The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-08-26
rrespOndenC
HARRY n TALKS.
LXXW.

luG GullOI LdhCS Oo W t65N
cent editorial for advocating a sepa-
rate school tax for the white and the
c~olored schools in North Carolina.
This is the way we would operate the
school system: We would take all
moneys arising from the sales of
swamp lands, appropriations by the
Legislature, taxes on interpretations
such as railways, ETC., and apportlon
it per capita among the white and
colored races alike, giving each child
of either race the same amount, then
let the taxes paid direct by each race
go to support the schools. The same
tax collector, the same treasurer, ETC.,
could handle all the funds as is done
under the present system.
If there were no difference in the
races and no separation we would not
advocate a separation of the direct
taxes. As there is such a strong pref
udice against the colored people by
the whites, as was shown in the spe-
cial school tax election several years
ago, we want to remove the only ex-
cuse there is for not having special
school taxes, and the only way to do it
is to let each ones taxes go to educate
his own race.
Some claim that the negro will
waste the public money and that the
State will not be benefited in proper
ton to the cost. Experience has
shown that the negro makes use of his
opportunities for schooling as much
so If not better than the whites. In
this county, Columbus, there is a COM
munity composed of "old issue or free
negroes" as they are called, negroes
that were free before the war, that
would compare fa9orably with any in
any community in the State. Ex-
Congressman George H. White, of the
eastern part of the State, was partly
raised here. This community has sent
out scores of school teachers who
monopolized the colored schools for
several years in this and adjoining
counties. Besides they have furnish
ed several doctors and preachers.
Their homes are large and well fur
nished. The farms are among the
largest and best cultivated of any in
this section. They had a nice church
before the war which the M. z.
Church supplied with preacing every
month. Since then they have one of
their own color to preach for them.
They always keep good schools, sup
plementing the public funds from
their OWL pocket books when neces-
sary. The children are taught to
work and forced to attend school dur
ing the school term. The criminal
docket in the court house never con-
tains any of their ame They are
about the only negroes who sit on the
jury. Nearly every one takes some
newspaper; some I know took The
Progressive Farmer a few years ago.
We mention this to show that if
negroes are left to themselves that
they will improve, and why should we
keep the white children in school bare
~ four months when we could have
six or eight months by keeping the
taxes separate? We heard a great
many whites during the campaign be-
fore the election on the special school
tax say, that if they would let the
taxes paid by the whites go to educate
the white children they would support
the measure heartily, but as this
would not be the case they would use
all the means in their power to de-
feat it, which they did.
Some claim that a district can vote
a tax whenever it so desires, but this
is too much trouble. 1t is hard to de-
fine the lines, besides it is not a boy
or girl here and there that we want
educated, but the whole State, and es-
pecially the children of farmers. Our
State will never occupy the position
which she ought to until we educate
the children of farmers. By this
means we can rapidly improve; other
wise we will climb the hill of prosper
ity very slowly.
We hope the readers of The Pro-
gressive Farmer in the Western part
of the State will use their influence
for this measure. If they were here
on the grounds and see how the farm
ers are handicapped they would
change their minds and help us out.
HARRY FARMER.
Columbus Co., n. @.