The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-28
DISPUTE ABOUT
COL0RED SCHOOL
The Bible School About to close in
North Fourth Street Has Been
Bone of conten-
ton.
SUPERINTENDENT TALKS
Is lrritated by Lack Of Appreciation OF
Her Philanthropy by Some Of
Her Race In the
Churches.

Friday is the time of the closing ex-
ercises OF the children's Bible school
at the Young Women's Christian In
dustrial mission, at % North Fourth
street. to which the public is invited.
This has been a summer Bible
school for colored children, patterned
somewhat after the Bible school con-
Quoted by the churches of Keokuk dur
Ing this summer.
There has been considerable Of a
fight on among the colored church
men of Keokuk over this school, and
Miss Sidney J. Davis. its superintend-
ent, today gave out hot interview,
answering the DIRECTORS and explain
ing in great detail the purpose and
work of the school.
Her reference to any alleged efforts
to segregate the colored children by
themselves in the Keokuk public
schools is beside the mark, as are any
charges that such efforts are made
since the supreme court of Iowa, In
case going up from Keokuk many
years ago, with old Uncle Daniel r.
Miller as the victorious lawyer, decld-
ed that in this state there may be no
segregation of colored from white chill
dren in the public schools, and tnat
decision stands today. Part OF the IN
terview given out by Miss Davis IS as
follows:
Forms an Anninias Club.
IT regret to learn that the above
named little institution fostered in
Keokuk for the past few weeks for the
,rplift of a certain class of its citizens,
IS being greatly misrepresented as TO
its aims and objects by some OF the
very neople who should be It's best
friends and foremost supporters, be-
cause, | believe, Of their failure TO
understand the undertaking.
"On nv return from a recent bus,-
ness trip. the rumor came to me that
am being charged by some OF the
colored ministers of this city as being
q marty to a scheme of some kind,
backed by some OF the white ministers
to segregate my people in the PUBIC
schools here.
az desire to state and affirm In JUS
tice to all parties concerned; that any
such statement, by whomsoever MADE
is gross misrepresentation, moreover
n deliberate, bare faced falsehooo'
wholly unfounded.
"while our summer Bible school at
the mission has been carried on as
sort Of a private work. we Will very
cheerfully acouaint the public with
the why and how, of 1t, in line OF
showing the pure motive OF It's posi-
ton. The latter part OF June "neh
the placing of the three vacation
Bible schools for children which clos
ed last month, held in three whlte
churches in the city were being de-
cided, fourth school OF that klnd was
offered to the colored people OF tne
city for their children wherever they
might desire to have It located. This
was offered as a gift. to be nnancea
NV the efforts of the Ministerial al
lance of the city, which included the
salary for two teachers. One OF our
canable race women had studied the
work with them in last summers
school and was fully acceptable to
have conducted the school for colored !
this year. which probably to the COM
mittee seemed feasible.
Four Dozen Children Here.
"Our canvass resulted in the en-
rollment of the names of forty-eight
children. thirty-eight of these In
readiness to attend and ten condition
ally that we secure clothing for them
This proved an agreeable surprise TO
the committee Of the alliance ana
our work was commended highly, put
as the requirement for placing the
school was an enrolment or seventy
five and as It was already the date
for opening. we did not get the appro-
priation from the Ministerial CONFER
ence for the Bible school for colored
children The next week. however.
the mothers of many OF the children
whom we had interested, were sending
word to us down to the mission TO
know what day to start their children
In.
A crowd OF children whose parents |
have had faith in the school have at
tended faithfully. day after day
through the intense heat they have /
come. some from the neighborhood of
Rand park. some from beyond the .
cemetery and from all parts of town
they have come down to % North
Fourth street to school. One teacher
has had to handle two grades, with !
some of the children in different
groups for different days-but with all
Of the odds, the work has gone for
ward The teacher Of this school Is
donating her services, is also the sup
Of the mission.
.If anybody feels less friendly to-
ward the mission or its superintend-
ent. because we have taken these dear 4
in. we will have to suffer that
oss. The benefit it viii be to the chill
1ren to have had the school we feel
Will make up for it."
So Are We All.
T,lI - rx0ndnr Nor