The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-01-12
Education.

Grafton OF your honorable body the
report of the superintendent of Pub
lie instruction and recommend the
adoption OF the suggestions contain
ed therein. This State is extremely
fortunate in having as Superintend-
ent OF Public Instruction a broad
minded, cultured and able man, who
is pushing her educational interests
| forward at IL pace which commands
the admiration of our sister Sta tes.
He has given much study to the sub
! lect upon which his report is based
and | cannot do better than to de-
clare that concur in his reasoning
and his conclusions. ! greatly depre-
cate any attempt to raise the race
issue on the question Of education.
There is absolutely TO justification
for stirring up our people on this
subject. The small, sum which the
white people are contributing to the
support OF the negro schools cannot
for one moment justify the continued
agitation OF the question of dividing
the school fund according to the sum
paid by each race. Having divested
the negro Of power it is manifestly
our duty to make of him the best
citizen OF which he is capable and
this we can certainly never do by
leaving him to his own devices. nor
by withdrawing from him the small
amount of taxes which we devote to
his education. There are three
courses open with reference 10 the
negro: The first is to let him go
without any training. and inevitably
drop back into savagery, When we
make up our minds to do this the
secund plan will at once be put into
effect, and that is for philanthropic
people Throughout the world to take
charge Of his education and train him
up out Of harmony and in enmity to
the people among whom he lives.
The third plan is for us to train him
ourselves-making him more capable,
more efficient, more reliable and
with deeper affection for us. The
last plan, it seems to me, commends
itself both to our selfishness and our
generosity. But apart from our
sense of obligation to this weaker
race, l am impressed with the neces-
sity of ceasing all agitation which
leads to the emhitterment and
estrangement Of the negro. for the
reason that as this .estrangement
and this aembittermenti increases large
numbers of them will go out from
among us, The greatest need OF
North Carolina today is more labor.
1t seems to me the height of folly to
continue to bring about conditions
which lessen the amount OF labor in
the State. On the contrary every
encouragement should be given by
fair treatment-even by generous
consideration, to stop the emf gra-
tion of this important part of our
labor 1t is useless for us to pass
laws taking emigrant agents if we
deny to the negro the privilege of
giving to his child a decent, public
school education.
Provision ought to be made for the
payment Of theexpenses of the Super
intendent OF Public Instruction. 1t
is absolutely necessary in the per-
formance of his duties for him to
travel throughout the State; indeed
he ought to visit other States of the
Union to learn their methods, views
and plans. To do SO will necessitate
the expenditure of from $4,000 to
$4,000 in the payment Of railroad
fare. Heretofore, the railroads Of
this State, under statute permit
ting 1t, have been granting to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction
passes over their lines, but for the
past year or so they have refused to
do this. Unless the Legislature is
going to require them to furnish the
passes, provision certainly ought to
be made to defray these absolutely
necessary expenses of the superin-
tendent. 4 State which so much
needs education cannot afford to
stint it's superintendent in the neces-
sary expenditure of money in the
performance of the duties OF his
office and in his better equipment of
that office.
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina
shows a gratifying progress and is
doing good and thorough work for
the higher education of the youth of
the State The number of students
has steadily grown and is now about
80 per cent. greater than it was four
years ago. The faculty has been en-
larged until it is nearly twice as
numerous as it was at the beginning
of my administration. The facilities
for doing the highest work has been
improved and the University now
stands in the front rank of Southern
institutions.