Water Valley progress., 1903-06-20
Plain Calm Survey.

l
The following 10 an extract
rom an article on the school fund
question by L. M. Garrett, editor
of the Oarthagisn, and candi.
date for the legislature in Leake
comfy: "As it Is, however, q
very large percentage of the tax
es Of the State'is paid by corpor-
ations-more than half we think;
and this money is applied for the
benent Of all the people Of the
State, and quite alarge part finds
its way into the general school
fund, and from thence into the seY.
eral counties of the commonwealth
for the promotion of education.
Among the people of Mississippi
the larger part in point of num-
bers ia of the negro race. and
under the con stitution Of the
United States, as we'll a. that Of
our own State, these people are
citizens and entitled to all the
rights enjoyed under the laws
by any other citizens. They are
entitled their prOrata share Of the
taxes paid in by tho corporations,
which we have seen stated. at
about 50 per cent of all the taxes
/, collected. Being greater in num-
bers their share Of the taxes from
this source would be proportions
atty greater than the share OF the
white population. They pay some
taxes themselves-pr0bably about
% per cent Of the total ad valor.
EN- tax-and are entitled to their
prorats share Of this also. An e.
innate we made last year of the
comparative amounts received by
the white and colored children
show that the negroes, with the.
large number Of educable child
rem, received but al and q fraction
Iper cent Of the school taxes, while
the whites with . smaller mum.
Der of children, got 78 and .
Traction per cent. While this diff-
ference is in some degree accoun.
ted for by the fact that in the
black counties there 10 q conqes-
ton of negroes which enables
lthe coi0red teachers to instruct
q much larger number Of pupils
than can be gathered IN the white
schools of the more sparsely pops
ulated eastern counties yet the
fact remains that the figures plain.
ly indicate that il there remain
any grievance at all about the
| distribution Of the school fund.
it does not rest with the white
people to assert it. There is not
in all Mississippi to day single
col0red county superintendent of
education, and there is not .
school in existence within our
borders that was not established
by q white school board. In the
hand of these two agencies rest
the number and the leacation Of
the schools, and pay which the
| sOOSnOAO OA S0O00 0OuVO10 Ou01l TO-
ceive for each pupil taught.
| Should not these facts satisfy
even the most ultra of the oppon-
ents of the present system, and
prove the folly of raising . CAM
paign cry that is calculated to
bring in its train grievlous effect
when the presidential campaign
comes on next yeari Being citi.
zens of the United States and Of
the state of Mississippi the NEG.
rOes cannot be deprived Of their
right to educational facilitles
without repeating some part of
the amendments to the organic
law Of the United States. To do
this will requira the consent of
tw0-thirds Of the states Of the
Union, and two-thirds majority Of
votes cast in Mississippi.
The people Of Mississippi should
give these matters careful con-
sideration and not let their Judge.
m ont be mislead into the support
Of = policy which is neither feas.
llblo nor iuSt.p