The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-15
MRS. G|E[OW URGES
WHITE EDUCATION
Stirring Plea for Anglo Saxon
Traditions
THE NEEDS OF ALABAMA
Prominent Alabama Woman Thinks
Philanthropy Should Not All Run
to Negro Race, Endanger-
ing Future Supremacy

| Mrs. Martha S. Gielow, founder and or
| ganizer of the Southern Industrial Educa-
| tional association, has written to The
| Age-Herald a stirring appeal for the edu-
cation of the whites of the mountain sec
| ton of the south. Mrs. Gielow is an
| Alabama woman who has devoted much
| time and study to the subject and her
| views will be read with interest. She
| writes
| To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
| l have just read the article in your pa
per on the deplorable educational con-
dtions of the south by Mr.. william II.
Skaggs of Chicago. Mr. Skaggs has
given facts in cold blood, facts which
are only too we'll known by many of
| us, and too little regarded by some.
| II we hope to preserve the intellectual
status of the Anglo-Saxon, and the In
tellectual supremacy of the white race,
wke have got to stand for enlightened
| citizenship and demand fundamental edu-
cation with Industrial training In the re-
| hottest districts of our state. We are
| too prone to cover up the rural condi-
| lions through state pride and Enthusiasm
| our city schools, but the time has come
when we have got to see and heed the
| writing on the WALL
| Mr. Skaggs says: From the documents
| in my possession and from notes made
during a personal investigation, l could
| furnish evidence of ignorance, poverty
| and physical and civic degeneracy that
would make every good man and woman
In this state stand aghast.' l have facts
to show that the condition of the south
| ern whites Is the most deplorable in the
| civilized world. The negroes are making
greater progress than the whites. they
are accommodating property faster, and in
education they are leading the whites,
| and the way we are now going within
ten years the illiteracy will be greater
among the whites than the blacks. These
are strong words and yet the census re-
port for June, 1900. shows that while
the illiterate black voters 80 years ago
vastly outnumbered the illterate white
| voters. the illiterate white voters now
outnumber the blacks by several hun
dred thousand The southern states
| seem to be making a supreme enort
| to give education to her children, and
vet the per cent OF white ill1teracy re-
|
| cause our white population is so per cent
rural and our remote rural and mountain
| neople are impoverished and untitled by
| lack of Industrial and vocational train
| ing to better their condition. IL phil
| anthropy" had done the same Tor our
uneducated whites that 1t has done Tor
| the negro, and for the heather, there
would be no such appalling discrepancy In
| our statistics on illiteracy, but most
wonderful record And II philanthropy
would only consider foundation work as
well as the work of higher education,
| conditions would be far better. The south
| has divided her educational FUNDS be-
| tween her blacks and whites for 40 years,
and .,philanthropists' have supplemented
| tha half she has given to her blacks by
| donating millions by endowing the nm
est eouipped schools for blacks to be
found in this country. 1t would De IL
| greater wonder II they were not forging
| ahead, for no other race on the lace OIL
| the earth has ever had sueh unpre-
cedented opportunities as the african rae
| in this country has had thrust upon
| them. .,
| But who has thought of thrusting op-
nortunities education, rights" upon the
unfortunate white brother? Are his mis-
| fortunes less to be pittied because he is
an Anglo-Saxon? VIII phiianthroplc
| miIlionaires never realize that ciViiiAa
| t,on of the Caucasian? VIII philanthropy
continue to open the flood gates OF learn
| inc unon the colored races, while the
very seed corn Of Americanism Is peins
| allowed to go to waste In our American
| mountains? +.
VIII our laymen continue 10 sa.ne.
millions to evangelize the heathen
abroad. while every mountain peak, re-
mote ar rural district in this land is
| silently CRYING for light? Do miners
| lose time refining tin when they can
dig for gold? Do breeders leave their
| thorouEhbreds to perish In destitute
pastures, while giving food ana shelter
| to their less valuable Stock why
| should Christianity and philanthropy
not rive equal chances to all? Why does
not some millionaire philanthropist en-
dow the Southern Industrial Education
al association with funds to help carry
industrial training and settlement
schools into the strongholds or white
illiteracy? Is 1t because our work is
to conserve the Anglo-Saxon children
whose ancestors fought for the free
dom and independence of this country?
Give light to all, but let no one for
get that the Anglo-Saxon has been
the civilizer of the world for letters,
for spoken and written eloquence. for
men of action, men Of thought, men OF
material advar ement, for liberty, law,
and mannOOu, the AnBlo-odNoH 10 hisl'
and the rest nowhere. And the Hit
eracy and poverty which Mr.. Skaggs
says among the southern whites is the
most deplorable in the civilized world
Is not due to the fact that they are
less worthy than others, but due to the
fact that they are less fortunate. The
Anglo Saxon race has not been rescued
from cannibalism and savagery, nor
from heathenism and even where they
have been cut off In our mountains for
$50 years from progress and civiliza-
ton itself, we find them still pos
sessed of the highest characteristics.
the imperishable characteristics of the
Anglo-Saxon race. / do not say we
are wasting time uplifting other races
but do say we are wasting time, OPP
portunity and civilization itself by not
putting forth the greatest effort for
the conservation of the higher race.
Let 1t not be said that negroes and