The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-12-03
Principal Of Lincoln School Wants
Provision Made for Practical
Training Of Negro Boys
and Girls
PLEA ENDORSED
BY SUPT. RANEY
Board Of Education Favors Move;
Seeks to Interest People in Se-
curing Necessary Equip
ment for New Courses

Making plea that is endorsed by
Superintendent Ramey and that has
already been favorably considered by
the local board Of education d. M.
Lewis, principal of the negro school.
has written an article asking that pro-
vision be made for training in the
industrial and domestic arts for chill
dren of his race in Chickasha. The
article is as follows:
81 have adopted as my lifes work
the education and uplift of my people
and being now engaged in this work
in Chickasha wish to say few words
through the press.
Our system of education is one
that has been greatly improved; but
the best education can be given man
or woman, is a practical one. An
education which is not available in
practical life is sure to come under
the ban of public opinion. And to
this test is constantly being brought
the education OF our common schools,
together with our higher institutions
of learning.
1T is fair rule with which to
measure the education which is given
man or woman. Does it educate? Is
it useful? Can it be used by the me-
chanic and farmer. the laboring man
or woman in the earning of bread?
'The idea of educating men and
women for professional life only is
not enough; this would do If all who
come out of the schools were to enter
professional life; but it is otherwise,
they are in the minority, and in this
country always will be- The wage
earners make up a vast majority OF
our population and they have as high
a claim upon the common schools as
professional men; but every one will
admit, that for practical uses in life,
professional men gain a great deal
more out of these schools than the
wage earners among my people spe-
cially. Most people of the negro race
labor only with their hands, hence,
these institutions should train them
for labor; they pay portion of the
taxes, and in some states under GER
tain compulsory laws parents are re-
quired to send their children to the
common schools until they are sixteen
years of age; and by this time they
have exhausted all of their resources
and this is all the education that they
can receive. Since this is the case,
the kindergarten, primary. grammar
and high school should be and we
would like to have strengthened by
the addition of domestic science and
manual training. Every child and es-
cially eyery negro child. forssit is
the least favored, should be taught to
do something, to make something and
to make that something well. Draw
ing, plating, weaving. sewing. color
ing, patching, darning. designing,
cooking, carving molding and any and
every other thing along industrial
lines would be more useful prepara-
tion for life than learning the an
cestry Of Tiglathpilezer or the bouu-
daries of the world as imagined by
Ptolemy or all of the Latin and Greek
one might learn.
"Often the most helpless man in the
great business world is high school
or college man, who is over-developed
in the training of his intellect. but
dwarfed in the use of his hands. He
knows 50 much that he is giant in
the world Of letters. while he knows
so little, that among the practical men
of affairs in the great business world.
he is a pigmy. The path of success
in business is the path of common
| sense. Fortune smiles upon that
people who roll up their sleeves and
put their shoulders to the wheel No
one can dream himself into charac-
ter. but he must hammer and forge
himself one The boys and girls
among my people should be taught