Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-10-01
CARRoLLToN, WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER l. 1916.

number Of that population in each county
and consequently, as well as for nnoihe
} reason hereafter to be given, the exac
number in each county must be othcrwis
ascertained.
Now, in 1910, when the population O
0 and under 90 years Of age was 81, 1859
there was provided the following mean
Of education:
w Universities or colleges, whose
number of students was as
n Academies OF grammor schools, 2,55;
3S2 Primary or common schools, S,23(
Total number of children educat.
ed at colleges, academies or
4 common schools, 1924:
| This statement exhibits the astonishing
fact, that. in 1910, there were in Missis
sippi 56,2J6 children, between the ages O
. and 20, either educated at home by pri
vate instruction, or not educated at all
comprising about five-sixlhs Of the rising
generation and hope of the State. AT the
present day, even admitting that the means
of instruction have increased so per cent
since 1910, there must be the incredible
number of l0l ,0s9.children in this State
to whom the facilities of instruction are
imperlectly if al all extended.
From what has already appeared, the
following facts and their deductions will
not create much surprise. In 1890, the
number of free white persons over 90
years Of age in this State was 2S,433, and
in 1910, the number OF that class Of pop.
ulation was 73,S3S. OF the latter mum.
Der $500, or about one in every nine Of
that class of population, could neither read
nor icrite. Between 1890 and lS40, there
was an increase Of the population over
20 years of age of something more than
$50 per cent. I' the population of those
who can neither read nor write has in.
creased since 1910 in the same ratio which
the population over 90 years of age in
creased between 1880 and 1910, and from
the paucity of school facilities, it does moi
seem improbable, then there must now lie
in the State 1860 persons over 20 years
Of age, who can neither read nor write;
and, if means are not provided to aver
the calamity, the census Of 1850 will show
that number TO have increased to 25,60l,
or nearly as many persons in the Stale
in 1850, over 90 years of age, who can
neither read nor write, as there were por-
sons over 90 years OF age in the State
in 1880.
IF rnon n rnora r,innfo ava,,,;,at;o, ,ha
real condition Of education in this State
should prove not only not to have been
exaggerated in the above description, but,
as is not unlikely, scarcely TO have been
painted in all its true deformity, who can
doubt that there will shortly be heard an
almost universal demand for some sulli.
cient and immediate remedy An AIDE.
quate and obtanable remedy exists by the
Introduction into the State of the system
Of public schools. 1t is not designed in
this letter 10 present the arguments for and
against such plan as a system, but to
view il only in reference to the possibility
of its adoption in this State. In this ex.
animation, the first and main question is
the cost Of the system, when applied 10
that portion Of the population Of Missis-
siPPi which is a proper subject of inslruc-
ton.
Some estimate Of the probable expense
of system of public schools in Missis-
sppi can be arrived ut by computing that
of other States where the system has pre-.
vailed. Ia Massachusetts, The value Of
tho wages paid per month TO tho teachers
Of its public schools in The couniies Of Es-
sex aud Berkshire is fair criterion of tho
highest and lowest cost. This appears in
the following table: