The leader., 1902-09-17
SENATOR NOEL.
He Discusses at Aberdeen the
Proposed Division of the.
School Fund.

Only AZ Per Cent. of Educable Children
Are White, But They Get 10 Per
Cent. of Fund.
In his speech at Aberdeen Senator
e. F. Noel, who is candidate for the
gubernatorial nomination, declared he
was opposed to the suggestion to di-
vide the school fund between the two
races in proportion to the amount of
taxes each paid, as the scheme was i'm
practicable and unconstitutional. Dis
cussing the matter of education, he
said:
sour Constitution makes it the duty
of the Legislature to encourage, by all
suitable means, the promotion of intel
lectual, scientific, moral and agricultu-
raj improvement, through the public
schools and those of higher grades.
Our university and colleges are per-
forming their parts nobly, and with
steadily increasing effectiveness. Our
common schools, while good, would be
much improved if the State should es-
tablish and maintain an institution for
the thorough and special training of
it's teachers. There is much art, and
as much need in special culture, for
high grade teachers as for members of
the other learned professions.
"The money appropriated to public
education is not, and has not been
equally divided between the white and
colored children, nor would such dis
trihution be fair. Each race is taught
by teachers Of its own color. White
teachers are greatly superior in intel
ligence, training and capacity; and
their cost OF living and the value of
their services in other avoeations is
much higher; and consequently they
are, and ought to be, paid greatly bet
ter salaries.
"Our State superintendent of Educa-
ton states that only AZ per cent. of chill
dren of school age are white; and yet
these AZ per cent. receive " per cent. of
the money appropriated by our State
to schools and colleges, giving to white
children about five times as much as to
the colored, and he says that if all taxes
applied for EDUCATION were appropria-
ted to the children of the race paying
the tax and taxes from corporations
distributed pro rata, the negroes would
get more money than they do now. In
this county, as | am informed, less
than one tenth of the money applied to
the common schools goes to negro pop
ulation, and yet that their schools are
suitably maintained, and that the
average pay of white teachers is $40
and of the negro teachers S14.
Our constitution and laws, subject to
the federal constitution, confer upon
our white people the entire manage
ment of all public affairs, and the dis
tribution of all public money, ACCORD
ing to their idea of what is fair and
just. White men fill all offices and all
juries and determine all legal contro-
versies. White school boards. de-
termine the size and the number of
children of each school district; and
white county superintendent, with a
large discretion as to the amount of
salary of each teacher, determine what
each school district receives. By this
means the proportion of money ex-
pended for each race is regulated by
the discretion and sense of fairness of
the white race.
This policy was formulated by the
makers of our present Constitution,
consisting of many of the ablest lawyers
and statesmen of the South, who consid-
cred for months the race problem in all
its phases. A different policy had pre-
viously been attempted by the Legisla-
lures of Kentucky and of North Caro-
lima, which sought, by direct Jaw, to
make each race maintain it's own public
schools. But the United States and
the State courts held these laws to be
void aqd that no one was bound to pay
taxes thus ignored, ! can furnish ref
erence to these decisions to any one
who C desires :" read them. The su-
preme Court of the ."'Oed oIaIes' al
the 175th U. S. Report, in pass 'N ol
the racial school question, declared call
admit that the benefits and burdens of
public taxation must be shared by citi-
zens without discrimination against
any class on account of their race; and
that schools must be maintained for
each race out of a common school
fund, if maintained at all. A change
of our present Constitution, which
rests wholly with the Legislature and
the people, and with which the Gov
ernor has no official connection, should
be carefully considered before its
adoption"