The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-09-02

i've Farmer in The Outlook.)
II'7' ,raral counties of the Black Belt
FV-+a carolina within the last few
eli +nare have come rumOrS of a
MON" demand for some plan for divid-
IoF'I ..haoI fund between the races in
lA5 ...rffon of the amount of taxes
tt .arh-the withdrawal of white
pau s~am negro schools. Against this
s1lf''l 1oIicv Gov. Aycock. ex-Gov-
SUES r.,-fs and other educational lead
ti"', eauarely set their faces, risk
or .bs4- own popularity in some degree
l7 ,.+.r-a of what they regard as right.
III .,no1 be denied hat there is an
j." NOT too small to deserve con-
e',.4tan that does not approve of uni
r..r alucation. Just now these men
''"[ .,ra the greatest stress on the fact
mr. newly adopted Constitutional
..-ramant provides an educational
rf.4tion for voters, and that the edu-
A".:.o If the negro means his return to
'~,..t.ar nower-"the virtual undoing OF
~. sm4nGnent," they say. Moreover, it
~' .ho,,a that the whites now pay the
'.r.. Of their own public schools and
'. than two-thirds of the cost of the
ro schools: it is asserted that the
au.aunt is needed for the educa-
IAN o. white boys and girls.
o..-. nfa4sIhlc and rather alluring ar
r..rts ara these: it must be admitted
-". +a.v POSSESS considerable force. And
., o. careful study of the problem will
t.o- that. even from an ultra-SOuthern
-.rf.a.nt there are good grounds for
p,r.-nor Aveock's position-gOod reasons
.. -h. ha1iel that to abandon our time
t.nar.1 policy for the one now proposed
would work injury to both races.
j. +ha first place. it is probable that
.Ra scheme is a wiIl-o'-the-wisp; that it
eqr1J not be put into execution even if its
.5ga-stu- were able to secure the repeal
af those provisions of Jul State Consti-
n-ion that now conflict with it. For
learned lawyers believe that the Four
-s4r-l Amendment to the Constitution
os The United States presents obstacles
that could not be overcome.
The righteousness of the measure may
also be- q~uestioned-as it was questioned
w an houored judge and Democratic
leader l.ao said TO the writer recently:
III would not be right, it would be I'M
worthy q strong Christian people, to
withhold the light from this weak and
needy race"
II appears. therefore, that in the con-
sheraton Of this scheme three questions
demand attention;
Is it Constitutional?
Is il righteous?
Is II exyeiient?
In this article only the last of these
n,errogatories shall have attention.
We believe that the proposed change
is .uazneflent because
l. II would destroy the foundation of
our public school system.
g. Il would a~ggravate, not alleviate,
the Southern race problem.
is 10 The first of these propositions:
The great bedrock truth on which our
scheme Of public education is based is
that .che rank and power of peoples be-
ing in proportion to their intelligence
ignorance. wherever found, without re-
gard 10 sex or race or condition, is
.limical TO the peace, progress, and pros
rerlty Of the commonwealth; that it is,
like crime. the common enemy Of all the
r5ogIe. and that all must work together
fer IT'S suppression: that, as the State
can leave 10 no one class the punishment
of the criminals Of that class, but must
-- 81 ASSUME lItt JdSh o warning dSoIiot
crime whose presence Injuries all, so the
State must war against i~lliteracy, allow
.1E the Indifference or incompetence OF
no class to foster this enemy of the
general welfare.
Suppose We should allow the rich to
Say 10 the poor. or the whites to the
blacks. Build your own jails, pay your
own Judges. punish your own criminals;
what have We to do with crime in your
raaEs. BY that act we should abandon
lie principle that crime is the common
enemy Of all the people, to be controlled
a4- punished by the State as the repre-
sentative Of all the people, and pave the
Wa. for virtual anarchy. So, when we
Elbow one race to say to another, Build
..aE own school houses, pay your own
"-.t1Ez. educate your own children
"~'l have We to do with ignorance in
s'-' fa1Es.' We uproot the foundation
s.4 blaljc-schooI system and pave the
it anarchy in educational matters
II ignorance is not the common
81 white and black. how are we
. prove that it is the common enemy o!
.'@ and poor. or of Catholic and Protes-
@~~ or IF Baptist and Methodist, towns
~'~ a0t oountryfan? To illustrates: Sup
VIZ let the Wcalthier rae now say
."~ poorer race, I'VE are tired of hay
" pay taxes to educate your chill
lake what is your own and edu-
Your children; We viii use oul
-.-E GA our children" What theI
''+ "e ansWcr-as Governor Aycocl
"l 10 the writer a few days ago
'a years later the old aristocratit
's EItEEIH -LGF- f+rnIf NV tho rich whit
saying to the poor white man, II
"'t right to compel a rich race tc
.~. "-aeation of a poor race, neither
..@Ht 10 compel n rich class to ait
,s .'-e'llon Of a poor class. I am tiret
.'<t4g taxes TO educate your children
+'a'e your own and l will educate
r ""Eal9 Inevitable is the conclusion
Ell" adoption of the proposed polio.
d.,. ".an the breaking UP of the foun
principle Of our educational sys
No., Who can say what the end woul'
The second place. as I have said
r '.'.osed change is inexpedient be
fL. 4. would a~ggravate. not alleviate
Oh. *tIh race DrOblem.' To put /