The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-29
IRRIGATION IN THE SOUTH.

EDULAllSN- IN lHE SOQtus
DIR. j. l.. NJ. Curry, manager OF the
Peabody and Slater educational funds,
contributes to the Philadelphia Sunday
School Times an article on What the
South Has Done For the Negro" After
reviewing the conditions before the war
and Immediately thereafter, DR.. Curry
says:
soon after Appomattcx. despite the
dark environments, some of US felt that
the sal,at ton of the South, the restoration
to prosperity. TO dignity, to Just share
of political power. to the recovery OF ouE
lost prestige to meeting our equal re-
sponsjbilitfes as citizens were contingent
upon higher education and free SCHOOLS
for all the people. Every State now has
State-established, State. controlled, State
supported schools for both races, without
legal discrimination as to Dement'S con-
ferrcd In the former slaVe-hoid'hs
States. Including the District OF Coium-
t,ia, of the number OF children OF sc'ooi
age, i've TO eighteen, So per cent are ne
Eroes. OF the enrolment In scnooIs
about SO per cent. Of The coiorcd schooi
children are found, and Of the average
daily attendance there are about % per
cent, of the enrolled colored chiioreh'
The expenditure for the education OF ne
erocs by the State. according TO tables
prepared by the Bureau of Eoncauoh
from 1870 to 1891, was over slzo'Vvv'V''
and the progress of school expenditure.
,er CAPITA. from 40 cents in lS1o-'1, was
Spo il; 1875 OF the school revenues
Maid t.y taxation, the white people palo
about So in every Sle9.
.If is worthy of consideration that these
school systems We're established by white
legislators. eight-tenths OF whom were
Confederate soldiers or their descendants
tJhcy have been administered and con-
tinucd, and arc now supported by "Hi'e
people under circumstances or cohoitiois
of marty anita gonism. which have soreiS
.r;c1 ,atience and patriotism. Nothing
.n the history OF modern civilization sur
yasscs this sublime self-deniaL
Passing on then to speak OF the klnd
feeling in the South toward the negro and
Tho great burden of negro education. Or.
Curry saws that the treatment Of every
nhasc of the negro problem as 1t exists
in tho South will he very partial and IN
complete if it be considered simply as
local question He declares that 1t is
national 10 an extreme degree and that
II cannot be limited TO one race Great
as is the need for the proper education
Of the negro he adds, there IS perhaps
n greater need FOR the education OF the
white race Finally he quotes Bishop
Galloway. of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. as having said in a letter to Dr.
for the poor negro. But more and more
Tie conviction forces itself upon me that
Better facilities for educating the white
people Of the South will best help forward
the interests of the negro
1t is with thorough appreciation of
Southern Educational Association has
been organized. This movement was
started by certain wealthy men at the
North. headed l,y Robert c. Ogden, and
they have succeeded thus far in securing
The services OF number Of leading South
crn educators, such as DR.. Charles w.
Dabuey. Of the University Of Tennessee;
Professor II. St George Tucker. of Hir-
ginia; Rev Edgar Murphy, of Alabama,
uud men of that cult. whose mission Tor
the present is to awaken educational
sentiment throughout the South.
jsuC VIC are ibio4 iiie'' li1I 'iiG me-
ment is by no means to stop at this. 1t
IS probable that by and BY The proposal
will Ire made by rich men concerned to
supplement the school fund in the various
States of the South, and 1t is also proba-
bic that an effort will be made through
this organization TO get the Federal Gov
nrlmcnt TO aid in this general educational
movement. This statement Is not TO be
regarded as in any way authoritative,
aut we have little doubt from what we
have heard that something practical IN
this way will lie uonc. At any rate. It
IS an excellent movement and the fact
that these earnest and forceful men are
taking an active part in it is sufficient
guarantee Of its sincere and honest pur-
pose. and the movement deserves the
hearty and cordial support of the South
crn people