The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-09

1
Miss Bessie Hamlin and Miss M. A.
| Etheridge.
| Respectfully submitted.
| MRS. MESERVE.
| MRS. BOWES,
MRS. CHAS. LONG,
| Committee.
Certificates of recognition for excellen-
cy of work in the sewing department
were awarded with a few appropriate
| remarks to the following: Maggis Au-
| gusta Etheridge, E. Bessie Hamlin, EN-
ma c. Friday, Essie j. Lassiter, Bessie
Thelma Thornton, Mamie McDougall.
After announcing that the board of
trustees at their last meeting had con-
ferred the honorary degree of d. D. upon
Rev. G. w. Perry, of this city, and Rev.
w. M. Alexander, of Baltimore, Nd,
President Meserve made a parting ad
dress to the graduating class, as follows:
PRESIDENT MESERyE's ADDRESS
Young men and women starting out in
life ought to address themselves intel
ligently to the leading questions OF the
day. InduStrialism and the good roads
| movement are receiving much attention,
| but when county and other political
conventions are declaring for public edu-
cation the foremost of all questions of
| the day is the education OF the children
of both races and it is the most hope
| full sign of the age. But what Goes this
movement mean for the colored race? I
hear now and then expressions of dis
trust and it is therefore well that We
should examine into the situation.
%l,r
| held an educational gathering of deep
significance and far-reachng possihil
| ties. 1t was entirely a private enter
prise without any authority from city or
county, State or nation. 1t was com
posed of representative white men and
, women from both the South and the
North who had assembled to discuss the
educational needs of the South and 20
devise means for the education of all
the children. What this movement may
develop into remains to be seen, but
there are many favorable indications.
At this conference there We're hopeful
utterances from prominent and able men.
The eloquent Govrnor Aycock. of trorth
Carolina, was a prominent and inhucn-
tial factor in this conference. He plead
child and he said: "Ry every child, 7
mean every child, black and white"
THE Honorable Harry st. George
Tucker, one of the brightest men of mid
die life in Virginia. son of the famous
John Randolph Tucker and President of
Washington and Lee University, made
strong impression After admitting ard
Iregretting that his first public address
OH education was against universal edu
cation, he declared himself in favor of
| the education of all the children at pub
| lie expense He show ed wildly how
time, money and effort are expended in
the training of bird dogs and mules, and
then said: 81 think more of a negro
than of doc or a mule"
1.-The Honorable Hoke Smith. of Allan
ia, also warmly advocated the education
of all of the children. and. discussing
tho period before the Civil War, said:
eve gave our time to raising slaves ard
| Massachusetts to the training of the
| mind of her youth" He also said, re-
ferring to the colored race: They are
not going away from the South, and we
do not want them to go away"
1.-The mass of the children of both races
get no education outside of their own
school districts. The problem is there
fore to be solved directly by these dis
trict public schools teachers for which
must be furnished by Shaw and similar
institutions 1t is useless to decry the
inefficiency of these public schools on
account of poor teachers and poor meth
DDS until means and facilities are pro-
Q 20,
pairing better teachers. That we have
kept abreast, of the times is evidenced
| by the high standing of Shaw men and
women as teachers and by the persisten-
cy with which she has from the begin
ming made industrial training prominent
in her course of study. The first insti
tuition in the State for the education Of
either race to give industrial training,
she has persistently continued it, and
her friends are planning additional
branches of industrial work and the re-
quisite facilities for carrying it on.
There is a fundamental idea that is
apt to be ignored or lest sight of in dis
cussing the support of public schools
by property taxation A county politi-
cal convention in this State recently put
itself on record in favor of a four
months school for all the children, sup
ported by public taxation. This action
is deserving of great praise. This con-
vcntion also favored an extension to the
school term beyond the period of four
months and recommended that the ad-
ditional cost be met by taxing sepa-
rately the property of each race. This
would mean little or no additional
schooling for the colore1 children for
tho reason that their parents pay only
a small per cent of the property tax.
Now, what is the underlying idea in
volved in public education? 1t is this:
All property exists for the good of the
State, and the State is in duty bound
| to perpetuate and project itself. 1t can
do this III no securer way than by edu
| eating the masses at public expense.
| The poorer people are and the less able
| to educate their children, the greater
becomes the duty of the State towards
these children. Tay payers are not the
only property producers. Every worker
| is a producer. whether he is fortunate