The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-08-09
Southern School Funds

Philadelphia Record.
The sum total of money lately given
to educational institutions IN the
Northern States. lnc:udir, C,.iisornia
Is enormous, amounting to millions
One Calls to mind. as recipients q such
bounty, tho University OF Chicago
Columbia University ct New York and
similar Institutions. Tie invest ed
funds of Harvard, Yale as1d ether great
schools bring in large revenues an
annually and warrant any extensions
which modern ENTERPRISE may sug-
gest. There are State universities that
draw ample support i:u,n the public
funds aud property investments, while
persons of means FREQ uently contribute
money for special buildings and equip
ment. Most Of the puhlIc hlga sohoole
are ambitious enough to include a cIas
steal course and also hsyc laboratories
for practica! science branches. Alto
gether, it may be affirmed that there
is no lack OF educational opportunities
in the North.
It is painful to con trast with all tits
the educational conditions Of the South
That section was greatly impoVerls het
by the war, ard although the develop
ment Of industries there mas been mar
velous and the promise OF future wealth
is bright, there is still lack Of Surplus
capital fer the endowment Of places Of
learning. It has taxed the resources Of
the Southern people to maintain dis
trict schools fer the whites and bIacl {
for brief season each year. Before
the war the young men of the South
were sent either to the University oil
Virginia Or to the Mort bern colleges
SO that when the war left the people in
poverty there we're few schools to take
up the most essential work of the
time. Everything bad to be crested.
There were wealthy men and women
in the North to endow schools for col
ored children and Northern teachers
eager to instruct the freedmen, but
there was no one who saw the supreme
Importance OF providing opportunities
tor the education of the new genera
ton CT whites, on whom must fall the
responsibility oi dealing with an lntri-
cate and pressing race problem.
A Southern educator announces that
except In the case OF the Vanderbilt
University, at Nashville, schools for
the Southern whites have not received
$4,000 by gift in twenty years. The
educators of the North are not EN- bar
raised by the need OF appealing to the
people for funds for a particular insti.
tuition. With a sense of the benefits
Of education, they recognize their right
to demand money. The Southern peo-
pie, on the other hand, were not allow
ed by the Republican politicians to
forget that they were under Northern
condemnation, and were, therefore, in
no position to ask help. Yet it is OF
great Importance to the Northern peo-
pie that the young men OF the South
should be armed for their responsible
ties by P solid education. In our corn
mon country the iliiteracy OF one sec
ton Is a menace to ali. It is strange
that men OF wealth who realize the
value to the Republic Of educated cit
zenship have not lcng since considered
that the building up OF schools in the
South by Northern capital would go
farther lii the removing OF the trace.
OF the old bitterness than mere words
of cordlality. The South has done re-
markab]y we'll in supporting schools,
considering its circumstances. The
educators who attend the meeting OF
the National Association at Nashville,
and later at Charleston, were overflow
ing With praise for the interest display
ed in education BY the Southern peo-
pie. Still there Is need of large sums
beyond the ability OF the South to
raise. and thosa in this section who can
afford to help by liberal donations will
find no more deserving Or important
fell.