The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-04-06
DR.. DABREY IN INDIANAPOLIS.
He Advocates National Aid to Edu-
cation of Both Whites and Blacks
in North and South.

in North and South.
I Indianapolis, Ind, April 2.-Dr.
Charles ". Dabney, president of the
University of Tennessee, and presi-
dent-elect CT the University of Gin
cinnati, in an address before the
Southern Indiana Teachers Associa~
tion, in session here, on the subject,
Educational Needs of the South, -
outlined the work which has been
taken up by those interested in the
move Of which he is regarded the
head and leader. Much Importance is
attached to his utterances on this sub
ject. It is expected that great results
to Southern educators will follow
from the address, and that such hos
tility as was shown fomerly against
the Blair bill will not be used against
the proposed methods.
| DR.. Dabney, by way of Introduction,
said that the present educational
needs of the Southern people arise
from circumstances in the past. In
the old South there was caste system
of our general classes-tbe aristocracy
of the wealthy planter and slave own
ers, and the small farmers living
chiefly in the hills, the poor whites
of the low-country and the African
slaves.
'The war not only freed the black
man, it freed the white man as well, :"
| said he. "It made way for the
small farmers, liberated the poor
white man from the bonds of semi
feudal system and established both
for the first time in full citizenship.
| It also freed the minds and spirits OF
the aristocratic classes, and by
throwing them upon their own re-
sources, made them a stronger and
better people.
"The old South, whose ruling class
was an aristocracy OF land and slaves,
has given place to a political and in
dustrial> democracy with no ruling
class. But herein lies our danger and
out Of this fact grows the special ne
cessity for system of popular educa-
tion, which shall train all of our citi
zens to think clearly and act fearless
~, each for himself.
"The actual development of such
system of free public schools was long
retarded by the conservatism of the
aristocratic class, which refused to
recognize the new individual and held
as long as possible to old institutions
and ideals. 1t has been delayed fur
ther by the poverty of the people, 10y
the sparseness and consequent isola-
tion of the population, and by the ab
sence of roads. But this new concep-
tion of manhood has now caugha the
mind of the plain man, and will give
rise to great new system of edu-
cation, supported by all the people
for all the people.
SIN 1900, out of the 8, 500, 000 whites
10 years of age and over in the eleven
South Atlantic and Gulf States, includ-
ing Tennessee and Arkansas, one
million we're illoterate. One-hird of
the illiterate of the United States are
found in these States, which have only
however, one-6fth of the population.
Of the 5000, 900 blacks in the same
States. 10 years and over, 2,50o. GOO
were illifeFates. In the Same States,
of 4,4OO, 900 males 21 years of age,
1, 100, 600 were illiterate. More than
one-half of all the illiterate males of
voting age in the United States live
in the South. Disfranchisement can
be only a temporary good. a partial
remedy for this awful condition.
"Of the 4,000,0 900 white and the
2, 500, 600 black children m those States
last year, only IS per cent were in
school 80 to 80 days. It is not a new
Blair bill that We want; we rejected
that long ago. [ Iope, for my part.
that the particular measure may never
again be brought forward. but that
some plan may be adopted which shall
make the wealth of the whole nation
contribute to the education and
general social improvement of all
people who, by reason Of their poverty,
their race or recent condition of servi-
tude, or from any other cause, have
not been able to take their place in the
grand army of American citizenship.
or to catch step with the march of
modern progress.
every intelligent Southerner now
believes that the right kind of educa-
tion makes the negro more thrifty, a
more useful, more moral and more
lawabiding citizen, as it does every
other man. Every Southern State is
now committed by its Constitution and
laws to the principle of negro educa
tion. and in their Legislatures and
Courts they have SO far successfully
resisted all proposals to divide the
school funds. In fact, the Dis
Embellishments Acts are all working
to compel his education. The
Southern people will be fair to the
negro in these matters. Any other
course of conduct will not only dis
honor, but will injure their own race.
"Any plan of national aid should
provide, not a largess TO. the South,
but consistent, rational plan for up
lifting the retarded and depressed
populations in all portions of the
country. The people in some counties
in Maine and in New York are as
illiterate as those in the counties in
South Appalachians. This is truly
national problem, not one for the
South alone.
methods can also be found to aid