New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-30
WHITE INTEREST IN BLACK SCHOOLS


The persistent attempts of the enemies of
negro education to divide the school taxes in the
Southern States, giving to coored schools only
the money raised from colored taxpayers, is
condemned in a significant article by 1.-The Co.
lumbia State Governor Aycock of North Caro-
lima has been outspoken on this question. When
he made his strong appeal for large appro-
priations for schools the legislature threatened
10 pass bill granting what he asked, but divid-
ing it between the races in proportion to the
contributions of each. The Governor frankly
said that If this bill was passed he would veto
it, and IL it was repassed over his veto he would
resign and make campaign for reelection on
the issue so raised. His will prev allied. More re-
Gently Congressman Talbert, one of the candi-
dates for Governor in South Carolina, has been
before the people asking a nomination on the
ground that he favors the use of white peoples
taxes for white schools. This proposition 1.-THE
Columbia State" declares TO be an unwise and
unwholesome theory for South Carolina. and its
arguments on the subject are especially effec-
tive, inasmuch as they are based On the inter-
ests of the white race Philanthropists who op-
pose division of the school funds for the sake
of the negro are somewhat discredited among
Southerners, being thought of as intruders
who are trying to force upon them negro equal
ity. This prejudice cannot operate to diminish
The influence of 1.-THE State" It frankly admits
the provocation for division, and says:
We know it is hard for white man who is
heavily taxed for school purposes to see his
own children insufficiently educated In the pub
lie schools. while hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars are expended In imparting to negroes-who
IN his opinion, will never be aught but hewers of
wood and drawers of water-book knowledge
that they are likely never to utilize and which
In his judgment, makes them dsinclined to that
manual labor 70 which their condition of life as
Rhf liz Hsr
view is inevita bic the part Of men who are
not trained to think deeply. IL is a wrong view
and those who set themselves up as instructors
of the people should be capable of a broader
and deeper examination of the question
The acceptance of the division policy would
mean an annual expenditure of not more than
$4,000 for the education of some two hundred
thousand negro children, and would result 'The
State declares, IN a negro population worse
and more difficult TO deal with than anv that
the most extreme license of emancipation has
produced The slaves were ignorant but they
were under control. A generation equally igno
rant now would be disastrous to civilization
because the negroes are free. have learned TO
enjoy the vices of freedom. and are not sub
ject to the discipline which kept their fathers
in order, nor the steady work which moderated
iawless impulses. "They can only be reached
through their minds. They can only be in1u-
enced by considerations appealing to the rea-
son" 1t lis pointed out that all the danger
from negro violence to the white women of the
South comes from the uneducated negroes who
nave been allowed to grow I'D in brutisbness
instead OF being taught TO use their freedom
'l1H. The negroes are IN the majority in