Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-02-14
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS
By ]. L. POWER
The Political, Educational and Social Status Of the
Negro in Mississippi
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVE
By ]. L. POWER.

hctc y Nuat 0Ov- LOnE1uOs 10 nts IN
auyural address. ays upon thss subject;
There h no danger 30 great TO the sHsirS
OF any rspubiic sa ignorant. Factions
citizenship. vho-s ssnssnri~. have slways
been to evsrturn serial order. poiitiesl sys-
TEN. liberty. justice a.d rixat. ri-is.ippTs
greatest relief FROM this scsrrs - evil has
been for naay Year, fss.d n the sfss<isaey
OF eer free shoois and her col;sxs. rks
hbsraliry. therefore. Of the l.xi<Isturs IN
the past, in providing funds for tasir proper
msintsnaace. hss been both wise and pa
trio,se. and heartily eomn-u.i IN. con
ttnsssion Of the sane liberal spirit toward
all the States esiurstionsl interest. and IN
s;itutious The free ~rhool fund i nov ai.-
,rioatei snoux the esantiss per capita Of
the siucabls children IN each. The relative
Attendance upon the free s-hools in the
white Is much greater than in the black
eountis~, AMI hence. BY reason Of the fewer
schoois required for the accommodation %
the attending pupils in IN. blsrk coantie-
sforsts those counties the aSs Of the funds
set apart to IN. non streudinr N. .ldrsn
therein. hsucs. those eoanrie~ aas sushs d
from said fund to extend the terms sf thei-
schools taught and to pay tsschers bette
salaries than can the white COUNTIES where
the larger proportion Of the ehildreu at
tend the schools. Sine. the manifest par-
pose Of the law Is to favor e,aal educational
facilities 10 all ot the chilir-u Of the state
alike. ] would commend to the I.xf..star,
the submission Of sn am.nimsnt to ..-ctiou
80 OF tn. constitution. - % TO r-guire the
State free school fund TO be Distributed
among the counties accortinx % the a.,tuaI
stteuaance upon the -chool.> rather than
per capita. n now
There has been some urgent iasistenee for
the submission By this legisla; IRE Of sn
amendment, 10 the constitution 20 provids
for the distribution Of the free school fund.
between the white and negro schoos- Of the
State. 20 as 10 give the benefits thereof 10
each race IN proportion 70 the school tsx-~
Which it pays Though it NAV sesm a htrls
outside Of the governor expected preroga-
tive % speak Of the matter here IN a.franr.
OF legislative scsion on the subject. I shall.
nevertheless. n the risk Of being considered
metdlesouis venture 70 express the hope
that no surh smeudne1dr will aad .u-
proval ar the hands of the legislature
Without stopping here to discus the con-
stitutional couficts -hicn -oal.i oe brought
sboat between the State aad Fel-rsl eon-
ssirurions. or. II &c b. .fmirt~i that there
wouid b no constitutional vi-s IN .ssrh
arnentnens o>ra1se Of It's class or race di.-
tinction. its eject. whiea would bs 10 take
school o>ueGts largely from the negro ehfl-
dr-n. would hs contrary 70 that broad AMI
deep philanthropie spirit that hss always
moved the great common heart Of Chris
tiaa man and ~omanhooi in MiSSissippi 10
love Of Justice and fair play toward the
weak and needy. whoever and wherever
they are. Il must be borne in mind that
the negro is our ueixhbor and IL here to
stay, that he Is the dep<ndenrs largely Of
the white people for labor: that il Is also
IN great measure due to that labor that
in the past the South's cotton. sugar anst
rice industries have brought tho se-tion $
greatest wealth. and given il . commercial
Importance In every land snd country
whore the nations flag protests the Amer
lean shipping. Beside. h. n o. cur eiri-
rsnship, and being Of . weaker race. be-
comes . ward Of the white people Of the
State. and they should not violate IN. trrsS.
I
Of education, which help to make aim Q
better man. . better citizen and . better
Christian
So far from there being any discrimi-
i nation sgains. the negro in the dis
tribution of the school fund. Gov.
Longino shows how the distribution
operated IN his favor. Hence the eou-
stitutional amendment proposed by the
, legislature of 1900. and adopted AZ the
slection in November last By vote OF
A., Ia TO T.5S-i. Here IS the section As
amended.
Sec aus. There shall Be - county com
mon school fund. whirh snail consist Of the
poll tax to be retained in the COUNTS
/ where the same h collected anil . stats
common school fund. 10 Be taken from the
general fund in the state treasury, which
together shall BE- sufficient to maintain th-
common schools for the term Of four
months IN each scholastic year Bat any
county or separate school district NAV levy
an additional tax 10 mainf.in the Schools
for q longer time than the term Of four
months The STATE common school fun.
shall hs distributed among the several
counties and separate school districts IN
proportion 70 the number Of eiacabls chil-
dren in each. 10 be determined from data
collected through the Office Of the stats
superintendent Of education in the manner
to Be prescribed BY la~-
This makes the poll tax \ county
school fund instead of State school
fund II is retained and used in the
counties where collected. instead of en-
tering into and being = part of the one
million dollars annually distributed By
the auditor, ard pro. ated according 10
the number of educable children in
each county This saght to stimulate
q more general payment of the poll TAX.
by both races, and the white counties
which have complained that the poll
tax paid BY them was distributed 70
the black counties, where but little poll
TAX was paid, should now see to it that
every man pays his poll tax Il viii
; stay in the county for the education OF
.he children Of that county. The legis-
lature may always be counted upon to
vote \ sufficient sum TO insure the con-
stitutioGal free school term Of four
months; and many counties and all the
/ separate school districts will extend
from five TO nine months
| EdueAtisa.l Statistics
The biennial report of State Super
intendent Whitfield for the fiscal year
T isss-ss (the latest compiled. shows
Total receipts. Including separate
a-elrict.- y 10 " "
Total for common schools ---- 81 x1s. sss q
Disbursements. exclusive Of separate
districts 81. .Qi5. ~ II
/, Separate districts esi-Itras
Total for county and districts I.nd. IsS Il
i ESKoLLMEyr-
Whlte-st1les ISL,
fema-es E--@Sl
Total .------------- l5a. sss
C91or>d-hales s--.------.----------- ---- ss,-s4
FEMALES s-------------------. ---- Sis
4 lot2A s--- lay -