The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-20
/. A PREACHERS VIEW.

throughout Virginia in favor OF diviuihS
the school fund and giving to the negro
only that part Of the fund which ne pays
in. Yesterday we printed commune
cation from q prominent citizen OF Lynch
burg on the subject and now we maze
another from a minister Of the gospel at
Blackstone, Va We have given proml-
nence to these two communications be-
cause we regard the subject as one OF
tho most important now before the CON
stitutional Convention, and we have tried
to answer the arguments winch lile'e
gentlemen have advanced because 1t is
conviction with us that If the school
fund is so apportioncd as to deprive the
negroes OF the State Of the advantages
OF public education. the effect VIII PC
worse upon the white race than upon
the black race. Our Blackstone CORE
spondcnt says:
Editor of The 1::::ec:
Sir.-In your discussion OF tho topic
of schooling for the negro children you
strangely overlook the fact that the
education of tho white children is neces-
sarily involved
Only a. small fra ction of the school taxes
is paid by the negroes and therefore the
bulk of the tax is paid by the whites.
The whole tax is then applied to the sX-
Dcnses of our free-School system ana
white and negro fare alike, with the re-
suit that the school-terr in the country
schools is barely five months, which Is
manifeStly Inadequate In short. our
white children are deprived Of sufficient
opportunity for education IN order thar
it may be given 20 the negro. The white
people are paying taxes sufficient 10
school their children. but the children are
deprived of that for which their parents
pay, in order that negro children may
have an equal share with them This
may be called generous, but is it just?
I have always thought it best to be
first Just and then generous, Then comes
the question il this little learning" is
of practical benefit to the negro? / must
answer that I seriously doubt if it is.
] know that this aspect of the question
does not present itself in the cities and
especially in Richmond, where the pup
lie system leaves little to be desired. but
it grieves one who. constantly going
about in the country, sees the little white
children going for seven months in the
year without school privileges ana con-
sequently growing up in ignorance.
II it is thought that education has real
~ benefited the negro, why is 1t that the
Constitutional Conventions can expect TO
disfranchise a very large proportion of
the negro population by a simple educa-
tional test, and that after more than
thirty years of public school system ar.
ranged largely for their benefit?
I rejoice in everything that is nein;s
done for the elevation OF the human race
everywhere, and regardless of condition
and color, but in the settlement of this
important question let us at least do JUS
tice to our own children.
C. r. KUYK.
Blackstone, Va, Nov. 18th.
? 1t is a great mistake for the friends of
popular education to raise this question
of discrimination. Mr.. kuyk. while he
does not intend to do so, does in effect
throw himself back upon the argument
that it is wrong in principle to taS one
man to educate another mans children.
If it is wrong to tax the white men CT
the State to educate the negro children
of the State, it is wrong to tax one class
of white men of the State to educate the
children Of another class of white men
are taxed to support the public schools,
whether or not they patronize the public
schools; whether or not, indeed they nave
children to educate. On the contrary,
there are men in the State who pay moth
ing, or at best a small pittance, in the
house full of children to school. There
are some sections of the State which nay
into the public treasury on account Of
the general school fund more money than
they draw out; whereas there are other
sections which draw out more than they
pay in We say that it is great mis-
take for tho friends of popular education
ever to raise this question OF discrimina
ton, for there are men in the State who
pay their school tax under protest be-
cause they do not receive as they think,
any direct benefit from it.
But the public school system is founded
upon a very different principle. The tax
payers of the State, or at least a large
majority of them, have long since ,nade
up their minds that popular education is
a good thing: that it conduces to good
government and good society to have the
Oh Inc lana. educated, and
parents are not able to pay tuition in pri-
vate schools, it has been agreed that all
property-cwners in the State shall be
taxed for public school purposes and that
public schools shall be maintained at the
public expense; and while there are many
VIII" pay the school tax and who do not
send their children to the public schools,
1t is conceded that all persons who pay
the tax gets benefit out CT the general
result. 1t will not do. therefore, to saw
that ali the white children Of the State
have peculiar claim upon the money
paid in by white taxpayers. If every
white man in the State whose children so
to the public schools paid a specific sum
into the public treasury for school pur-
poses, and If each and every white citi-
zen paid exactly the same amount of
money for the maintenance of the public
schools. there might be something in Mr..
kuyks argument. But if a white man