce jealousy. The specious
nlca is made that taxes should he expended
for the benefit of those who pay them. If that
is the true theory. then only those who have
children to be taught should pay school taxes.
This would reduce the public school system to
an absurdity. Yet it is by no means SO I'M
reasonable as the North Carolina plan 1T re-
suits simply in putting education on an ind-
vidual and family basis. But there is no logic
in making education Il state concern ana thch
discriminating between citizens as to the bene-
tit they shall obtain from the State school sys-
tenn To draw the color line in this matter
IS outrageously unjust and perfectly arbitrary
The school tax is supposed to be levied Tor the
common benefit not simply to be pald Dack
pro rata to the contributors or to any class or
contributors With as much reason might all
taxes paid by people worth million be APP
propriated for the teaching of the children of
mllionaires, willie the children of paupers re
ceivcd 10 teaching at all. as 10 divide the
school fund between blacks and whites accord
| ING to their respective assessments. 1t would
be no more indcfensihle to use all money raised
from farmers on the schooling of farmers sons
and only taxes paid by women for the cduca-
ton of girls As we'll teach only Presbyterians
with the money Of Presbyterian taxpayers as
to limit the school expenditures to children
with the same colOred skins as those who paid
the money to the State for the general good
If the State Is the State Of all its citizens. then
the school fund is the common property of all,
regardless Of its origin
The attempt to divide the fund on the basis
of race shows how little hold the idea that
the negro Is really man before the law mas
on North Carolina white people Ii shows the
hollowness Of all the prctcnce that opposition
to the negro in politics is based on his unit
ness for politics and his inability to give good
government As we have said before. ii Is
possible to sympathize with objection to bai
negro rule when that objection is coupled with
a willingness TO help the negro TO advance so
that his ignorance may not in the future men
ace the public welfare. But when the same
men who say the negro is too ignorant TO De
II good citizen declare that he Is getting to
know too much and must he deprived OF all
chance for education except that which he can
obtain at his own expense. despite all 0bsta-
cles thrown 10y white men in the way of his
prosperity. they confess themselves actua'ed
less by patriotism than race prejudice ana Il
desire to keep the negro rs neaf 'he ueEraua-
ton of his slave days as possible Doup'IesS
schooling does spoil some negro farmhandS.
II spoils some white farmhands also. 1T makes
| many a poor parson out of good blacksmith
! thc world over. But no sane man thinks OF
abolishing general education for that reason
Here and there a little knowledge is danger
| ous thing but the effect on the whole popula-
ton is undoubtedly uplifting and benehcml 10
the State. Any attempt to keep the negro IN
| continued ignorance however spcclously II may
! no urged springs not from any broad minded
| rcgord for ulblic welfare, hut from narrow
| spirit Of race hatred and from selfish political
| desires As one If the defenders OF the scheme
saws the injection II the agitation for Ill
vision of the school fund will greatly aid in
"kccping the race issue before the people ana
"ln keeping the Democratic party in power
What Is thought Of that by the clergymen who
! have been culogzing the Wilmington revolu-
ton ms n holy crusade IN favor Of pure poll
tics. which was animated solely by the most
lofty motives and unstained by any trace OF
! hatred of the negro:
THE MARCH or THE NEGtS.