The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-02-16

1t will thus be seen that our uniform
is 'for all children" and that
the school fund is distributed sin pro-
in each" A proposition intro
duced in the senate, at the last session
the legislature, and earnestly in
sisted upon, to SO amend the constitu-
ton hat the school fund should be dis
tributed to the races in proportion to
the taxes paid by each, was reported
adversely upon, and received only four
votes in that body.
Here is what Gov. Longino, in his in
augural address, says upon this subject:
There is no danger so great to the affairs
of any republic as an ignorant, factious
citizenship, whose tendencies have always
been to overturn social order, political sys-
tenn, liberty, justice and right. Mississippi's
greatest relief from this source of evil has
been for many years found in the efficiency
of her free schools and her colleges. The
liberality, therefore, of the legislature in
the past, in providing funds for their proper
maintenance, has been both wise and pa
triotic, and l heartily commend the con-
tinuation of the same liberal spirit toward
all the States educational interests and in
situations. The free school fund is now dis
tributed among the %counties per capita of
the educable children in each. The relative
attendance upon the free schools in the
white is much greater than in the black
counties, and hence. by reason Of the fewer
schools required for the accommodation of
the attending pupils in the black counties
affords those counties the use of the funds
set apart to the non-attending children
therein hence, those counties are enabled
from sale fund to extend the terms Of their
schools taught and to pay teachers better
salaries than can the white counties where
the larger proportion of the children at
tend the schools. Since the manifest pur-
pose of the law is to favor equal educational
facilities to all of the children Of the State
alike, l would commend to the legislature
the submission of an amendment to section
2O6 of the constitution, SO as to require the
State free school fund TO bs distributed
among the counties according to the actual
attendance upon the schools, rather than
per capita, as now.
There has been some urgent insistence for
the submission by this legislature Of an
amendment to the constitution to provide
for the distribution of the free school funds
between the white and negro schools of the
State, so as to give the benefits thereof to
each race in proportion to the school taxes
which it pays. Though it may seem a little
outside of the governors expected preroga'
tive to speak of the matter here lin advance
of legislative action on the subject), / shall,
nevertheless, at tho risk Of being considered
meddlesome, venture to express the hope
that no such amendmendt will find ap
proval at the hands of the legislature
Without stopping here to discuss the con
stitutional conflicts which would be brough'
about between the State and Federal con
situations, or, If it be admitted that there
would be no constitutional vice in sucl
amendment because of its class or race dis
tinction, its effect, which would be to TAX,
school benefits largely from the negro chill
dren, would be contrary to that broad AM
deep philanthropic spirit that has Away
moved the great common heart of Chris
tian man and w~omanhood in Mississippi t.
a love of justice and fair play toward tn
l weak and needy. whoever and whereve
they are. 1t must be borne in mind tina
the negro is our neighbor and is here t
i, stay that he is the dependence largely Q
, the white people for labor; that it is ais
in a great measure due to that labor tina
y in the past the South's cotton. sugar an
= rice industries have brought the section
greatest wealth, and given it a commerce,
I importance in every land and countr
e where the nations flag protects the Anne
l lean shipping. Besides, he is Of our cit
S zenship, and being of a weaker race, b
IS comes a ward of the white people of IL
), State. and they should not violate the tru
A by taking from him the benign influence
I, Of education, which help to make him
better man, a better citizen and a bett,
Christian.
% So far from there being any discrim
70 nation against the negro in the di
,f tribution of the school fund, Go
II operated in his favor. Hence the co
st"itutional amendment proposed by Il
Legislature of 1900, and adopted at Il
election in November last by a vote
10 1877 to 1888. Here is the section
is, amended:
&c, sec. 10. lutTe sDHi DO n county Co
by mon school fund, which shall consist Of t
ID DOLL tax to be retained in the count
or where the same is collected, and a Sts
nd common school fund, to be taken from I
I'll general fund In the State treasury, viii
together shall be sufficient to maintain
Dol common schools for the term of &c
months in each scholastic year. But a
he county or separate school district may lie
I'm an additional tax to maintain the scho
nv for a longer time than the term Of Il
in months. The State common school fu
OF shall be distributed among the seve
,ut counties and separate school districts
ay proportion to the number of educable cl
its dren In each, to be determined from di
Of collected through the Office Of the st
nd su~perintendent of education in the man
IN to be prescribed by law.
ro- This makes the poll tax a cour
in school fund instead Of a State sch
ted fund. 1t is retained and used in
ent counties where collected, instead Of
re- tering into and being a part of the
million dollars annually distributed
the auditor, and prorated according