The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-01-10
TO PROBE MEAT SITUATION FAIR PLAY FOR NEGRO SCHOOL,
Opposition to Location of Southern
University lIl-Founded, Declares
West Feiiciana Paper-objections
Largely Inspired by Prejudice.

University ll-Founded, Declares
West Feiciana Paper-objection
Largely inspired by Prejudice.
| st. Francisville True Democrat:
The True Democrat regrets that
considerable opposition has develop.
ed to the project OF locating the
Southern University tfor negroes) on
| the Mcqueen plantatIcn, three miles
| below Bayou Sara. When the plan
was first broacned, nearly every cit
lzen OF the ward (secand) approved it,
and our feeling, uIsaulVocally ex-
pressed, was favorable to 1t, and
still is. Subsequently citizens in
| ether parts of the parish and in town
nave protested, and q petition to
| that effect has been circulated gen
orally, and many signatures have
been obtalN9d. The objectiAs, we
honestly believe, are not well taken.
| These are mainly:
/. Prejudice against education OF
the negro.
2. Fear that it will affect local
labor unfavorably.
8. Fear that it will deprecIate
property,
4. Loss of parish taxes.
Taking up these objections con-
secutively we urge that whatever
private opinion may be, concerning
education of the negro, the fact re-
mains that every political party in
the United States is committed to
it. The Democratic state Of Louisi-
ana is SO committed. Therefore no
one merely as a Democrat can OBJ
ject. On the contrary. Democratic
Louisiana, through Coy. Hall, has in
view the furtherance of plans which
will educate the negro along lines
which will benefit himself and the
state. For this reason the University
| was removed from New Orleans, in
spite of a fight in the legislature,
IN order that while giving the negro
| a high school education, he might al
10 be trained in scientific agriculture,
ad7bullding, and the various man
occupations requiring knowledge
-. skill that are usually taught in
best industrial schools. Since
old race of negroes, who were
- brick-laying, carpentry, etc.,
& white masters, is dying out,
Is|# D eedingly hagd to get skill
| vi hes aIbor. In West Feliciana
we feel need every time repair
work is It is proposeAethat
the Sous University shall supply
/ this demaH Indeed unless it does,
the appropriation from the United
States therefor will be withdrawn,
and removal to the country is there
IS Several raialataa sites ll9a lseen offered.
but have been found for one reason
or another, undesisasl Hnstuu,
which already has private indus
trial school for negroes in its vicini-
ty, is SO much raaHd with that
schools work that it is asking for the
state school. But the governor wish
es to obtain, it possible, a more cen
tral location.
From Tat standpoint, the Nc.
Queen pla Jon is ideal for the pur-
pose. TT BIT subject to o1 slow,
is between Se7o railroads and has ad
mirable facilities in that respect
Considered locally, it is off the pub
lie road, is removed from the major
part of the parish, and from the
towns. If it were proposed to put
it near town or on any of the fre
quented roads of the parish, in the
midst Of white people on all sides
the True Democrat would oppose it
But the situation at Forest is en-
tirely different.
2. Any fear that it would affec
local labor unfavorably arises from ;
misconception of the aims and pur
poses Of the school, the name Uni
versity" itself being e. misnomer. /
workers. It will be a big demonstra
ton farm, and local negroes, if SO dis
posed, will be given the opportunit
to observe and learn improved metI
DDS of farming. Carpenters, brio
masons, etc., will be trained. Their
will be no silk-hatted, fat raseals
to pervade the county Police regl
/. lations can easily be devised that OF
ly small numbers of students will b
allowed out of grounds at time
: It is not the hard-Working, plain n
| groes of the parish, or the educate
ones either, that impose criminal 9:
T pense on West Felieiana, as ever
one knows. It is the Whiskey-drinl
ing, cocaine-eating loafers that caus
/ the trouble. Needless to say,
school under state regulations and S
a pervision would be under good disc
: pline.
k 8. Propeaty owners nearest to II
r Mcqueen place are not objectlng
+ the school, lest it depreeiate propert
: It is not possible that 1t can hu
property interests, say on the Woo
vile road.
4. The loss in parish taxes is NJ
annrecaabIe. as the amount a hu