The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-01-19

moro practical. We have the raw ma
terlal, the natural resources here a
our very doors, we have no freight t
pay, all we need is skilled labor t
convert this material into a higher or
der of product, thus. instead of send
ing our materials elsewhere to b<
worked, or sending to other States fo1
skilled help, We should educate ou1
own folks to manufacture our OWL
materials. So In the near future, VI
can more than compete with those who
have no raw material, and who pay
high freight rates on long hauls, thu
inducing foreign manufacturers te
move their plants into our midst.
NEGRO EDUCATION.
Fully sympathizing with our need
of both intellectual and industrial edu-
cation, there remains 70 be considered
the moet practical method OF training
the negro in the manner best suited
to his condition and development.
After his emancipation, without
any knowledge Of self-government. he
was given the right Of suffrage, be-
coming often the dupe Of designing
men. He was also sent to schools
where corrupt or igiorant teachers
taught error instead of truth, often en-
gendering desire for social equality,
that could not be realized proving, in
the negro's case. that a little learning
was indeed a dangerous thing. His ed
ucation was simply commenced In the
wrong way, for hand training and NOR
al development. must ever precede In
tellectual culture. No race ever made
established schools and
built universities, unll it had learned
to till the soil, cut trees and build
houses. Education is only training,
and all should be trained along lines
for which they are best suited. Edu-
cate whites and negroes alike and what
will you do with the negro? Will you
put him in your business houses, or
make him your social equal? OF
course not. But by thus educating
him you unfit him tor his station, put
desires in his head that he can never
obtain and render him unhappy and
Not getting what be
wants, and that which his education
calls for, and now unwilling to fill the
position for which he is suited, he too
often becomes a vagabond and criminal.
The grave responsibility of this de-
pendent race and caring for its people
is on Us. We should help and protect
their poor, their blind, their deaf ana
dumb and insane. This people should
be given proper school education suita-
BILE for their present needs, and chang
ed In accordance with their future ad-
taught how to work and
provided with places suitable for their
work. They should be taught graft
tude, truth, virtue and honesty, and by
such teachings induced, not to live
only for the hour, spending all OF their
earnings in frivolity and vice, but
they should be induced to accumulate,
to go into business, become self-sup-
porting and able to bear their Just pro-
portion OF the taxes necessary for the
support of the State. But let it be un-
derstood by all, for the virtue and high
sense Of our people demand it, that in
that battle of life the negro shall be re-
spected in his every right under tho
law.
DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL FUND.
Answering the oft,asked question,
what proportion of taxes should be al
lowed the negro for his education, I
desire to say that / dissent most en-
from the views of those who
demand that the school fund should be
distributed per capita between the
white children and negro children
neither do I agree with those who
would "shut the door OF hope" in the
lace Of the negro by giving him only
The taxes accruing from his own prop
erty but, with due regard for what
more funds are required for white
and white schools, taxes for
schools should be diyided Gin that man.
ner which is equitable and just" CIV
ing to the schools of each race distri-