The age-herald., 1901-06-10

as provided by law, shall be separated into districts without the consent of the mayor and board of aldermen of such town or city.
 10 For the purpose of building, en- larging improving or furnishing school houses in any district or for the purpose of supplementing the general school funds received from federal, state, county. mu- nicipal. and other sources, the court of County Commissioners, or body of like Jurisdiction shall, upon request as herein after provided. levy special assessment of not more than one fourth of one per centum in any one year upon the property of white persons situated in 8 white dis trict, or, upon the property of colored persons situated in colored district: Provided no such levy shall be made ex- cept upon the request of a majority of the voters residing In the district expressed at an election held for that purpose. At such election in a white school district only qualified white electors shall be per mltted to vote, and in colored school dis tricts only qualified colored electors shall be permitted to vote. It shall be the duty of the probate judge to order such an election in any district upon the petition of not less than or e-fourth of the voters who will be entitled to vote at such an election.
 The order for such election shall state the purposes for which 1t is proposed to make theiassessment, the rate of the pro posed assessment and the number of years during which such assessment Is supposed to be made. Notice of such cleo ton shall be given and the election held in such manner as may be provided by law for such special elections. No propo- sition shall be made at any such cleo tion to levy such special assessment dur ing a period of more than four years.
 "'When any property belonging to a corporation Is situated in white school district where a special assessment is to be made as herein provided. such assess ment shall be levied upon such proportion of the value of such property as the num- Der of white children of school age in the county bears to the whole number Of children of school age In the county. When such property is situated In col bred school district. where such assess ment Is to be made, 1t shall be levied upon such proportion of the value there of as the number of colored children Of school age in the county bears to the whole number of children of school age in the county.
 The foregoing sections of this ar ticle numbered S. g, 10 and Il are intend- ed and hereby declared to constitute an individual plan for permitting local spe- cial assessments in aid of public schools maintained by this State
 ..It will be seen that this Is not intended as a mere subterfuge to deprive the negro of educational privileges as are the ef- forts to divide the school funds condemn ed by the courts have been. All the courts and the interests of humanity ap- prove separate schools for the races, and the organization of separate school dis tricts logically follows.
 Local assessments for school purposes E,- -k1 been universally approved If the people of one race are entitled to a separate school and to organize themselves into a district for the patronage of such school of which school district persons of anoth- CT race can not be members, then 1t can not be a discrimination against the mem bers of that other race to permit the per sons composing such district to levy upon the property belonging to them special assessment for the peter carrying out of the purposes of such organization. The rights of the other race are neither in- creased nor diminished by such special assessment. any more than the building of a sidewalk along one side of a street by an assessment against the owners of property along that side is discrimina- ton against the citizens on the other side of the street.
 Nearo Should be Encouraged.
 There is no cause for the negro to be alarmed but every reason for him to be encouraged by this opportunity. He should remember that the State does not educate it's. children for the sake of the children, but for the good of the State. If the public school results in industrial. intellectual and moral progress. there will,b every inducement to increase the appropriation.
 "The negro should remember that heaven helps those who help themselves. So long as he Is willing to receive only. he will regard himself and be regarded as a mendicant, and mendicants never grow in self-respect and usefulness
 All children should have reasonable, op- portunity for education. Let the State do it's best for all. This will promote spirit of friendship and common inter est between the races, which is absolutely necessary to the happiness and well be- ing of both.
 This plan lays upon the. negro the re- sponsibilty of organizing his own schools under the intelligent and authoritative supervision of the superintendent of edu- cation.' and permits him to contribute systematically to their maintenance. Un- der this responsibility and in the exer- else of this opportunity. the spirit of race fraternity and pride will be fostered and become a material factor in his civiliza- tion. These will happily take the place of that suspicious envy and jealousy which manifests itself in the commis- sion of those crimes which shock the sense of humanity. A partial freedom and little education have opened the