Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-07
(Continued From Editorial Poge)
To the Editor of The Star:

opposition 10 the cOIlSClIutloIiaI
convention are both we'll
known integrationiSts and sup
porters of heavy public spend
ing and high taxes. Conse-
quently, it is reasonable to
suspect that their new-found
concern for the cost to the
taxpayers of a tuition-grant
program is mere political no.
KUN designed to mislead cost
conscious segregationists into
voting against holding the
convention.
The proposed amendment to
the Virginia constitution would
be merely permiSsive, paving
the way for legislation and
appropriations. The cost OF a
tuition grant program will de-
pend upon the legislation en-
acted and the appropriation
action of the General Assem-
bly, and local governing bodies.
Our elected representatives. in
Guiding the legislative delega-
ton and the county board of
supervisors, are the key to
the matter of how wisely or
how we'll public funds will be
spent under a tuition-grant
program, Just as they are I'M.
der the present school program
and all other government pro-
grams.
Under the Gray Commission
recommendations. no money
will be spent for tuition grants
until and unless the only
other choice offered is to send
the children to integrated
schools or the locality decides
not to have public schools
rather than integrate them.
The amount of the tuition
grants would equal the amount
that would be spent on the
children if they were sent to
public schools, so that there
would be no reason for in
creased school taxes except
where the overhead mainte-
nance~costs of public schools
fail to decrease in proportion to
the reduction in public school
enrolment.
In the District OF Columbia
there has been a great hue and
cry for special teachers for
the slow-learners, So-called
atypical students, gifted chill
dren. ETC., which is traceable
very largely to the problems
created by indignation. The cur
rent budget request includes a
large increase for special
teachers. and compulsory inte-
grafton in Virginia schools
will certainly bring similar
requests.
Tuition grants provided pur-
suant to the proposed constitu-
tional amendment are likely to
be the only relief that will be
provided parents if public
schools are integrated in
Northern Virginia. Arguments
that the Negro population is
small will not continue to be
valid because the experience of
the District of Columbia shows
that Indignation is accompa-
MED by a rapid rise in the Negro
population. Losses in property
values to those. whowsell out
and move away are apt to far
exceed additional tax costs Of
a tuitlon-g grant program.
Any additional monetary
costs of a trition-grant pro-
gram should be weighed in
terms of the human costs Of
failure to provide an alterna-
tive to forced indignation.
These include: Cd Inferior
education for white children
due to reduction in educational
standards to accommodate
both races; 20 exposure of
white children to the lower
health and moral standards Of
a majority of the Negro chill
uren; 90 increased risk of
racial intermarriage and ANAL
gamatlon; "a curtailment Of
freedom of parents to send
their children to schools of
their choice.
Charles X. Weeks.
~
Many who are active in be-
half of school deSegregation
are mistaken in their positions
relating to the origin of sep
arate schools for Negro chill
dren in the South. 1t is con-
trary to the facts of history TO
attribute the advent of sep
arate schools to Southern
whites. Now deplored, the
separate school system reflects
the accomplishments of the
I motley hordes of missionaries
descending on the South
following emancipation, subsi-
died with Northern philan-
thropic funds. Schools for
Negro children were in this
manner provided evah before
rehabilitation of the common
schools.
Intense organiZational effort
was devoted to sustaining the
advantages accorded the freed
slaves, not only in the matter
of the schools provided for the
children but also in the matter
of practical education and
Skills and the crafts acquired
while under control of white
masters. Organizational activ-
ity on behalf of the Negro in
the South has longer record,
has been more purposeful, and
has produced greater results
than any that can be claimed
for the poor whites.
One has only to remember
the savage vengeance of
Thaddeus Stevens, of Penn
sylvania. reflected in every
page of post-Civil War history.
The f1IlpiShmnnt iY1f1iotad ,InoY,