The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-17
THE OGDEN MOVEMENT

ed to it:
Sir:-I note in the article Education
of the Negro" by Mr.. Robert Beverley,
in your edition of the 18th, that he
makes a statement which you strange
" make no comment on; hat Mr.. Hig-
ginson says that the object of the Og-
den Movement in southern negro edu-
cation Is to bring in social equality later
on.
The Ogden movement was very mys-
ferrous when IL first moved" TO Vir-
gfnia, but as two or more reputable
Virginians were embraced by IL, we
had no idea that IL was such a Trojan
horse.
Mr. Higginson is of the Ogden party
whether or not he speaks for his asso-
ciates. Hence it is due to the southern
public tina it be informed as to whether
or not he is correctly reported. Such
an unnatural statement. If uncorrected,
must. OF course. down the Ogden move
ment among the self-respecting white
persons in the south, and rightly preju-
dice negro education.
THOS. r. EVANS.
The Tfmes-Dispatch makes the fol-
lowing explanation as to the socalled
Ogden Movement 1t seems there are
three separate bodies, composed of
northern phiIanthropists who are TAX
ing charge of the education of the
southern children. With these are as
ISOLATED some of the southern leaders
OF education These three ~organiza-
tons are the Southern Education
Board. the Southern Conference for
Education and the General Education
Board. Mr.. Ogden, we understand. be-
longs to all three Of these. They seem to
be branches of n concern. At any rate
they work in harmony and many men
hold membership in all three. They
have the same object in view. OF these
three bodies and of Mr.. Higginson and
his remark referred to in the above
letter The Times-Dispatch avs
In considering what our correspon-
dent calls the Ogden Movement. dis
tinction must be drawn between the
Southern Education Board and the
Southern Conference for Education.
The former is an organization compOS-
ed of northern and southern men whose
names have time and again been print
ed. n that board is the interpreter
n the promoter Of the Ogden Move
nent. 1t is through that board that
the work has been done, n there is
no man on the board who is in favor
of social equality.
- There is also an organization known
as the General Education Board, which
has raised a sum Of money to carry
on the work of the Southern Education
Board. That board is also composed
OF northern and southern men who
are opposed to anything bordering on
social equality. If not, we have been
grossly misled and deceived.
But the Southern Conference for Edu-
cation is entirely different from either
Of these boards 1t is a voluntary as
ISOLATION, having no rules, having no
officers except the presiding officer n
others who are selected at each meet
ing for that occasion only, n having
no elected or permanent membership.
The conference is in no sense q legis-
lative body; never commits itself to
any measure or plan and exists for
conference and discussion only. It is
a mere debating society composed of
northern and southern men and women
who are interested in popular educa-
ton, and its doors are open to all white
persons who may choose to come in
and take part in the debates.
Each year MI. Ogden starts from the
north on a special train with a number
of men and women who are interested
in the subject and takes the party to
the place of meeting. In the party
WHICH VISITED blTUlluSIldlu lulS year
was Colonel Higginson, a New Eng
lander, who was originally a rank abo-
litionist and who during the civil war
commanded a regiment OF negro troops.
He believes in social equality, mixed
schools, mixed marriages and in all
obliteration of the color line.
He is to US one of h most offensive
Of all the New England negro lovers
and it was an offense to the south for
Nv nO6an m va fakan him fn tho
conference at Birmingham and put him
up to make speeches. The Times-Dis-
patch has been and is q friend Of this
movement, and we have been disposed
to cooperate with the northern men
who ave come here in good faith to
promote popular education. But If we
thought that the movement was IN
spired by Mr.. Higginson and men at
the north who hold his views on the
negro question:; If we thought that
Mr.. Ogden and his associates had any
intention to interfere IN any way with
the customs and traditions Of the south
on the negro question, we should fight
the movement more vigorously than
we have supported it.
But we do not believe it. We have
talked face to face with the leaders OF
this movement, and so have Governor
Montague and Governor Aycock and
hundreds Of men who are southern to
the heart, and they and we are salts
fed that the movement is sincerely
in the interest OF popular education
and that the leaders are as much OPP
posed as we to anything like social
equality between the races.
MI. Ogden, 1. seems, brought this
Mr.. Higginson along with him in his
party's southern tour Of education and
instruction his year and had him to
make an address to southern people
on the subject of how to educate their
children. Even if these three boards
do not endorse Mr.. Higginson's views
on social equality or even il they have
no Interior purpose Of attempting to
bring about social equality, they are
responsible for Mr.. Higginson coming
among us and endeavoring TO in