The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-27
Spirit Of the Press
EDUCATION TN THE SOUTH


New York Times.
The conference that has just closed its
sessions Mt Capon Springs in West Nir-
ginia adopted three important measures.
One was The employment of a general
agent of the conference, under the direc-
ton of DIR. Curry, executive of11cer OF
the Slater Fund and the Peabody Fund,
70 study in detail the methods OF educa
tion i'm the South The second was q
nroyision for central committee to or
ganize and aid in the distribution of the
effort and money contributed for educa-
ton in the South. The third was a
strong recommendation in the nature Of
a pledge for the aid of the colleges of the
South. In addition, the conference in
dorsed in it, resolutions industrial educa-
ticn, secondary schools, and reformato-
ries on the system of industrial and ag
ricultural training for youthful lncorrl-
gibles and mis,lcmeanants.
The white people of the South have
made very great sacrifices for educa-
tion Considering the means at their
command and the tremendous difficulties
with which thy have had to contend,
their efforts and their achievements in
one of the most fortunate features of the
conferen e i'm West Virginia is the cor
dial recognition of that fact and the pur-
pose to unite all TIE agencies, North and
South. in mutual support.
Certainly the task remaining In the
South is a mos, serious and difficult one.
Judged by comparison with any problem
presented IN the North at might well be
regarded as desperate. 1t is not merely
that the mass Of illiteracy is probably
greater than in corresponding communi-
ties i'm other .>a.:S of the Union, but there
is the fact that the illiteracy of the two
races must be dealt with separately. The
cost and difficulty of education IN thlnly
settled regions are thus doubled, or more
than doubled. To this source of diff
Guilty must be added the peculiar charac-
ter of the blacks and the obstacles Of
fered by their surroundings, which make
the whole process more complex and ar
duous. The Whole problem is one of
which we of the North can have only a
dim and inadequate conception, and
those of us VINO study it most closely are
obliged to struggle against Il strong ten
dency to judge it by comparison with the
problems of the North and to find it al
most hopeless.
Yet. if we think what has actully been
accomplished and under what conditions.
we have reason tc feel the strongest faith
in the rltintat" outcome. The actual
progress made in the South since the
close of the cl.,.l war is one of the mar
wells of histyy We know of no parallel
for it. Four years of bitter and devas-
tating war had ragged in land of largely
undeyeloDe1 resources. with limited
trade. with small variety of industries,
with a social system i'll adapted to the
conflicts of modern civilization, with an
industrial system of a narrow and singh
larry inadelut, character. Poverty of
the most grinding sort was the rule, and
the common comforts of our own work
ing classes were unattainable by those
that had been accustomed to ease and
wealth. The great self-surporting, va
ried middle class of small traders, farm
ers and mechanics existing among us
was relatively feeble in the South, and
where it existed was sorely criIpledl
The whole laboring class. by whom the
great mass of regular toll had been per-
formed. was upturned and demoralized.
The mere task of daily existence was
made more IrFnS IMAM III His ever Deeh
in any part of the Moth, even in the
earl, ~ days. Anon: these depress hs
and anxious conditions the people of the
South. with scant aid from their country
men OF the North-with. indeed cruel
interference and oppression in many
ways-had to work out the terrible pro-
blem of self-s1pport and OF orderly and
law abiding social and political life.
What aas been accomplished has been
marked by many defects and slfortcom-
ings. But on the whole it presents a
record of manly courage. fidelity, self-re-
spect and moral energy that may well
make us. the fortunate yictors of the
civil war, very modest as to our own
achievements and very proud of our
Southern feilow-countrymen. For such
a people there is in the difficult future no
such thing as failure. 1t is our duty and
it is our precious privilege to aid them in
every way that we can-tO aid them as
brothers, i'm loyal affection, to the ac-
compishment of common task, Il com
mon destiny