Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-09-04
MIs:I s,aprs EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.

through theicenturies without faint
or corr upton. No people or ma
tiol has more right to be proud of
ances ~ than has this people, nor
can sny boast of brighter record
in deeds of valor both on the field
of battle and in the halls of states
manship. Page on page might be
written recounting the deeds of our
great men, our LamarS, our Georges
and even of those who are still on
the stage of public activity. But
our purpose is not to point to the
pages of the past. but to train your
vision on the future by arousing
your interest in present conditions
and future possibilities.
Since the organization of the
public school system of Mississippi
there has been wonderful develop
ment of our intellectual and mate
rial resources. AS our school sys-
tenn has developed our people have
grown in power and in wealth. This
is no coincidence, but is an illus
tration of a general Jaw that the
wealth-earning power of a people
is in direct proportion to the char
cter and the amount of the educa-
tion they received.
"Our schools have not been poor
because we are poor, but we have
been poor and are now poor be-
caue our schools have been poor"
With all the improvement in our
educ ational facilities we find our
schools system in many respects
crude and Unsatisfactory, failing
to give cur boys and girls fair
chance in the race of life with
those of other sections. Our towns
and cities are doing we'll. but then
their schools are weak in some
points, especilly in that no training
is given to dignity labor. Manual
train ng and domestic science alb
solutelv necr ssary to make the hand
deft and skilled are no part of the
course Of study. In this particular,
even our city schools are behind
those of every other state in the
Union. .r
But the great problem for our
state to solve, and sJlve quickly is
the problem of the rural school. We
believe that the boys and girls of
our rural sections should hav equal
educational advantages with those
of our towns and cities and all of
our youth should have as good op-
portunity as the youth of any sec
tion of thu country.
In comparing educational con-
ditions in Mississippi with those
of other states we find, % that 81
states and territories have longer
school terms than Mississippi; (2)
that as of them spend more on the
education of each child than does
Missssppi; 81 that the average ru-
raj term in the United States is Is
per cent greater than is Missssppi
az that the amount spent for pub
lie education in the Union is more
than $13 for each adult male, while
in this state it is only S. for each
adult male. We find that Mississ-
lppI spenUs less according to pei
capita wealth than does even Mass
achusetts, where the average
wealth is very high. In Massachu-
sets there is spent for public ed
ucation 81 mills on each dollar of
property value. The average
wealth of each inhabitant is $1449,
which makes il cost each person
$4.911 yea. for education. This
is just about one third of one per
cent on his property. In Mississ-
ippi each person is estimated to
be worth $425, on which he pays
a rate of 26.5 mills, making
yearly tax of Slips, which
is less than $40 of one ! of 2.65
mills, making a yearly vita of
81 .126, which is less than 80 of
one per cent on his property
These figures are based on the last
census and are here given because
prominent persons have been heard
to remark that Mississippi has gone
''educationallJ- mad" and is doing
more for education, according to
percapita wealth, than any other
state in the Union. Statistics show
thai this is not true.
In this comparison we also find
that (36) thirty six states and ter
rritories have higher rate of illit-
eracv ii. e., less illiteracy) among
the adult male white citizens than
has Mississippi. 1t is fact worth
noting that in 1900 there were
1928 white men over Fl years of
age in Mississippi who could not
read nor write.
Such facts as these would war
rant us in making cheerful exam
ination of our entire public school
system. If we are not getting sat-
isfactory results, where lies the
trouble?
The first point that calls for at
tention is the lack of uniformity
and consistency in applying public
funds to this work Of educating our
children. Mississippians do not
believe in class legislation but in
equality of privileges so that all
may share alike the burdens and
the benefits of legislation and tax
alton. Whatever our opinions
may be with REGARD to the kind of
education the state owes the negro
child, we will ali agree that there
should be no discrimination among
the white children of the State.
The facts, however, contradict
this theory. We find that the
State is now giving the white