Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-01-16

,,os,,Isy instruction as commenced; and 1927 and
1897 being an interval of ten and twenty years al
,crwards The state men.s show that the applicants
for marriage liccuses in 1917, amounted TO four
thousand six hundred and eighty t"o OF whom ere
ven hundred and twenfyseveB we're upsuie 70
write; five thousand and iofty-eight, 10 io~f, VI
whom the number unable to write, was eleven nun
bred and sixf,.six, ard, in 1887, the applicants
were four thousand SIX hundred and f1urteeni ana
of these the number OF one thousand ana IDiy-
seven were enable 20 write their naines. from
which il appears there still exists dePlor aps -
tent OF ignorance and that IN truth II u hafdy Tess
than 1t twenty years ago. ~heh me schooi ''''"
was created. The Statements II an be iegeMoef-
cd are partial not embracing quite al tue 10nntie'
and are moreover confined 10 one sex he educa-
non Of females. il 10 To b. feared is in condition OF
much greater neglect. An abstract Of these state
ments will be laid before you. With ihIs nortiiy-
ing exhibition before us, We authorized 70 req
tuun the plan now in use, 10 supply the pressing
demands of the generation now rising into man
hoodf
There are now in the State two hundred thou
sand children between The ages of tye and htteeh.
Forty thousand oft reported To be poor
cbildren. and Of them only one half be attending
scbosi. II may be safely assumed, that oil those
possossed Of property, adequate TO the expenses OF
a PLAIN education, large number IS growing up III
gnora nee for want of schools wiin Convenient dis
tlnces OF those school, many derive litteor no
totruc ons owing the incapacify OF the teachers
us we'll as to their culpabs negligence and inatten.
zion. Thus the number likely TO remain uneduca
ted, and grow up without just perceptions OF
their duties religious, social and political, is really
Of appalling magnitude and such as 10 appeal With
affecting earneslness 10 parental legislature. Is
not comprehensive and well organized system,
with careful and ample provisions 10 carry II Sue
cess fully into practice demanded by The literary
destituton Of 50 large portion oi our Peopei
1t s not 10 be expected, that the appropriation
now authorized by law, distributed among the seve-
raj Counties can be made eloctuai Ia accomplishing
any general Formation and tits that considera-
ton which tends to lessen the interest felt by the
Commissioners, us il does to discourage Others
from acting in that capacity, whose Influence and
intelligence would render them efficient. The
sum is not suicient, in some cf the coanties to
provide for the poor living in the vicinity OF SCHOOL,
already estabs he'd, still loss, 10 establish them III
situations in winch they needed, and TO provide
the means Of prepari q sufficient number oil com
petent instructors. At most 10 capable Of atIpr-
d ng only patttal relief; aud tnere is 100 mncn
reason to fear il is rendered Yet more Inefficient
toy the loose, irregular and iuJudicious manner m
which it Is sometimes applied.
A system Of popular instruction, such AS is nee
ded by the Stale, and within its to provide,
should look we'll 10 ire class whose revenues are
insufficient 10 educate their children without some
ssstance from he State, to that which Is more
INDECENT and TO the = adual increase o the number
Of ex perienced and qaiti.d teachers, and ot well
ofganlzed schools. At present, the ion aer class
may be said to be wholly unp divided Tor, consisting
oil small sndholders aud others, whose inconstdet-
able incomes will not udmt OF their taking upon
themselves the whole cha pc ot tt,eI cildrens ed
ucaton; but vino are YET able and nigh be relied
upoo eheerfully to contribute TO the support OF a
ladieions and comp extensive SYSTEM Schools es-
tabIisned and muinlaiued by private and public con
tribu,ions would be better managed and better at
tended than if they exclusively on State &C
count and their advantages would not be declined
by any from reluctance appear as applicants tor
assistance. The system which propose, Tor the
inefficient one now ~ use Is recommended by the
experience of several Of sister States, and by
that of other counties that have tficl II with dis
tngui.hed success. 1t would not require more
than eight thousand schools, in order to place
in every convenient and proper locatioh-the ioca-
tons to be selected with reference to the accommo
dations of the greatest number. The number VI
schools. to be allotted the Counties and the sites
which they should occupy, to be referred to the res
pectiye County Courts, under such restrictions and
directions AS to etrtorial extent and population,
that shall be- entitled to one school, may be or
dained BY law. IL is presumed that such plan
would not involve the necessity of putting up any
las each District would coBsen, OF mi sAt be re-
quired To provide It's own charge. For this
lumber Of schools -four thousand teachers would
probably be sufficient in the commencement, each
undertaking the charge OF two schools, and dividing
his time between them may be directed by law.
The compensation Of the teachers, which would
constitute the material part fthe charge Of such
plan, to he made up by the uaited contributions Of
the public and of the di.ricts within which the
from the income of the Literary Fund; the latter
that is, the share which each district shall contrib
ute, by levy on the inhabitants, ascertaned and
distributed among them as the law shall appoint
and made payable directly To the teachers. To Gu
sure the requisite qualifications in the teachers
their diligence and fidelity in Office, the systematic
attendance of the children, and for other points of
police and regulation, local or County coguizance
m,s ht be instituted.
The amount to be contributed by the Literary
Fund under sdch plan, would depend upon the ex-
tent which it might be thought advisable to car
ry the contributions by levy. An annual appropr-
alton oftwo hundred lhousund'doars would I,roba-
bly, answer, al least in the commencement. That
ortion of the income of tie Literary Fund now n
plicab to the education of poor children may be
estimated at seventy thousand doars but it is
within the power OF the Legislature to increase it,
by giving for the present. that direction the in
lerest the surplus deriN ed from the Gem
eral Government, and in other modes. And this
may be done without interfering with appropria-
tons for other objects intended by the Legislature
This brief outline may suffice 10 explain general
iythe plsn which have deemed ii my duty t. sug-
gsst, to which have only 20 add, ,hnt il il shall
attract the favorable notice of the General Assem-
bly, aud they shall he desired, my views of the de-
tails Of tie system will be most cheerfully commu.
nicatcd. Ii will be remembered that on this inter
est in j.. inn
each years delay closes the avenue 10 education up
on the multitude who yearly succeed to the respon
sibilities and trials of active life.
Al opportunity was aao' d,d he members of the
last General Assembly to witness the success of the
means which have been employed tor the education
of the blind and Of deafm None who witness
ed II spectacle that appealed with such touching
interest 10 the sympathies and generous feelings Of
our nature, could Ial 10 cherish n cordial desire