New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-04
NEGRO EDUCATION.
GENERAL r. j. MoRGANs VIEWS 40 ~
WHAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE.

..,oI NJ November 26 on THE Future or the
.u,or,cor Nsgro" want to thank you heartily
Gov giving 40 much space to this most Inn
nortant question / do not yield to any one III
49,, admiration for the character and work OF
pooker IT Washington: he Is worthy Of all the
good things that you say OF him; and SIN
cerely hope that the meeting soon 10 DE "e'
I'm this city to be presided over by ex-fresiueh'
Cleveland may not only deepen ana eN'e"o
public interest in Mr.. Washngtons "orA ~
Tuskegee, but that It may result IN SUI
stantal addition to his endowment tuhu !
svmnathIze fully with Mr. Washington's idea
of the Importance OF industrial training Ior the
negroes. although l might differ with him, per-
haps as TO the best method or reachinS thS
result. 1 should lay less stress than he does
upon the trade school, and should give greater
emphasis to the higher grade of Industrial
training proper such is now furnished III
Pratt Institute and other similar institutions
in the North.
I wish however. to ask especial attention to
the second paragraph in your editorial, where
YOU speak of the great mistake made by the
friends of the negroes after emancipation In
the character Ct education provided for them
The great society whose executive officer L
am has been engaged in this work since looZ.
during which time 1t has spent about S3'oVo'VW
in establishing and maintaining schools for the
education of the negroes. 1t has at present
under its sole management institutions of high
order at Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, At
lanta Nashville Jackson and Marshall, Tex,
and is aiding in the support OF numerous other
schools throughout the South. The chief aim In
all the schools established and maintained by
the society from the beginning has been to
furnish to the negroes education intensely
practical and helpful 1t has enrolled a great
many thousand pupils. the most of whom have
been engaged In acquiring the elements or an
English education. They have been learning
to read to write and to spell; they have ac-
uured some knowledge OF arithmetic, of geog-
raphy, and Of English compositions multitudes
of them have never got beyond this rudimentary
stage but have returned to their homes with
such discipline Of mind and such accumulation
of knowledge as would prepare them for the
ordinary duties Of life. Certainly no one could
ask that less than this rudimentary English
education should be impaired to those who are
to be American citizens.
In addition to this work, they have received
moral training of inestimable value to them, so
that IT is proverbial In the South that pupils
who have gone out from these schools live ex-
emplary lives and not found among the
shiftless or the criminal classes In all of the
schools also, there has been more or less Of In
dustrial training; all the young women have
been taught ordinary household duties includ-
ing cooking. laundry work, sewing, etc. and the
young men by being required to take proper
care Of their own rooms and 10 assist In the per-
Torrance Of school chores-care OF the school
buildings grounds etc.-have acquired habits or
neatness and order At Shaw University in
Raleigh ~ c.. the first president. the late Dr.
H,,r,,
brick and put up buildings for school use; at
Spelman Seminary. In Atlanta. Ga, there is a
nurse training school. where young women re-
ceve careful drill and instruction, which is pre-
pairing them for the useful service of nursing
the sick. The young women from this insttu
ton are In great demand at good wages at
Bishop College, in Marshall, Tex, there is an
Industrial plant where thorough instruction Is
given In the use of tools for both wood and iron
work.
These are given simply illustrations OF the
fact that this society has ever had in mind,
from the beginning, the desrability Of indus
trial training
1t ought to be borne In mind, however, by the
friends OF the negro that there Is another side
TO this matter Of education which must not be
overlooked. All the common schools for the
blacks in the South are now taught by negroes,
there should be a body Of men and women
especially trained for the work OF teaching. The
schools OF this society have, therefore, laid
special stress upon normal instruction, and have
sent out into the public schools OF the South
multitudes Of teachers specially trained for their
work. / submit that this is just important
for the progress Of the negroes as the educa-
ton OF farmers, carpenters and blacksmiths
The normal department OF Spelman Seminary,
in Atlanta. Ga is now recognized to be one OF
the best Of It's kind In the South. and although
young in years. its graduates in great de-
mand and fill important positions in the public
school service.
AS is we'll known. the negroes peculiarly
religious people which is evidenced by the
fact that there are to-day more than |, 800, 900
enrolled in the membership OF Baptist churches
alone These have thousands Of church organiza-
lions. 1t Is universally the that negro
churches have negro pastors; II Is also true that
the negro pastor has an almost unlimited in
1uence his people. He Is to them what
| the w-Ensland pastor was to his flock
hundred years ago. Like priest, like people"
The question Of furnishing 10 these thousands
OF churches n ministry capable OF nstructing
and leading them In the ways OF righteousness
is one Of great urgency. 1t VIII be conceded. |
think by every thoughtful man that the kind
OF training which is needed to prepare a man
for success pastor does not necessarily in
clude instruction In backsmthing shoemaking
or withdrawing, but II does require that he
shall be so trained by the common English
branches. by the study of the English Bible, by
history, that he shall be able to think with
clearness and to express his thoughts intelligent
ly orderly and impressivcly.
II is well known that the negroes prefer
negro physicians In order to meet this demand
medical schools have been established with
course Of study running through four years.
a means for preparing them for successful work
as medical practitioners: along with this
schools OF pharmacy. In connection with Shaw
University at Raleigh, ~ Co. the Medical De-
partment taught exclusively by Southern white
men, and the School OF Pharmacy have rem
dered immense service 10 the negro by
sending out year by year a body OF intelligent
we'll trained physicians and pharmacists 1t will
be conceded that the kind Of training to TT