Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-11-29
pIcTRps FOR OUR LEGISLATORS.

We conv below. from the New York Times, two
tables-the first showing the entire white popula-
lion of the several States and the second the num-
Der of white persons over the age OF twenty-onne
years who cannot read and write. s., 5es
We are mortified to see that Tennessee AGAIN
stands nearly or quite atthe foot of the llst-con-
tanning the largest number Of white personsoEer the
age twenty -one years who cannot read and write
of any State in the Union The race for this un-
enviabe notoriety between and Arkansas is close;
but Arkansas has been more recently settled andis
yet much more sparsely populated than Tennessee.
We can frame no excuse whatever for the disgrace
ful fact that Tennessee Of the richest States IN
the Union and one of the most densely populated
States of the South, is the most ignorantcontain-
ing 1882 white men and women, over twenty.
one years Of age who cannot read and write -
This sin and shame lies mainly at the door Of pre-
ceding Legislatures, in falling to impose tax on
property 10 support common schools. We have a
school fund witch distributes annually 100000 to
common schools. But thisfund does butlittle good,
because the people feel little interest in what costs
then. nothing If the small sum of $4,000 annually
were raised by tax on property and distributed
with this fund.- it woud nfuse lie vigor, and utility
in our common school system.
The last two or three Legislatures have failed to
do any thing on this subject from disagreement
about the manner in which the tax should be raised
and applied very decided majority have been
in favor Of school tax but the rich counties have
contended that the money should be expended IN
the counties where it was raised, while the poor
counties have contended that it should all be paid
into the State treasury and distributed per oaptO,
among the scholastic population of the State. In
this conflict years have been wasted and Tennessee
now finds herself the fifth State in the Union in
population wealth. and resources yet the THIRTY. first
State in educationl This is the fault Of preceding
Legislatures; and our present Legislature mas now
been in session near two months and has talked of
appropriating millions to railroads, without having
scarcely mentioned the subject Of common schools
We hint to some ofthe aspiring members that they
may achieve quite as lasting reputation by NOV
ing in this matter Of common schools as they could
obtain were they to build railroads on all the black
lines which cover the mapsin the capitol.
We have said that TIE contests between the rep
resentatives of the rich and the poor counties have
VI ttAdllOu IOl COll1-
mon school purposes from being adopted. With the
experience Of preceding contests before them, our
present Legislature might and should adopt com
promise by combining the two plans. Let them
adopt plan by which tax should be levied upon
all the property Of the State to be distributed with
the common school fund; and then compel the coun-
ties to tax themselves a small amount in addition,
each county, in the latter case, to expend its
money. We are satisfied that in no other way can
we make a healthy beginning towards a reform
which shall wipe out the disgrace which the figures
in the annexed tables infct upon Tennessee. For
the state of things therein exhibited our present
Legislature is not responsible For its continuance,
fit is continued, it viii be responsible.