Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-07
THE NEGRO AND EDUCATION.

The New York Tribune is very much
| wrought up over the fact that the legis-
| latures of mississippi and Georgia are
| contemplating a change in the educa-
tional systems of those States. by which
| the elementary opportunities of the ne
| groes will be reduced materially" The
| change proposed is that the white schools
| shall be supported from taxes derived
| from the whites and the negro schools
| from taxes derived from the negroes.
The Tribune says that both Mississippi
and Georgia, in common with many other
Southern States. find great difficulty In
meeting the expenses Of their schools;
that white parents are dissatisfied with
the educational facilities afforded their
children; that the cost of the negro
schools is in utter disproportion 10 the
amount of taxes paid by the negroes.
and that the whites are asking why
should our money go for the education
of the black mans children when our
own lack satisfactory opportunities?
There is no doubt that these are among
the influences that impart strength 10
the movement, but they are only auxilia-
ries of a more potent influence, to which
the Tribune refers, but which owing 10
its theoretical love for and confidence in
the negro it declines TO consider seriously.
That influence is a conviction that has
been steadily growing that education is
the fruitful mother of crime among The
negroes. Governor Gambler, of Georgia
in his annual message, not only takes that
ground, but holds that education tends
TO make the negro shiftless. He says:
1T is startling fact. established By
the experience OF thirty years, that, while
under our system of free schools illite-
racy has rapidly decreased, especially
among our colored population, crime has
much more rapidly increased among
them. Ninety per cent. of the
crimes committed by negroes are commit
ted by those who have had the opportu-
mites of free schools, and only ~ per
cent. by the ex-slaves, who are illiterate,
while 80 per cent. OF the property acquired
by the race since emancipation is in the
hands of the ex-slaves, and not in the
hands of those educated in the free
schools
The Tribune is disposed to treat the
bONtlHOI NduulSI dS u sup
thrown to the politicians OF his party.
But, on the question OF the bearing of
education upon crime among the negroes,
and the tendency of education to unfit
them for citizenship, be is at one with
such thoughtful. and. politically speak
ing, disinterested students of the ne
gro problem as Mr.. Philip Alexander
Bruce, and others. Heavy as is the bur-
den of the white man OF the South in
the matter of educating the negro, there
would be little grumbiing ii it were not
painfully apparent that his sacrifice has
been worse than vain. it is all well
enough as an abstract proposition for
such champions Of the negro race as the
Tribune TO moralze on the duty of per-
scvering ''in eleyating the negro by educa-
ton" but the practical fact is, that
the whites of the South have perservered
TO so little purpose that their patience is
becoming rapidly exhausted Until the
northern friends" of the negro, ard The
negro himself, learn this, and profit
from the lesson, it will be idle 10 expect
a check to the movement for each race
TO pay its own educational way.