The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-18
EDUCATION IN Tnr sou Ii.

1t is given out from New York that MI.
John .. Rockefeller and his son have de-
,crmined to invest large sums OF money
In the promotion of Scu,iern education
and that President Baldwin, of the Long
Island Railroad, is 10 be the head Of the
organization formed for TIC purpose
This is in line with ;hc so.called Ogden
movement and IS a matter of great IN
lcrcst to the Southern people. We are
very proud people and We never pass
around the hat. We are rot disposed TO
nsk favors from any. ana some ct tie
Eouthern people ere so Proud mat tHsy
are unwilling to accept farurs even wren
nroffercd voluntarily by the Northern
ncoplc. But we can see no reason why
The people of the South Shout! MT :
-ept in good faith the offer which these.
f;orthern millionaires propose 20 make lH'
'he line OF promoting our educational in
ncrests.
The New York Times in commenting
mn this movement says:
One thing is peculiarly noteworthy IN
! the Dian as lTBS1IJDCu .i0ApS''tSN ~
the sneakers at the dinner given by NJ.
cSden in November last, of which il'ls
later plan is a development. il Is tha'
What is intended, is help, Int 1t is not IN
any sense charity. This is due to two
facts In the first place, The men en-
gagged in this work recognize that the
whole country has both an interest and a
duty with reference to educa,..'n j. the
South. 1t has 4 profound interest be-
cause The failure Of any part Of the
country TO secure facilities for education
up TO the standard of tho rest OF the
country is a menace to ALL The pros
1)eriiy and the safety of the nation de-
pend OF. the highest attaina3e intelll-
gcnce among all the people. Intelligence
cannot be raised to i high level without
general schooling. The general schools
ing of the South is very defective. 1t IS
for the protection Of New York and ili.-
,,ois and FcnnSylvalila as much as LOT
that of the South that the defects should
he removed as far as practicable. 1t IS
not less the duty than the interest of the
rest of the country to aid in this work
The South is relatively poor 1t Is SO
because only a little more than a genera
lion since ii WIS swept clean by the
Civil War and suffered losses without pre-
cedcnt in modern history. Those losses
were inflicted by the rest of the country
in order to preserve the Union, ana the
effort was successful. 1t was rest anu
it was necessary that the war should De
tonight out. and the result was worth
Tho cost But the cost fell heaviest on
the South and now it is the duty OF the
North 10 help tho South in that work
which is The most essential to the progress
of the whole country.
The South has expended large sums OF
money for popular education and has
been more generous than could reasona-
bly, have been expected in public appro-
r.iations for negro education. Now II
generous men at the North, who realize
This. are willing to come forward and ald
us in the work that We are doing, there
is no reason why we should. for the sake
of false pride. turn our backs upon all
such and haughtily say that We wish
nothing from them. Indeed, we nave
no right 10 take such q position. The
money to be expended Ill this direction
viii be in the interest of the children
who are soon to take our places, and 50
it will be in the interest OF a better
citizcnry and better government. we
have no right to decline on behalf of the
children of the South generous aid OF
This character 1t is our duty 10 take
The money, which will thus be put into
our ilands and use it to the lest possible
purpose.
The money which will be raised by the
Southern Educational Association Will not
a,e employed, as we understand it, in an
Independent movement but will be placed
at the disposal of the civic authorities
here and there TO supplement the funds
which are raised by general taxation for
school purposes Disbursements will,
therefore, be by our own people and
made in our own way. Let Us remem-
bcr that there is d grace of receiving
as We'll as a grace of giving.
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