Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-02-26
MR. TUCKER FOR COMPULSORY
EDUCATION.
Dan vile Register

Dan vile RegisterI
An what was probably his first mblic
speech after formally beginning his
campaign for 'he Democratic nom;na.
tioo for the governorship, Hon. H. St
George Tucker declared himself in favor
OIL compulsory education; not as a re-
mote ann, but as a present issue. We
are not greatly surprised that Mr.
Tucker in scanning the range of poss;-
oihties In search of some issue that
may tend to popularize his candidacy
should have declared in favor of this
proposed innovation. has lone
been known that Mr.. Tucker was ex.
IRENE in his educational views and that
ne was an enthusiast on the subject.
whose declarations, like those of most
enthusiasts, were not always sound
and wise.
1t will be recalled that Mr.. Tucker
has for several years been connected
with the Ogden group of educational
faddists whose concern is chiefly for
the negro. This coterie of northern
phllanthropists, so called, make an an
nual pilgrimage to and through the
south, followed by not few southern
enthusiasts, counting northern endow-
ments of our schools and colleges. to
the great disgust of the majority of
their self-respecting fellow citizens.
heretofore these northern educational
propagandists have confined their visits
and their beneficence chiefly to the
hampton negro school and to Booker
Washngton's much exploited Tuske-
gee Institute. Mr.. Tucker himself
made a canvass of the State some
years ago in behalf of an educational
revival in which he quoted a lot of
statistics which did gross Injustice to
Virginia, making it appear that the
proportion of illiterates was much
greater than it actually is. Mr.. Tucker
did not know his statistics were erron-
eous and as soon as he found out that
he was not correctly informed ne aban-
doned the use of the misleading statis-
tics.
In declaring for compulsory educa-
ton in Virginia Mr.. Tucker must know
that 1t will mean that the. Virginia
white taxpayers must bear the burden
OF educating every negro of school age
in Virginia and that this will mean the
construction of more schoolhouses for
the negro children in all parts of the
State and will necessitate the attend.
ance thereon of young negro men and
women who are now working for a |
living. That it will mean all this and
more, we quote the Norfolk Virginian-
Pilot, which is very friendly to Mr.. |
fuckers candidacy, but which never
theless takes issue with him on this /
premature compulsory education fad. |
Our Norfolk contemporary says:
Butt n our judgment, the school sys-
tenn of Virginia is not yet in such condi-
ton that a law of compulsory attend
ance would work advantageously., We
have not now either school houses or
enough for 1.-THE pupils seeking
When those deficiencies
have been supplied. and the average
ength of session in the rural districts
has been extended to a respectable
number of months, then the issue pre-
'ented by Mr.. Tucker in his Greenes- ,
lille address may be discussed on its
merits, and then the virginian-Pilot
will see no solid reason for opposing it.
An arbitrary enactment in ad-
'ance of these improvements would be
My to impede and hamper the opera
ion of the machinery already employed
md would injuriously affect the quality
# the education served out to the VOL
lntary applicants. There is no use
'utting a CONSUMPTION in force when
he State has not yet arms. ammunition. {
ents nor subsistence for the forces c
lready in the field