The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1904-01-29
Educating the Negro.

"'1 -, W.
ucation Of slaves and providing
severe punishments for such highly
criminal misconduct. Il was APP
pretended that II the negroes got
more knowledge than was abb
solutely requisite to manual toll
they would become a menace to
the safety OF their masters and to
the peace Of the South. This
antebellum opinion is echoed In
the message which Governor
vardeman read to the Mississippi
Legislature Tuesday. Education,
Governor Vardcman declared, has
been n curse TO the negro. II has
made him worse instead Of better,
and has made him worse In pro-
portion to the amount OF II he has
received. The governor gives sta
%tietics to prove that In Massachus-
etts, where negroes are most highly
educated, a fair larger proportion
OF them are criminal than In
Mississippi, where they are hardly
educated ut all. Governor Vardc-
mans argument was only directed
against ''book learning" lie be-
lievcs II will benefit the negro In
every way to teach him how better
to use his hands. The instruction
OF the body, he believes should
prcccdc instruction of the mind.
Men should be taught to work
before they are taught to read and
think.
There Is nothing new in Governor
Vardcman's doctrine that II IL of
Importance that the negro shall be
taught to work with his hands.
That doctrine has been widely
propagatcd and has been put into
practical operation In many places
In the South with excellent results.
The novel feature Of Governor
Vardeman's prcachmcnt IL Its
opposition TO the education OF the
ncgro's head. The only inference
that a reasonably be drawn
from his remark II that he thinks
the more n negro knows about
anything except how to do manual
work the more worthless he Is sure
to be to himself and the more OF a
nuisance and menace he becomes
to society. That II Is the races
newly acquired knowledge OF
spelling, writing, reading and
arithmetic that has made 50 many
negroes incendiarics, murdcrcrs
aud raplsts.
Governor Vardcman's reasoning
may appear ilawless In Mississippi
hut In other parts of the country
1t II likely to be regarded ~ some-
what lacking in logical consrcu-
ton. Just how n knowledge Of
the alphabet or OF the mul.iplica-
ton table would proceed about
making n thief, a fighter or n ncnd
out OF n man who would otherwise
be quiet and orderly Is not easy
to understand.
Governor Nardcman's doctrine
Is Just as lacking In common. sense
as the opposite doctrine that in
tcllcctual education Is all that il
necessary to elevate "A race but
lately sunk in superstition, ignor-
ancc and slavery to the height OF
civilization. School books alone
never made n good and useful
man, and school books alone never
made a worthless and dangerous
one. The negro will not be raised
to a level with the white man by
textbooks, and he will not be
ruined by them. Education of
both his hands and his brain will
improve him, but many other
things will be found requisite
to make most of the members of
his race good men and good
citizens. For example, the negro
will be largely influenced by the
set.before him byhis white
superiors, and he is not likely to
be made a more moral ana law
abiding citizen by the white race
hanging or burning men for crimes
Of every degree of culpability from