The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-30
NORTH CAROLINA WELCOMES
MIR. OGDEN AND HIS
PARTY.

Il
spend Monday morning in Charlotte
md Monday afternoon in Greensboro.
We regret that their itinerary did not
give them an opportunity to visit the
what great things have been done
here for education.
The people of North Carolina give
lad welcome to the prominent bust
ness and professional men from the
North who are interested in the edu-
ational problem which the South is
solving with wisdom and in a way to
command the respect Of the world.
We are not surprised that broad
suaged Northern men are Interested
N the mighty work the South has
done and is doing in the education of
the children. The surprise is that this
feeling of interest and helpfulness is
not more widespread among the edu-
Gated and prosperous men of breadth
in the North
The war left the South impoverish-
ed and it's system of labor gone. The
victorious North imposed certain con-
ditions upon the Southern States
when they re-entered the Union
During the years that have passed the
Southern people out of their poverty
have taxed themselves millions OF
dollars to educate the colored youth.
1t has been heavy burden and has
weighed heavily upon a people, many
of whom doubted the wisdom of ne
gro education. But the money has
been spent-not out Of accumulations
or abundance. but from the labor of
the white men of the South. 1t was
a task that the rich North ought to
have offered to take upon itself. 1t is
true that many thousands of dollars
have been given by Northerners to-
ward the education of negroes in the
South. But until recently most of it
was wasted. some Of it was worse than
wasted, some went to fake institu-
tons, and some put a premium upon
mendicancy. The Northern philan-
thropists thought what they gave to
negro education ought to be given di-
rect to Northern or negro teachers
without asking the advice of the best
men in the South. If their advice had
been asked and followed the money
given would have helped the negro
children. AS it has been employed,
most of it has been put in hole
not unlike that in which Silas Mariner
deposited his savings.
Northern men like Peabody and
Slater were wise enough to put their
money in the hands of men of sense.
and under the wise direction of that
great Southern statesman, the late
DR.. Curry, the money of these two
funds was used with sound judgment.
If DR.. Curry had been spared, the
Peabody fund would not have been
put down in lump at Nashville, but
for several years at least would have
been employed to stimulate rural
public schools as for several years it
was employed to stimulate newly
established graded schools in Raleigh
Charlotte, Greensboro, and other
North Carolina towns that led in vot-
ing a tax for public schools. But for
the vitalizing leadership of DIR. Curry
and the help of the Peabody money,
the establishment of efficient graded
schools in our towns would have been
delayed. The funds given by the
General Education Board to supple
ment the local contributions has pow
erfully helped in the local tax cam
paign in Guilford county. If philan-
thropists today would be as wise In
their generation as Peabody they
late the local tax in rural districts in
North Carolina, and there would be
such an educational awakening as
would bear, abundant fruit in remov-
ing illiteracy from every portion of
our Commonwealth.
In education, the visitors from the
North will learn much from their
visit to this State that will do them
good. The people of this State will
learn much from them that will do
us good. 1T is mixing that larns
BOTH They will see a people who
believe in themselves, who are build
ing their small cities upon substantial
foundations of Education and Equali-
ty. They will find that in building
cotton mills and furniture factories
and other enterprises we are likewise
building splendid schools, elegant
churches, and fostering the right sort
of commercialism with rigid adher-
ence to the old-time religion and the
eternal principles of political justice,
equal rights to all and special privi-
leges to none" Our youth are taught
to weave fabrics for the heather
Chinee" while they are taught that
"commercialism" in politics or rel-
gion is a damning light. We love
the traditions of the past but are not
fettered by them. We believe in edu-
cation that makes men broader and
stronger and that will bring larger
prosperity and more comforts, but we
do not regard education merely as a