The Colfax chronicle., 1900-09-01
Found q Mares Nest.


J school board for this parish as pe
recommendation of the parish execu
tive committee and no doubt sam,
VIII meet soon and organize. w
hope the new board will not follow
the footsteps of their former members
in the administration of the schoo
funds. Many poor children in thu
hills need all the aid in reach to obtain
a common education and the board
should guard against one school OI
locality having the advantage Oyei
another. Ward one il made district
one and all the funds for the entire
ward Is In one lump. We are all
aware of the fact that this ward has
n large number of cOlOred children In
IT, thus getting more than One-fifth
Oh the school money of the entire
parish, while the poor children In the
hills are placed strictly" on prorata
OASIS. The total enrolment of the
COifax for the last session shows
total of 1O1 pupils for the entire
term and ii out of that number are
from other parts of the parish and
other parishes. ThatschoOl together
with three cOiored schools In the dis
trlct and two white schools have To
their credit more than $24OO while
the Pollock school had an enrolment
OF ~! last session has only $699. 72
together with two other schools
we are not asking an investigation
In this matter for the benefit of the
Pollock school, because we have a
large number of people who have
gone down in their pockets and put
up money to sustain our school, but
Tor the poor, ragged children who
are out In the small districts.-Peo-
pies Demands.
The writer of the above either pen
ned it out of pure ignorance of the
law and the facts, or is simply maxi
inga exhibition of prejudice and ami
mus toward Colfax and existing con-
ditions in the entire western portion
OF Grant parish. The assumption
thatthe school board has improperly
administered the funds OF the parish
is false and absurd.
The new school board will do inst
exactly as the old board did in admin
STEERING the school funds, for the very
good reason that under the law it can
10 nothing else. Ward one gets ex-
ictly the same pro rata per child that
ward two gets-nothing less, nothing
nOre-and there is absolutely no |,
oundation for the insinuation that
he balance of the parish is done any
injustice by the arrangement in ward
me. If the people OF Pollock and
vard two are dissatisfied with the ar
of their school affairs, let
hem re-district their ward, and put
he whole ward in one district, if they 4
ee fit to do so. Ward one will con- I
inue to administer its affairs just as Z
hey are, without any suggestions q
'om the Demands, and without any
reference from the new school board t
for the simple reason that the ward t
organized in accordance with law, +
nd the board will have neither inter- {
It nor inclination to make any s
lange. t
Ward one has $24OOfor FIVE schools,
white and 3 colored), divided Il
mong about $50 children. Pollock a
rs exactly the same proportion. e.
he patrons of the Colfax and Fair cl
cunt schools are only able to have g :.
ght or nine months school by going b
OWN in their pockets and paying for a
he half of the term. a.
The editor of the Demands is prob
by trying to criticise the fact that
ards 1, 6 and Z get pretty good
nd for their schools on account OF q
e large number of negro children fo
hose pro rata comes into these
ards. Yes, that is a fact, and these m
irds will continue to draw and use !"
is money within their own limits. =,
ID no part of it will be divided with ~ ~
e other wards. This is the law, and y,
u know the people over this way at
lieve in observing the law. They br
otect the negro in his civil and po- VI
ical rights, and the negro remains
tn us, and We get the benefit of his :.
Dor and help him use his school !,
,ney. Don't you see? =
There are two sides to this question, 81
das our East Grant parish friends E
D the negroes away and refuse to +
ow them any privileges at all. they ,
in poor shape to object because
follow the law, and allow the dark tn
to dwell in our midst without mo- ne