The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-06
rHE EDUcArIoS or THE NEGRO.

The trustees OF the Peabody Educational
Fund are IN a position TO observe the
workings OF the efforts that are being
made for the education Of the negro
rsre and to arrive OF inteHlgent couolu-
sions with respect TO them A. the meet
lng Of the trustees in New York the other
day reports were read from superintend-
ents aud comm.ssioncrs IN the several
states that receive AID from the fund
These reports generally CONQUERED IN the
opinion that the solution Of the negro
question was 20 create az inter
est In negroes for country life,
and thus keep them away from
tho demoralizlng and. 20 them. de-
stt1ietlve Influences Of the cities. Cofn-
petition IN che cities was too severe Tor
them. ana they were not equipped for
tho struggle which city life eniailed A.
a consequence. a. one commissioner 70
ported the city iails were Allied with ne
groes born since the war. while many of
tho race show symptoms % insanity or
arc infected with diseases unknown
among them before emancipation. And
yet" said Commissioner Glenn OF Geor-
sia in his report. more money has been
furnished BY the Peabody Fund for ne
gro education than has been invested for
tho higher education OF the whites
Northern people have wasted millions OF
dollars on so-called higher education that
ought 20 have been devoted to the main
tonance Of manual training schools Tor
the children OF tho co.ored race"
There IL no opposition tn the South 10
the expenditure Of Northern money Cor
the education o. the negro. on the other
hand the south itself spends millions
Of dollars annually for the schooling Of
tho black children. nine-ten,hs OF which
money comes out o. the pockets OF the
white people. II has a right therefore.
10 call attention 60 tho fact that Northern
funds for colored schools are being large
~ wasted upon the eo-called higher edu-
cational institutions. and the teaching OF
such branches as languages. music and
are in schools that are no: 30 preten-
tious as the colleges. Booker Washing
ton some time ago remarked that one Of
the saddeet sights he could recall was
seeing an elaborate rosewood piano and
mrsis rack IN an ordinary school for ne
erocs. Some Northern "phlan;hropst."
imagining that a knowledge OF the plano
forte was what the negro needed 60 make
him a good citizen ana capable OF earn
Ing on honest living. had kindly donated
the rosewood instrument 60 the school.
The education that is needed by the
nerro-a fact which Prot Washington
continually preaches--is ono which viii
enable him to become an efficient worker.
an intelligent aud pAinstaklng farmer. or
mason. or carpenter, etc The policy OF che
trustees OF the Peabody fund has
been Of late 20 give their aid
,irnos, wholly 90 institutions Of advanced
learning instead Of as was tho case IN
former years. to the common schools.
Bur. II the reports received AZ the recent
meeting are 30 have tho influence which
they presumably should have. % may be-
eHpected that the policy o. che govern
ing beard % the fund VIII be modined so
as 70 give more a,,cntiou'to agricultural
and mechanical training for colored
youths. ard less TO teaching them useless
Latin. Greek ard music.