The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-01

according 10 the amount OF taxes paid
by each race. If the ignorant and Vicious
negro 10 a. menace to the community, as
he undoubtedly Is, thcn the sooner we
educate his mind and improve his morals
the sooner we remove that menace.
We agree with our contemporary In de-
ploring any talk about dividing the school
fund on racial lines. Tie mes-Dispatch
has always opposed such a movement,
but we have not noticed the narrow
spirit which our contemporary says per
vadcs the discussion Of education at the
public expense, and (which would deny
the negro educational advantages because
lie is poor The people Of Virginin have
been very generous to the colored peo-
pie. They have given them for the edn-
cation of their children enormous sums
OF money. They are now contributing a
sun, each year, estimated at from $421 900
10 $4,000, Of which, amount the negroes
contrlbutc approximately $4,000. we do
not believe that tho people Of Virginia
will consent to divide the school fund
between tie races.
But we are constrained to call to the
p .
attention of our contemporary the slgnifl-
cant uttcrances Of the Farmville Herald
in It's issue of October 2Oth Our Farm
Vile contemporary says. In discussing the
matter of free books TO be paid for out
OF the public treasury:
''Thcrc is another side to this question:
There is II feeling among considerable
number of the white people that the col
ored people ought to pay more for their
schooling than they do, and that the
education the colored children arc re-
ceiving is not helping them much. An
attempt TO provide tho colorcd children
with free books at the expense of the
white people will deepen and intensity
this feeling, and will. cause tho colored
people to lose many OF their best friends
among tho whites We do not
believe that the respectable element of
our colorcd citizens will favor free books
under such conditions. They know, as
all Of us know, that it is best for the
colored people, as we'll as for the white.
to buy their own books We have III this
section an element Of colored citizens that
Is industrious, law-ahidlng. and sclf-re-
specting. For the good OF their own race.
and to preserve and strengthen the good
feeling between them and Ntlie white
people, they ought to oppose any attempt
to supply free books from the State treas
ury.''
There Is no doubt that what the Herald
says Is true. An attempt to place an
enormous tax each year on the white Z
people TO provide coored children with
free books will lndoubtcdly rs the Her
aid says, cause the coored people to
o . y y.
lose many of their best friends among
tho whites. This Is n point OF view that
the colored people of the State would
do well to bear in mind. BY supporting
this Republican measure they stand to
lose what is of far more worth to them
than the amount they would gaina by free
books. If this measure IS pressed, there
can be no question thntthe advocates Of
u division Of the school fund will make
who are to-day good friends OF the ne
groes, and who have up to this time
shown their friendship in practical man
ner. Tho reports that come from the
country districts Indicate that already
a great deul Of feeling has been aroused
among the white people by the free book
proposition. We believe that the colored
people could take no visor step at this
juncture than openly to oppose this move
,ment to give them the money OF the
White people at the expense 0 ia friend
ship which is the very salvation of the
negro in Virginia. As tho Herald well
says: 1--WE do hot believe that the re-
spectacle clement OF tho colored citizens
will favor free books under such circum-
stances. s 49,
we are not now dlscussiDg Che ,p1,lrlncj-
pie Of free books. We may WE'LL abide
by the view held by twenty;;nye out Of
twenty-six States inlthe iUnlontthat have
free book laws, that this is a matter for
each city and school district to settle
for itself For the sake of the preserva-7
ton of the good feeling which now exists
between tho white people and the colored
people in Virginia, this sortlld appeal of
the Republican party should sbe srebuked
by every elf-respecting,,white anu colored
man in Virginia, regardless OF politics.
=---=--=-=-=
. 4 . . b g.
We congratulate Alderman Blair on
the good work he is doing for Monument
Avenue. It goes without saying that
the event should be OF uniform width
from end to end. But we must take one
step at time and Mr. Blair seems to
know what he is about We bid him
God-speed. The people are with him.
=-------=A=
That imperial manifesto explains that
the granting of civic liberty to all the
"nflexible Will" It had previously been
inferred that the Cars will in this
direction was rather full OF flexibllitics.
=----:------------ W
uAp1 Tate,,hof shall ltnow no rnnro II, n