The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-04

Assembly and to the people my honest views about it
 Tn considering this question of ne gro education it is necessary to lay aside. SO far as possible, prejudice on the one hand and maudlin sentimentaii- ty on the other. There has been too much of both.
 information of some of our people who have been misled into thinking that large part of taxes that the white people pay is spent for the education of the negro. it may be well in the outset to give brief statement of the facts in regard to the apportionment of the school fund. As is we'll known. under sec ton q of the School Law. the appor- tionment of the school fund in each county is practically placed absolute ly under the control of the County Board of Education. the only restriction laid upon the Board therein being that the funds shall be apportioned among the schools of each township in such a way as to give equal length of term as nearly as possible, having due regard to the grade of work to be done, the qualifications of the teachers. etc. The Constitution directs that in the dis tribution of the fund no discrimina
 ton shall be made in favor of either race. This report shows that in 1904 the negroes received for teachers sala- ries and building school houses s244.- S47.3S for s2I.545 children of school age. The whites received for the same purposes for 4e2.s3s children of school age. s92s.Is42s. The negroes tnere- fore have about one-third of the school population and receive in the appcr- tionment about one-hfth of the school money. The Auditors report shows that the negroes paid for schools in taxes on their own property and polls Sl26.029.SS. or 51 per cent of all that they received for school purposes. Add to this their just share of liquor li- censes and fines. forfeitures and penaII- ties, most of which they really pay. and their share of the large school tax paid by corporations to which they are entitled under the Constitu- tion by every dictate of reason and jus tice. and it will be apparent that if any part of the taxes actually paid by in dividual white men ever reaches the negro for school purposes. the amount is so small that the man that would be- grudge it or complain about it ought to be ashamed of himself. In the face of these facts. any unprejudiced man | must see that we are in no danger of giving the negroes more than they are | entitled to by every dictate of justice, right. wisdom, humanity and Chris | tianity-
 Their teachers are not so well quail | fled and have not spent so much money | on their education. their expenses of living are much less and, therefore, l they do not need and ought not to have as much per capita for the education of | their children: but there is more real danger of doing the negro an injustice I in the apportionment of the school fund. even after considering all these 1 things. by withholding his equitable part. than of doing the white race any l injustice by giving him too much
 When we are apportioning only $e44.S47.3S for the education of 921,S45 negro children. and some of us are complaining about that. we need not be entertaining many hopes of giving the negro much helpful industrial education yet, for everybody ought to know that this amount is not sufficient to give this number Of children thor ugh instruction in the mere rudiments If reading. writing and arithmetic, so essential 10 civilized living and intelli- gent efficient service in the humblest calling of life. As long Gs we are sp- propriating only this much money for this number of children. nobody need nave any real concern about turning the negro's head by the study of Latin and Greek and other higher branches of learning Th" fact is that at pres sat We are Dot giving or seeking to
 give the negro iu the public schools
 nore than instruction in the mere rudi-
 ments of learning. nor is it possible
 with our present available funds .o give him more than this No one believes more -ho-erkhlv than in in dustrial and agrio io4lrv-al education for the neErn. ol, aS pointed out above. however des,rahle I' may he. such edu- cation for the majority of negroes IS hardly to bN considered unless we put n,ors money mo thsL- schools.