The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
THE FACTS SPEAK,
Superintendent. w. +. Fox

5sslBj }3#affaY
In response to your auery, Do you
think that education helps tlio negro to
be d better citizen?" / should say Ger
stainly.n 4 fear we ire too much ac-ss
scustoincd to Judge he negro according
TO- old standards. Under tho old regime
tho negro was brought into close con-
tact with the white people. 'Ihey were
kindly treated taught good manners,
obedience and respect for others, ana .Nlcl
we're INSTRUCTED In farming and various
handicrafts. they 50 profited by their
Draining and so thoroughly inbibed the
principles Of their masters that q ediS-
tlnguished modern writer In discussing the
post-bellum relations OF negro arel ll' y
former owner speaks or these Two s. IN men
d 1.-TWO Gentlemen Of IS ai.s
feeling Of respect ana attachment SUIT
yived In tho negroes nof tile OLD regime
with comparatively rare exceptions
AZ Rut n period OF nearly; forty years,
rcore years than the average life Of a
eeneratloii-has passed a new se enc, ~
lion followed, deprived OF the reflhihg ~
4fluencc and the training OF the pIeutt'
sns.rra ana With social surroundings lit
Tia calculated to impress on them con.
sideration for others and q proper res pe'c le
for constituted authority And Il SO !, a q
strong feeling Of scfishness ana g. us l
regard for the feelings and rights o.
others grew up. IN proportion ~ lne Sss
things Increased there came on acts q,
VIOLENCE and Ia lcssness Ignorance nc .hMa
tb,,,tality 20 hand in hand. . tenr We S,s
ara disposed to consider the history OF
il,a negro as exceptional In his lawlesss-
ress and crime We cannot avoid con.
/, nytinE In thought his later ncts VIII
his former history, and We fn'l 20 in nun
reasonable allowance for me STU s ,',s
through which he has had 70 pass w
500 IN MI Its hidcOusness the corln'is-
sIon az crimes that outrage every IN
sstinct OF ali right thinking men. DO We
consider sufficiently, in these cases, that
they are, mostlytthe acts Of the isnolrhH1
and brutal negro? DO Wc CONSIDER SUI VI
ficiently that @heino,is crimes neiohg 20 9
tic ignorant and brutal Of al races
They are guilty Of not JUST tne salle
crimes, perhaps. but crimes ina Z. tne ',.
INSTRUMENTATION and abhorrence OF All
Just men. 4,
The only remedy for such things lies
In enlightenment both intellectual and
| moral, and in presenting motives for
higher and better lie
The best school for the formation ana
DEVELOPMENT Of character Is the nome.
The conditions, however, are such ina
the family training of the negro chila
Is. Of necessity, inefficient. ~ hen the
| parents do the best they can land many
| Sf them are striving earnestly and 1alth-
| tully to discharge well their duties %
their cfildren) there arc stu mum pertess,
Iif not insurmountable, hlnorances -
suchs cara and attention ns the case
needs, So that almost the only instrii-
mentality to preserve the children from
| tbf Standardization Of the street ard Of
I5eyil associations Is the school. mere
they are taught lessons in order. system
respect for authority. self-control, con-
sheraton for the rights OF others, hon-
| esty. sllprightness OF conduct. Kindness
morality in addition TO the intellectual
stiniulants given BY their daily studies
| How far these may Influence the Ire
| or the children. can only be determined
| ~ after experience. TO reach q fair con-
| ,i,.sion we should consider the finished
| product, not the immature partial pro-
| duct Our experience with the grad
| yates of our normal school Is very sat
| sfactory. At the close of the last ses-
! sion its graduates numbered &c.. These
| with rare exceptions have taken GOOD
/ positions In the communicative conser-
yatlve, and are exercising conservative
| irfluence--are leaders In their best social
| circles-are heads of business instltu-
1 t,ans. leaders in Sunday school and other
| religious work-and are exert1ng such
an Influence as to give distinct uplllt
i Ia their race. This was naturally 70
i be expected as q reasonable result. y
/ Is gratifying to know that the expecta-
] ton has been realized. No doubt those
with inferior education ard training eS,
hibit in less degree the same general
4 traits, but 1t is the finished product
/ that must stand as the real test Of the
value Of educational training, Other
4 communities have, doubtless, had g sim
\ liar experience. These facts develop
4 the value Of education IN training tne
uegro for citizenship, and enforce the
4 duty Of affording him every necessary
facility to make the best of himself self,
| r. X ~