The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-13
Negro Education.

At the meeting of the American Social
Science Association during the past weeh
Mr.. Charles Dudley Warner submitted a
paper on The Education of the Negro -
AS DR.. Warner does not personally know
anything about conditions in the South. he
probably labored under some difficulties in
writing such paper. but he contented
himself with a general endorsement of
Booker Washingtons methods, and a con-
domination of what is called the higher
education for the race. He suggested that
all those who were fit for higher educa-
ton could get it at the Northern colleges,
and that industrial training would be the
best thing for the masses.
At subsequent meeting Rev. Sterling
Brown, colored clergyman of Washing
ton, asked the privilege of answering this
paper, and was given six minutes in
which to do it. An argument so elaborate
as DR.. Warmers could hardly be answered
very fully In that time, but Mr. Brown
managed to make one or two very good
points.
He stated that there are about half a
dozen colleges for colored youth, to supp v
the needs of eight millions of people, and
as most Of these colleges are probably not
large, this does not seem very extraya-
CANT allowance, considering the number of
such institutions provided for the other
sixty-five millions of Americans He also
explained that many young colored men in
the South. who are fully capable of assim-
Hating higher education and could use
il TO advantage, are too poor TO go North
to school, but can pay the very moderate
sum required for an education near home.
He said that nearly all the graduates of
these colleges are leading useful lives as
teachers or professional men. and that the
criminal classes are recruited mainly from
the idle and ignorant These things can
be proved without much trouble There
is need of all the popular education that
any American, black or white, can pay for
II ii is of the right kind. Nobody ever yet
was injured b. being intelligent Since the
colleges which are now training young
men and women for teachers throughout
the South are not. as a rule, paid for by
public moneys. there seems no reason why
anybody should object TO them. II all the
graduates do not use their knowledge
wisely, that is not altogether surprising;
the same thing happens in white colleges.
The strongest point which Mr. Brown
made, however, is this:
The great mistake of the nation has bee. lack
81 ample provision for primary education for the
masses Of children. IL IS no school and school
for three months of the year which need right.
ing, and not destruction TO our few higher insti-
tutlons. "
There is sound sense in this statement,
great many people are talking nowadays
about the thirty three years of freedom
and education" which should have done SO
much for the negro race, and have appar-
emily done SO little. They are also sug-
gesting that the colored schools should be
given only the money contributed by COL
ored taxpayers, and the rest of the educa-
tional funds he devoted to white schools.
This principle, If followed anywhere else
in the country, would result in one class Of
the population being highly educated and
the other left in dense ignorance, which is
not safe condition for any community TO