The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-05-20
THE OTHER. SIDE OF THE CUES
TJON

OF Nashville, before the National
Peace Congress at Chicago, and tue
pamphlet written by r. r. Wright,
Jr., will go far toward giving the
world a Just conception of what the
Negro Is doing to help himself get an
education, and the falsity Of the argu,
ments advanced by those who are pro-
posing a division of the taxes, received
for educational purposes, along racial
lines.
Mr. Wright in his pamphlet pub
:lished by the Committee of Twelve,
goes into the marrow of the ques-
tion, and shows by evidence unim-
peachable that the South is not grow
ing hunch-backed because of the bur
den imposed by educating its Negro
citizens. He has levied upon the re-
ports of State and county superintend-
ents Of education, national and state
statistics, and finds that the black
man Is not receiving even his share
of the school funds. While Prof.
Healing affirms:
The South is spending $32,O6S, S51
on her public schools; $4,736,375 of
this is for Negro education This is
only 14.8 per cent. while the Negro
constitutes 40 per cent. of the total
poulation of the states considered
Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Alabama. Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas,
and Tennessee.
In the three states of Virginia,
North Carolina and Georgia, where
complete separation in statistics ex-
lists, the following taxes paid by the
Negro and the educational appropria-
tions made to him show that he re-
eeives less than he pays:
Virginia Negro taxes .S5O7 ,3O5
Virginia Negro appropriation. 4S9, 22S
Virginia Tax excess .s18,O77
North Carolina Negro tax. 1928, 1877
North Carolina Negro appro-
prlat1on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 4O2658
North Carolina Tax excess. ..... 26. sac
Georgia Negro taxes .$647.852
Georgia Negro appropriation. 5O6,17O
Georgia Negro excess .S141,6S2
returning to Mr.. Wright's pamphlet
for specific instances, we learn that
lH5 counties scattered through thir-
teen southern states Including Della
ware-repored 4,137 school houses of
which 1916 or 1879 per cent. were
owned by Negroes. And this we are
told is not the story in a nutshell: it
does not mean that the counties erect
ed the school houses and presented
them to the Negroes, but rather that
the Negroes have not received full cred
1t from their efforts in helping them
selves, for the reason that several of
these states required the buildings,
erected and owned by their black citi-
zens, to be transferred to them (the
states) before they were rated as
school buildings, and, thereby, deprived
the Negro people Of their full credit
The conclusions which he draws from
his Investigations are safe and sound
and fully justified by the data gath
cred. fTe concludes:
If 1t is proper to measure progress
ny the depth from which one comes
aS well as by the height which one
reaches the efforts at self-help in
education by Negroes deserve praise
Ihe1r contributions have been far
from adequate for even meagre edu-
cation, and, today, half of their chill
dren Of proper school age are not in
school, and two-ffths of their race are
unable to read and write. But the
history OF Etvilization does not show
one other instance Of q wholly illit-
crate race or nation reducing it's illit-
eracy In half of single generation.
1t ts probably also true that the
negroes pay possibly a larger percent
age Of the cost Of their schools than
any other group Of poor people in
America
The Negroes have paid in direct
property and poll taxes more than
$45,O0O,00O during the past forty
years.
The Negroes have contributed 81
least S15,000000 to education through
their churches.
The Negro student possibly paws
larger percentage Of the running OK
penses Of the institutions which ne at
tends, than any other student in Tho
land.
A single generation has produced
$4,000 teachers, 10000 ministers, 2O(
newspapers and magazines and othe
agencies Of self-help.
ORGANIZED LABOR AND TIL
NEGRO.
The stand taken by the officials o
the Georgia railroad in opposition t.