The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-29
The "oGDsN MOVEMENT"

:ion with the so.cnlled ogden movement
for education in the South was contained
In o short address by Or. Albert Shaw,
editor Of the Review of Reviews, at the
recent conference for Southern education
in the city Of Athens.
DR.. Shaw said that for years the Gov
eminent had been paying out about Sl4V'-
100000 annually on the pension account.
He roughly estimated that OF this sum
the South contributed something like
100000 This tax, he went on, was
not a burden upon the North, for the
money thus collected was disbursed among
the Northern people and they received
back again the bulk Of it, both that
which they contributed and that which
the South contributed. And so the South
has lgone on from year to year, paying
its part of the pension tax and receiving
little in return, yet never grumbing. 1t
seemed to him, therefore, a simple mat
ter of justice that the South should re-
ceive something by way of compensation
from the North. and it was in that spirit,
he added, that these Northern phllan-
thropists proposed to aid the South IN
bearing its burden oe popular education
We take it that DR.. Shaw, who is
part and parcel Of the Ogden party, spoke
advisedly and expressed the sentiments
Of his Northern associates.
In the same connection, the Philadel-
p1ia Record says that the education of
toe
is a matter of Importance to the whole
nation.
Those who would grasp the full meaning
of this educational movement should take
these two things to heart. The impress
sion seems TO have gone out that Mr.
Ogden and his friends are coming to the
South as missionaries among the heatheh,
to convert them to their ways and that
they are bestowinG these gifts as aims.
We saw frankly for The Times that II
such were the case, if the Northern peo-
pie were coming down here to locate
yankee school marms,:' with view to
teaching the peculiar doctrines OIL inc
North to our youth, The Times would re
cent and resist the movement WITH all It's
might. we believe in the Southern spirit.
We believe that true Democracy ana true
Americanisn are to be found IN th1s
section-we had almost said in this sec
ton only. We will say that there is
more genuine Democracy and Amer
canism in the South than in any other
section. and, apart from any feeling that
we may have in the matter, and we con-
fess to a very deep feeling on this SUD
iect. we think that it would be. a national
disaster for that sentiment to be dis
turbed.
pu+ # there is any such disposition on.
the part of the Ogden people they nave
managed most adroitly to keep 1t thor-
oughly concealed, and they have strange
way of manifesting it and OF WORKING 10
that end. We arc firmly convinced that
there is no such disposition on their part.
We are fully convinced that their ann IS
purely philanthropic and patr1ouc ana
that they have an earnest desire 10 90
good from the broadcast point OF view.
They hold that public education is ma
tional burden and that no one section
ought to bear more than its part OF 1t.
They hold that the South is bearing ana
since the war has been bearing, more
than its fair share of this burden; and
so. in generous mood and III recognltion
of the fact, they have como forward and
said that they will cheerfully put a sum
of money at our disposal, to be expended
in our own way in promoting the cause
of nopular education and directly in as
s;sting in our school work.
They do not propose to interfere; they
do not propose to evangelize; they do not
nronose to give aims. They desire to
helm us. They desire to help us to help
ourselves, and all the Southern men VINO
attended the conference at Athens caught
the spirit Of the occasion and received
the ogden party as graciously as they
knew how. There was no compromise OF
Southern dignity and independence IN N
anything that was said by any southern
man who spoke. Governor Aycock, OF
North Carolina, and Mr.. Hoke smith, OF
Georgia, both emphasized the fact that Inc
education OF Southern children was prl-
m,rily the work of the Southern people
and that our people had no idea OF per-
hitting outsiders to do this work FOR
them. 1t was only with that under
standing that they would receive ala
from the people of the North.
Some t;:no ago We had occasion to re-
mark that The Times was intensely
Southern" and in reply to question
from the New York Sun as to what that
meant, we elaborated the point. Tho
Times is intensely Southern. and we may
add that The Times is intensely jealous
of Southern dignity and independence.
Bu. Tho Times recognizes the fact that
when an honest gift is rendered in an
honest spirit it is honorable and manly
and righteous to receive it in gracious
spi-:t. We are convinced that these
ovortures are made 10 the South In the
right spirit and. therefore, we believe
tina. they should be met grac'ously as