The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-07-12
Educational Conference

ThS educational conference rc2sntl2
held at Caprop Springs, Va, was a
most important gathering and is engag-
ing the attention of Thoughtful mcu in
ali sections of our country. The rep
resentative character of those who par
ticipated 10 the proceedings has left its
impress upon the public mind. Tie
presiding officer was DR.. J. l.. N. Cur
ry and list Of the leading spirits pres
ent includes prominent southern edu.
Gators and men we'll known for their
interest in the cause Of southern educa-
ton. There was no evidence Of any
sectiona,, feeling and those who came
from the north freely recognize that
the chief part of the problem Of south
ern education is to be found in the pro-
per and thorough education Of the white
race as the independent and permanent
" dominant race Most of the ad
dresses and papers, says the Augusta
Chronicle, dealt with only one phase of
the broad subject of education in the
south, but four Of them handled the
entire subject With tue creates ability
and calmress. These we're the ad
dresses made by DR.. Curry, President
Wilson, DR. Dickerman. and President
Baldwin. These distinguished the
conference, it is believed, above any
similar body that has met in this coun-
try for generation, if not for the en-
tire period Of its history.
DR.. Curry gave review Of the en-
tire field. He showed what the south
had been and what it is, in so far as
to illustrate his claim that the present
condition dates back to the end of the
war. He gave the following data: In
1860 the northern states had pcpula-
tion of 100000, 203 colleges
aud universities, with ! ,407 pro-
fessors and 20, 044 students. In the
same year the southern states had 4
population of 100000, 2G2 colleges
and universities, with 1,4SS professors
and 27,O55 students These are the
figures Of the last census before the
war. At the same time the north was
spending for its universities and col
leges 81, ,514, 6eS and 81, 6G3, 749 for its
academies yearly; and the south was
spending 1862, ,419 for its colleges
and universities and 81, 32S, 127 for its
academies yearly. The showing is tire,
mendously in favor Of the south, and
DR.. Curry said it fully explained the
fact that before the war the great leaders
of men-the Washingtons, Jeffersons,
Madisons, Henrys, Clays, Taylors,
Scots, etc.-wele found in the south,
the product of the southern school sys-
tenn. With the war everything sue
cumbed to the general disaster. Now
the northern colleges and universities
have a productive fund of sl02, I'll
451, while the southern colleges and
universities have productive fund Of
only SIS, 741 900. Under such condi-
tions, he said, it is no wonder that the
south finds herself utterly unable to
keep up with the rapid progress of the
northern states. He also spoke of the
great work that the south has done for
education since the war. In thirty
years it has spent s5OO,O00, 1000 in edu-
cational work, s10O,OOO,OO Of which
went for the Negroes. an amount large
ly in excess Of their just proportion, if
the sum had been equally divided be-
tween the two races on any basis what
ever Good systems Of public schools,
which DR.. Curry declared to be The
most original and highest idea yet con.
ceived by the American people, had
been established in every southern
state. This he declared to be the grand
est work ever accomplished by any peo-
pie in so short time after 50 great
disaster.