The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-06-22
QUESTION OF GRADED SCHOOLS.
Timely and Thoughtful Discussion of
the Subject-The One Thing Hender-
son is Most Deficient in.

EDITOR bOl-D lIEAF.-i tHlnk IN auFO-
eating the establishment OF a Graded
School in Henderson yon are bringing
before the people the present necessity of
our community aud your Efforts Will no
doubt receive the undivided support Of
intelligent and considerable persons
The people of Henderson have always
awaited themselves OF every opportunity
to promoteindustry as well as secure the
comforts and cOnveniences OF life. Many
of these enterprises are not to b" found
in much larger towns where taxation is
more burdensome than here. This Is
sufficient evidence to the least Observant
person that our town has been well man
aged and that the interests of the public
have been the chief concern of the in
fuences which control.
Under these most fortunate conditions,
Mr.. Editor, is it not amazing that the
most important, the most desirable as
well "a one OF the least expensive neces-
stiles of a community has been the most
neglected? To say that public education
has been the most neglected OF our neces-
sites is but to Intimate to one who will
look about him of what he is compelled
to acknowedge. We haveinvested thous-
ands of dollars in water works, thous-
ands of dollars in electric lights, thous-
ands of dollars in cotton mills, thous-
ands of dollars in railroads, and thous-
ands of dollars in improving and beauti-
fying our town. How much have we con-
tributed to the Improvement of that
which is the supreme gift OF God to man
his mind? | am ashamed to say and
may be so because Comparisons are
odiOus.' with these facts before Us it
would seem almost impossible that such
conditions should exist and yet they are
indsputable.
This, however, does not prove that our
people do not appreciate education and
are not willing to aid in public diffus-
ion OF it. TO the contrary venture the
assertion that the money contributed by
the people OF Henderson annually to
charitable purposes, OF which public edu-
cation is not the least. would support Il
model Graded School capable of giving
every white child in the town educational
advantages such as they can never
obtain otherwise. do not mean to say
that our public money and our cOntribu-
tons to other than educational purposes
is misapplied but it is a sad and lament
able fact that under the circumstances
our educational facilities are not re-
ceiving their prOportiOnate deserts or
cOnsidera ton.
1t was said few years ago that for
every dollar the white people OF North
Carolina invested in cotton mills the
negroes put 80 cents in excursions. This
is as natural as it il deplorable, and yet
it is no worse than putting all in indus
tries and none in schools.
In all ages and in every generation the
need of mental cultivation has been eX-
planned, advocated and felt Therefore
it is useless for me to attempt to go into
this phase OF thequestiOn further than to
show that the requirements OF our time
demand Just consideration OF the I'M
pOrtance of education. Society is now
confronted by the most serious question
that could be brought before it for sOlu-
ton. 1t is one about which much has
been said but little done. | mean, OF
course, the race question:. Some have
suggested that its solution was to be had
by the education OF the negro and to this
end the people of North Carolina will
soon vote upon the question OF educa-
tional qualification, which, if carried
will simply mean compulsory education
for negro children. This will not prove
such a difficult problem with the negro
SO long as his educational faculties re
main us they now are, but it might mean
embarrassment to our children and to
grandchildren unless more attention is
given to their instruction. SO in my
opinion the proper solution OF the race
question is to be obtained through the
education of the whites as well as the
blacks, and if this is not done then our
charitable educational efforts will simply
result in SaXOniZng the negroes and ne
groizing the whites.
In our last campaign the fight was
made on the permanency of white
supremacy. The whites won by electing
a ma jority of the law makers with whom
it was conceded rested the power Of secur-
ing the desired end. They soon con-
Guided that the discreet and intelligent
way to restrict the ballot that it might
no longer be used as an instrument of
vice was by qualifying the voters. This
was neither done by property require
ments, nor the use of bayonets, but the
educational qualification.
There are other reasons besides the
real merit to be had from Graded
School, one of which is that it is of a
commercial value remember that
when we were working to get the railroad
shops here Il gentleman in "a neighbOrng
town, and who, by the way, might have
had q saysO about the location of the
shops, told me that Henderson did not
afford one of the most essential attrac-
tions for thing of such great mayni-
tude. | inquired wherein We were less
prepared than Raleigh, and he said:
why, here in Raleigh they have two eN-
cellent Graded Schools where the en-
ployes can afford to give their children
common school education at little ex-
pense; but you Henderson people have
no school of the kind, so am told"
was then convinced that it was impos-
sible for us to secure the shops. OF course
| do not mean to say that il we had
had the Graded School we could have
secured the shops, but do know to get
them without the Schools is impossible
In conclusion, Mr.. Editor, | will sug-
gest that you advertise for mass meet
ing for the purpose OF formulating plans
which will result in the establishment of
our greatest necessity.
CITIZEN